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MARK SAUNDERS Politician Former Toronto Chief of Police Candidate for mayor

of Toronto

We have already formed a tradition in Exodus Magazine to acquaint the community with candidates for various positions at different levels of government. Today we bring readers a conversation with Mark Sanders, a candidate for mayor of Toronto.

Mark, can you please share with us a little about yourself, the experiences that define you and your journey to be a candidate for mayor of Toronto.

Reflecting on my life journey, my mind often wanders back to the pivotal year of 1982 when I first joined the Toronto Police Service. It was a time of palpable tension and strained relations between the police and the black community. I cannot assert that the situation has drastically improved today, but I take solace in the significant strides we've made. The numbers are evident; the diversity within the organization has markedly improved.

But I remember when I got in, the number one question I got from my friends and family, most of whom are people from the black community, was: are they treating you okay?

It was strange in the sense that I joined because I always wanted to make a positive difference in the lives of people. And, you know, being young and naive, I would think that police officers are always to arrest all the bad guys and then the world's a better place for good people. But you find out quickly that’s not even close to the mark.

It’s not just about arresting the bad guys. More often than not, you're dealing with people that are in despair. You're dealing with addiction. You're dealing with a lot of social issues. It's not about arresting your way through. It's providing a service. It was unique in the sense that being black, sometimes I'd knock on the door and people would say, “this person can come in, but you can't”, because of my race.

I think of those types of encounters: Where the police were called and then I showed up as the police officer and they don’t want to let me in because I’m black, and they’re having discussions in front of me. I had to manage not only that, but also pivot to addressing the reason I was there; and gaining their respect and cooperation from the entry point of a discussion about my race. It was challenging.

As police chief, I know that my race often times was the focal point. It's interesting because, now, as a Mayoral candidate, I get asked to respond to things that normally would never get asked of a candidate, for example: “what if I tell you that certain members of the black community aren't going to vote for you,” and I think, okay, well, that's an interesting question because it's based on the assumption that for every person before me that was white, everybody voted for them because they're white. And that’s just not true.

I still to this day will go into certain stories and be followed. My wife would testify to what she has seen. And in fact, sometimes she’ll step back and just watch how I’m followed around, where a white person isn’t.

It happened when I was the Chief and it still happens today. It speaks to the world that we live in. But I’m not complaining. Instead, I use it to inform my perspective because when you live these stories, and you’re sitting at important tables, having a different perspective is a good thing and it moves the discussion in a way that includes more voices.

This isn’t about just being black. Every culture, or race, or group of people who aren’t necessarily the mainstream know what I’m talking about.

But I have the added benefit of having been in a position of authority. It really does help other people that look like me to know that they have opportunity; their children have opportunity. And so if I'm setting a standard or a bar for people that look like me, that's a good day… it’s an added bonus to everything.

I have skills, qualifications, lived experience, passion to move this city in the right direction. Our city belongs to all its residents; not just the ones who run City Hall. It's the people that make the city so great.