Independent candidates, 1999 Ontario provincial election

There were a number of independent candidates in the 1999 Ontario provincial election, although none were elected. Some of these candidates have their own biography pages; information on others may be found here.

This page also covers independent candidates who campaigned in by-elections between 1999 and 2003.

=Ed Pokonzie (Sudbury)=

Ed Pokonzie is a perennial candidate for political office, having campaigned in federal, provincial and municipal elections. He first ran for election municipally in 1991. [Ed Pokonzie, "Amalgamated city can work if given the chance: Pokonzie", "Sudbury Star", 2 November 2006, A7.]

Pokonzie was a city employee and labourer in Calgary, Alberta in the early 1980s. He was fired in 1981 for failing to pass a "permanency" medical test, and later became involved in a complicated legal challenge regarding his dismissal. [Pokonzie attempted to bring his case to his union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 37, but union president Ron Brown refused to take the case to arbitration. The Alberta Labor Relations Board later ruled that Brown did not provide Pokonzie with fair representation, and ordered the local to take the case to arbitration; however, the statute of limitations for Pokonzie's challenge had elapsed by this time. Pokonzie later sued his union for $220,000 over the matter. The case was still pending in 1991. See Dick Schuler, "Ex-city laborer battles legal limbo", "Calgary Herald", 27 December 1991, B3.] He then moved to Ontario, and settled in the city of Sudbury. He launched a $5 million lawsuit against the Province of Ontario in 1999, citing wrongful treatment over his failure to obtain compensation for workplace injuries. The suit was dismissed in 2004. [Denis St. Pierre, "Mayoral candidate's lawsuit dismissed", "Sudbury Star", 16 August 2004, A3. This article notes that Pokonzie also launched suits against the Ontario Human Rights Commission in 1996 and the Sudbury District Roman Catholic Separate School Board in 1997.] In 2000, Pokonzie identified himself as a former truck driver on a disability pension. ["Pokonzie to run for mayor's job", "Sudbury Star", 6 October 2000, A3.]

Pokonzie is often described as a social activist, and has called for a grassroots approach to city politics. [Chris Polehoykie, "Garbage hot topic at mayoral debate", "Sudbury Star", 31 October 2000, A1.] He was an early supporter of amalgamation, though he also called for smaller centres to retain their local identity in the new city of Greater Sudbury. ["Pokonzie to run for mayor's job", "Sudbury Star", 6 October 2000, A3.] He also supported a light transit system, and pay-for-service assessment. [Chris Polehoykie, "Candidates a sincere, but inexperienced, group", "Sudbury Star", 12 November 2000, A3; Ed Pokonzie, "Amalgamated city can work if given the chance: Pokonzie", "Sudbury Star", 2 November 2006, A7.] Pokonzie called for the municipal administration to be restructured in 2003, arguing that there were six different agencies overseeing water quality without anyone having effective management authority. [Bob Vaillancourt, "I can make city work: Pokonzie", "Sudbury Star", 18 October 2003, A3.]

Pokonzie is known for wearing a beret bedecked with medals while campaigning. [Bob Vaillancourt, "Dupuis, Portelance pull away from crowd", "Sudbury Star", 14 November 2000, A9.]

Ralph Kirchner (Windsor—St. Clair)

Kirchner was 28 years old at the time of the election, a lifelong Windsor resident, and a Chrysler worker. On announcing his candidacy, he promised to bring more democracy to the political system if elected. Kirchner advocated expanding the public health care system to cover dental care, prescription drugs and eyeglasses. He denied being a radical in his views, and claimed he entered the race out of frustration with Ontario's partisan system. ("Windsor Star", 19 May 1999) He received 263 votes (0.68%), finishing fifth out of six candidates. The winner was Dwight Duncan of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Kevin Mark Clarke (Beaches—East York by election, September 20, 2001)

Clarke is a perennial candidate for public office in Toronto. See his biography page for more information.

Footnotes