Toronto 2026/Ward 12/Jenny Kalimbet
JK

Jenny Kalimbet

Running for
Councillor
Ward 12
Toronto-St. Paul's
Days until polls open
29

About Jenny

Written by Jenny Kalimbet in answer to our questionnaire, and published as given. Not our description of them.

I believe Toronto deserves leadership that listens, takes action, and delivers results.

I immigrated to Canada from Ukraine in 2005, and I understand what it means to build a life through hard work, determination, and opportunity. I have dedicated my career to public service and to standing up for people when they need someone in their corner.

For over six years, I served our community through the Office of MPP Kinga Surma, helping thousands of residents navigate government, access housing and social supports, find employment opportunities, support their small businesses, and get the services they need.

As a Community Liaison with the Toronto Police Service, I work to strengthen relationships between residents, police, and community partners because I believe everyone deserves to feel safe in their neighbourhood.

My commitment to helping people extends beyond government. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, I have helped displaced families navigate immigration, settlement, and employment opportunities. I am also actively involved with Yellow Brick House, supporting its work helping women and children escape domestic violence and rebuild their lives in safety.

In 2021, I ran for federal office because I believed government could—and should—do better.

Now, I am ready to bring my experience, determination, and commitment to City Hall—to make Toronto safer, more affordable, more accountable, and a city where families, seniors, newcomers, and businesses can thrive.

For me, public service isn’t about politics. It’s about people—and getting results.

Our questionnaire

Where Jenny Kalimbet stands

Jenny Kalimbet’s own answers to the questions we put to every candidate, published as given — including, where they wrote one, their reasoning in their own words.

Five decisions facing the next council

Should Toronto permit substantially more housing as-of-right in every ward, including areas currently dominated by detached and semi-detached homes?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Yes

    It depends on the size and scale of the dwelling. I support allowing more housing as-of-right where new development remains consistent with the existing height and character of the neighbourhood. Toronto does not have enough rental housing but we need to ensure that new development fits communities.

When a person living in a park has been offered an available indoor space that meets their accessibility, safety and household needs, should the city require them to leave the encampment?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Yes

    Yes. If appropriate indoor space is available and meets a person’s accessibility, safety and household needs, they should be required to leave the encampment. Our parks must remain safe, clean and accessible to everyone.

Should Toronto introduce road-pricing measures, such as congestion charges or tolls, if the revenue is dedicated to transportation improvements?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    No

    Before introducing new tolls or congestion charges, Toronto should reduce congestion by completing infrastructure projects on time, moving bike lanes off major arterial roads where appropriate, and strictly enforcing no-parking rules during peak hours.

Should Toronto raise additional local revenue to address its infrastructure repair backlog rather than defer maintenance while seeking funding from other governments?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    No

    No. Toronto residents already pay significant property taxes. We should work with other levels of government to address our infrastructure needs while conducting a thorough review of the City’s budget to find efficiencies, improve accountability, and ensure long-term sustainability.

Should Toronto publish project-level budgets, schedules and performance updates for all major capital projects?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Yes

    Absolutely. Toronto residents deserve full transparency and accountability from their City. Major capital projects should have publicly available budgets, timelines and performance updates so residents can see how their tax dollars are being spent.

Public safety and public space

Which approach should receive the greatest additional investment to improve public safety?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Police, bylaw enforcement and a more visible official presence

    Toronto needs a visible and effective police and bylaw presence to deter crime, respond to disorder and keep our public spaces safe. At the same time, enforcement should work alongside prevention, mental health supports and community partnerships to address problems before they escalate.

Over the next council term, the Toronto Police Service budget should:

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Increase above inflation to expand police staffing or services

    As Toronto grows, our police service must have the staffing and resources needed to respond effectively, address violent and hate-motivated crime, improve community presence and keep our neighbourhoods and transit system safe.

How should Toronto govern automated licence-plate readers and similar surveillance technology used on public streets?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Establish citywide limits on access, retention, auditing and data sharing

    Technology such as automated licence-plate readers can be an important tool for public safety, but its use must be carefully regulated. Toronto should establish clear rules governing access, data retention and sharing, with strong privacy protections and regular audits to prevent misuse.

