Mississauga—Lakeshore

Mississauga—Lakeshore is a federal riding in the southern portion of Mississauga, Ontario, stretching along the Lake Ontario waterfront. The by-election was called following the resignation of Liberal MP Sven Spengemann, who stepped down on May 27, 2022, after six years in Parliament, to accept a position with the United Nations similar to a role he had held before entering federal politics.

Candidates

Charles Sousa (Liberal) — A former Ontario provincial politician who served as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Mississauga South (later Mississauga—Lakeshore) from 2007 to 2018. He held several cabinet portfolios including Minister of Labour, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and most notably Ontario's Minister of Finance from 2013 to 2018. Before entering politics, Sousa worked for over twenty years at RBC Royal Bank in commercial banking. He was defeated in the 2018 provincial election and subsequently worked in real estate development and financial consulting.

Ron Chhinzer (Conservative) — A police officer with over twenty years of experience with the Peel Regional Police Service, having previously served with the Toronto Police Service. He was a founding member of the Toronto Police Service's Integrated Gang Prevention Task Force and had overseen the deployment of government grants aimed at reducing gun and gang violence.

Julia Kole (NDP) — Kole had previously run as the NDP candidate in the riding's provincial counterpart earlier in 2022. She held a Bachelor of Arts in accounting and a Master of Science in Environmental Policy and Management, and had worked as a constituency assistant for a Brampton MPP.

Mary Kidnew (Green Party) ran as the Green candidate. Khaled Al-Sudani ran for the People's Party of Canada.

About the Riding

Mississauga—Lakeshore runs along the Lake Ontario shoreline in southern Mississauga, encompassing the communities of Port Credit, Lakeview, Clarkson, Lorne Park, Mineola, Sheridan, Sheridan Park, and Southdown, as well as parts of Erindale and Cooksville. The eastern boundary is formed by Etobicoke Creek, which flows into Lake Ontario. The riding features several significant green spaces, including Rattray Marsh, a 90-acre natural area with a cobblestone beach on the lake.

Port Credit, centred on the mouth of the Credit River, serves as a vibrant commercial and residential hub with a redeveloped harbour, marina, and charter fishing centre. The Port Credit GO Station is a major transit node connecting MiWay local transit and GO Transit commuter services. The riding has experienced significant population growth and high-rise development, particularly near transit corridors.

The population is ethnically diverse, with approximately 37 percent of residents being immigrants. The largest communities by origin include those of European, South Asian, Chinese, and Polish backgrounds. English is the primary language for about two-thirds of residents, with Polish, Mandarin, Arabic, Portuguese, and Urdu among the other languages spoken.