Jon Burnside

Prior to his election as a City councillor, Burnside worked as a police officer,[1] and later launched his own meal delivery company.[1]

Burnside first ran as a City councillor for Ward 26 in the 2010 election, losing narrowly to incumbent councillor John Parker.[1] He defeated Parker in the 2014 election.[1]

In October 2015 Burnside voiced concern when he learned that MetroLinx was partnering with Countrywide Homes, over plans for Bayview LRT station on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, at Bayview and Eglinton avenues.[2][3] Countrywide owns the property that currently houses a McDonald's restaurant on the corner where the main entrance to the station will be built. Burnside learned that, rather than purchase the property outright, MetroLinx acquired the property, and several adjacent properties, in a deal that will allow Countrywide to build a new building above the station. Burnside was concerned that the developers would plan to build taller than the nine storeys the site is currently zoned for.

"Metrolinx will profit per buildable square foot. So the bigger the development, the more money they get. [It’s] the taxpayer’s dollar [that] is building the Eglinton Crosstown, so why should all the profit go to the private sector?"[2]

Burnside ran unsuccessfully for re-election as councillor in the 2018 election in the newly constituted Ward 15 Don Valley West, which has the same boundaries as Don Valley West against fellow incumbent councillor Jaye Robinson the councillor for former ward 25.