Transit and transportation

What should receive the greatest share of the next available transit funding?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    More frequent and reliable service on existing routes

    Toronto residents need more frequent, reliable and safe transit on the routes they already use every day. Before committing significant funding to new expansion, we must improve existing TTC service, reduce delays and overcrowding, and ensure riders can get where they need on time.

When there is not enough street space for every use, which should generally receive priority?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Deliveries, trades, emergency vehicles and accessibility

    Our streets must allow emergency vehicles to respond quickly, people with accessibility needs to travel safely, and businesses and trades to operate efficiently. A functioning city depends on the reliable movement of people, goods and essential services.

Housing and growth

If Toronto could make one major housing intervention this term, which should receive the greatest emphasis?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Build or finance substantially more affordable and supportive housing

    We need housing that people can actually afford, while providing appropriate supports for those experiencing homelessness so they can move into stable, permanent homes.

What should be Toronto's primary role in delivering affordable and supportive housing?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Supply land, funding and incentives to non-profit and private providers

    By bringing together government resources and outside expertise, we can build affordable and supportive housing faster and more efficiently. At the same time, the City must set clear affordability requirements, monitor results and ensure taxpayers receive value for every public dollar invested.

Where should Toronto permit the greatest increase in housing density?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Concentrate growth on major streets and near rapid transit

    These areas are best positioned to accommodate growth because residents have better access to transportation, services and employment. We should increase housing supply while ensuring that growth is supported by the infrastructure and community services needed to maintain quality of life.

City government and service delivery

Which change would you implement to reduce the cost of building housing in Toronto?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Expand as-of-right zoning and automate routine permits

    Toronto should expand appropriate as-of-right zoning, automate routine permits and cut unnecessary delays. Time is money—reducing red tape and approval times will lower construction costs and help get much-needed housing built faster.

What is the most important change Toronto should make to reduce capital-project delays and cost overruns?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Prevent councillors from altering scope after approval without identifying funding

    Once a project is approved, its scope should not be changed without clear justification and identified funding. Toronto needs stronger accountability to prevent political changes from driving delays and cost overruns, while ensuring projects are delivered on time and on budget.

Which service-delivery model should Toronto use more often?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Move major functions to arm's-length organizations with clear performance mandates

    Toronto should use specialized agencies where they can deliver services more efficiently and effectively. Clear performance targets, professional expertise and strong accountability can reduce bureaucracy, improve results and ensure taxpayers receive better value.

Taxes, spending and fiscal sustainability

Over the next council term, residential property-tax revenues should generally:

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Grow approximately with inflation and population

    Property-tax revenues should generally grow with inflation and population, not through excessive tax increases. Toronto must live within its means, find efficiencies and ensure residents receive better value for the taxes they already pay.

Which type of additional revenue should Toronto rely on most heavily?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Land-transfer taxes, development charges and taxes on real-estate activity

    Toronto should prioritize growth and transaction-based revenues rather than placing additional pressure on homeowners through property-tax increases. As the city grows, development and real-estate activity should contribute fairly to the infrastructure and services that growth requires.

What should Toronto do first to address its infrastructure repair backlog?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Sell, consolidate or close facilities the city cannot sustainably maintain

    Toronto should review its assets and identify underused or costly facilities that are no longer sustainable. Selling or consolidating these properties can reduce long-term maintenance costs and redirect resources toward essential infrastructure, while protecting important community services.

Governance and representation

What should be Toronto's primary approach to the provincial government?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Align with provincial priorities where doing so secures funding or approvals

    Toronto must work collaboratively with the provincial government to secure funding and approvals for key priorities. By finding common ground on housing, transit and infrastructure, we can deliver better results for Toronto residents.

Your ward and your record

Which objective should receive the greatest attention in your ward during the next council term?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Enforcement, public-space management and responses to disorder

    Safety and order must be a priority. Residents deserve safe streets, parks, transit and public spaces. I will support effective enforcement, address crime and public disorder, and work with police, community partners and all levels of government to keep our neighbourhoods safe.

