Heaps' father, Leo, received a military cross for service in World War II and was a New Democratic Party candidate in the 1979 federal election in the riding of Eglinton—Lawrence, while his son Toby was a senior staffer in Ralph Nader's 2004 US presidential campaign.
Berardinetti claimed that Heaps defamed her by distributing copies of an article in The Globe and Mail that endorsed him two days before the election.
The article by columnist John Barber who described himself as a classmate of Heaps endorsed him while belittling Berardinetti as little more than a nepotistic "pillow talker" of her MPP husband.
The audit committee reviewed the expenses and found no evidence of improper financing but the group appealed the decision to a higher court.
TPBC and fellow councillor Doug Holyday launched a second legal action to force Heaps to repay the money.
He also served as chair of Disabilities Issues for Toronto and headed up committees involved in sports related activities such as the 2010 Winter Olympics torch relay and the 2015 Pan American Games.
[13] Citing workload issues Heaps declined an offer by Mayor David Miller to sit as a councillor-at-large on the city's powerful executive committee.
Berardinetti claimed that unconnected bike lanes on Pharmacy Avenue and Birchmount Road were leading some residents who lived on those streets to move out of the ward.
[15][16] Heaps lost the election to Berardinetti by 2,203 votes.Councillor Heaps is also recognized for creating Warden Hilltop Community Centre - the first public building in Toronto to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certified featuring a geothermal heating and cooling system, green roof and solar power.