Trinity—Spadina

Trinity—Spadina was a downtown Toronto riding that encompassed some of the city's most iconic neighbourhoods and landmarks. The by-election was called after NDP MP Olivia Chow resigned her seat on March 12, 2014, to run for Mayor of Toronto in the 2014 municipal election. Chow had held the riding since 2006.

Candidates

Adam Vaughan (Liberal) — Vaughan served as Toronto City Councillor for Ward 20 (Trinity—Spadina) from 2006 to 2014. Prior to entering politics, he had a lengthy career in journalism, working as a municipal affairs reporter and producer at CBC Television and CityTV. His father, Colin Vaughan, was a noted architect, television journalist, and former city councillor.

Joe Cressy (NDP) — Cressy studied public affairs and policy management at Carleton University. He had previously worked for the Stephen Lewis Foundation and the Polaris Institute, and served as campaign manager for Mike Layton's successful 2010 city council campaign and Olivia Chow's 2011 re-election campaign. He was the son of former Toronto city councillors Gordon Cressy and Joanne Campbell.

Benjamin Sharma (Conservative) — Sharma ran as the Conservative candidate in the riding, finishing third.

Camille Labchuk (Green Party) — Labchuk was a lawyer focusing on criminal defence and animal rights law. She had previously worked as a campaign organizer for Green Party leader Elizabeth May before launching her own animal law practice.

About the Riding

Trinity—Spadina covered the western portion of downtown Toronto, stretching from the CP Rail line near Dupont Street in the north to the Toronto Harbour and Islands in the south, and from Dufferin Street and Dovercourt Road in the west to Yonge Street in the east. The riding contained major landmarks including the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, the Canadian National Exhibition grounds, and the Art Gallery of Ontario.

The riding was home to several distinctive neighbourhoods including Chinatown, Little Italy, Kensington Market, Queen West, and the Harbourfront area. It was one of the most densely populated ridings in Canada, characterized by a mix of Victorian-era residential streets, condominium towers, and commercial districts. The population was linguistically and ethnically diverse, with significant Chinese, South Asian, and Portuguese communities.

The local economy was driven by arts and culture, retail, hospitality, tourism, the financial sector in the southern portion of the riding, and the University of Toronto campus area. Major institutions included the Toronto Western Hospital, OCAD University, and numerous galleries and theatres along the Queen West corridor.