Which single result should voters use to assess your performance at the end of the term?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Safer, cleaner and better-maintained streets and public spaces

    Safer, cleaner and better-maintained streets and public spaces. Residents should be able to see and feel the difference in their neighbourhood. I want to be judged on whether our community is safer, cleaner and better managed, while delivering these improvements responsibly with taxpayers’ money.

    If you selected “Ward commitment,” state one numerical target and a deadlineBy December 2029, reduce reported crime in Ward 12 by 25% through stronger enforcement and police visibility, while reducing congestion through better traffic flow, rush-hour parking enforcement and advancing an Allen Road redesign, including a roundabout.

Priorities and trade-offs

Over the next council term, Toronto should:

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Remove or redesign lanes that fail defined safety, ridership or congestion standards

    Review and redesign bike lanes that worsen safety or congestion or have low ridership. Where practical, move cycling routes to safer secondary roads and laneways, protecting cyclists while keeping major arterial roads moving for transit, emergency vehicles and traffic.

When demonstrations substantially block transportation or access to essential institutions, the city should prioritize:

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Keep major roads, transit, hospitals and essential facilities operating

    Peaceful protest is a democratic right, but it must remain peaceful, free from hate speech, and not block major roads, transit, hospitals or essential services. Toronto must protect lawful expression while keeping our city safe, moving and accessible.

Where should Toronto direct its next major technology investment?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Permits, licences, payments and service requests

    Toronto should invest in technology that makes City services faster and easier to access. Residents and businesses should be able to obtain permits and licences, make payments and track service requests through simple, reliable digital systems that reduce wait times and red tape.

When Toronto faces a structural operating-budget gap, what should it do first?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Reduce internal administration, staffing or contract costs

    Toronto should first reduce unnecessary administrative, staffing and contract costs before asking residents to pay more. The City must review spending, eliminate duplication and inefficiencies, and ensure taxpayers receive the best possible value from every dollar.

What is the most important municipal intervention for improving Toronto's business climate?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Accelerate permits, inspections and approvals

    Toronto must accelerate permits, inspections and approvals by cutting unnecessary red tape and modernizing City processes. Faster approvals will lower costs, attract investment, help businesses grow, create more jobs for residents and make Toronto more competitive.

How should Toronto attract major employers, investment and events?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Housing affordability, transportation, safety and quality of life

    Toronto must get the fundamentals right: affordable housing, reliable transportation, safe streets and a high quality of life. When people want to live and work here, employers, investment and major events will follow—creating jobs and strengthening our economy.

What should receive the greatest priority in Toronto's public-realm budget?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Cleanliness, roads, sidewalks, snow clearing, washrooms and routine park care

    Basic maintenance should come first. Residents deserve clean streets, well-maintained roads and sidewalks, reliable snow clearing, accessible public washrooms and properly maintained parks. Getting the basics right is essential before we move to major improvements.

What should be Toronto's primary tool for supporting arts, culture and nightlife?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Planning and property measures that preserve existing venues and workspaces

    Toronto should protect existing cultural venues, performance spaces and creative workspaces from displacement. Smart planning and property measures can preserve the places that give our neighbourhoods character, support local artists and keep Toronto’s arts and nightlife vibrant.

If autonomous taxi services operate in Toronto, which condition should the city prioritize?

  • Jenny Kalimbet
    Accessibility, geographic coverage and minimum service standards

    Autonomous taxi services must serve all Torontonians, not just the most profitable areas. Toronto should require strong accessibility, citywide coverage and minimum service standards to ensure seniors, people with disabilities and residents across the city have reliable access.

Each card is one question, with Jenny Kalimbet filed under the answer they gave and their own words underneath it. The other options offered are not shown, nor how the rest of the field answered.

How the whole city answered

Registered candidates from the City Clerk’s official list, refreshed daily. Campaign sites are linked as published by the candidate; a link is not an endorsement.

Everyone running in Toronto-St. Paul'sWhere the whole field stands