David West

David West is a Canadian politician. He has been mayor of Richmond Hill, Ontario since January 2022. As mayor, he also sits on York Regional Council. Early life West's father Ian, was born in Rydal Bank, Ontario. West attended Langstaff Secondary School in Richmond Hill, which is where he met his wife. He then received a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Toronto. He returned to Richmond Hill c. 1990. Before entering politics, West owned a photography business, called West Photo Inc. He was named Photographer of the Year for all Ontario in 1997. Career West was appointed to Richmond Hill's council in 2013 to fill a vacancy, replacing Lynn Foster in Ward 4, who had moved to Connecticut. He was chosen among 36 candidates who applied for the job. There was controversy with his appointment, with some calling the process 'rigged'. West was selected after a 5–3 council vote, defeating former Conservative candidate Joe DiPaola on the final ballot. West had the backing of mayor Dave Barrow. DiPaola claimed the vote was not fair, as councillors maid up their minds before the vote.