Toronto fringe mayoral debate draws unusual candidates
What happens when a clown, a duck, a dominatrix, an eco-comedian and a policy advisor, all vying to be Toronto’s next mayor, walk into a bar? The answer is; they quarrel and laugh.
Carlie Ritch
Mayoral candidate no stranger to political battles
Matt Mernagh starts his day vaporizing marijuana into a plastic bag. He smokes several times a day, consuming several grams to relieve pain from an inoperable brain tumor that causes seizures. He has fibromyalgia, which in addition to pain causes his spine to curve sideways. For almost 20 years, Mernagh, 40, has fought for the rights of medical marijuana users; he’s been attempting to legalize marijuana in an ongoing court case with the federal government. This year, however, Mernagh is fighting a different battle. This year, he’s running to be mayor of Toronto.