Don Valley North

Don Valley North sits in the northeastern quadrant of the former city of North York, bounded by Steeles Avenue to the north and Highway 401 to the south. Created through the 2012 federal redistribution, the riding takes in the neighbourhoods of Bayview Village, Henry Farm, Hillcrest Village, Don Valley Village, Bayview Woods-Steeles, and Pleasant View. High-rise condominium towers cluster near the Sheppard subway corridor, while single-family homes and townhouse developments fill the residential streets further north toward Steeles Avenue.

Candidates

Han Dong (Liberal) -- Born in Shanghai, Dong immigrated to Toronto with his family as a teenager and grew up in the city. He worked as a marketing director and community outreach professional before entering politics, spending nine years at Queen's Park as a liaison to Ontario Liberal cabinet ministers. He was elected to the Ontario legislature in 2014 as the MPP for Trinity-Spadina, serving until his defeat in the 2018 provincial election, after which he sought the federal Liberal nomination in Don Valley North.

Sarah Fischer (Conservative) -- Fischer served as an executive assistant in the Canadian Senate for four years before entering the 2019 race. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer visited her campaign office during the election, underscoring the party's interest in competitive Toronto-area ridings.

Bruce Griffin (NDP) -- A film director, musician, and pilot, Griffin edited for CBC's "The 5th Estate" during the 1980s before moving into directing drama, documentaries, and music videos. Active in the local community, he served as administrator of the Hillcrest Oldtimers Hockey League and as artistic director of a children's theatre group.

Daniel Giavedoni (Green Party) -- Giavedoni stood as the Green Party candidate in Don Valley North.

Jay Sobel (People's Party) -- An industrial designer with more than three decades of experience in telecommunications, defence, and healthcare product development, Sobel held dozens of patents and design awards. A longtime resident of the riding, he volunteered extensively as a competitive lacrosse coach in the Ontario Lacrosse Association.

About the Riding

Don Valley North recorded one of the highest immigrant populations of any Ontario riding, with a large share of residents born outside Canada. Mandarin and Cantonese were widely spoken alongside English, Persian, Korean, Tagalog, and Arabic. This linguistic diversity was visible in the storefront signage along Sheppard Avenue and Finch Avenue, where Chinese, Korean, and Persian businesses were prominent.

The Sheppard subway line served the riding's southern edge via Bayview, Bessarion, and Leslie stations, but many residents in the northern sections relied on bus routes to reach rapid transit. Traffic congestion along Highway 404 and the Don Valley Parkway was a daily reality for car commuters. Bayview Village, an upscale shopping centre, anchored the retail landscape, while strips of small businesses and professional offices lined the major east-west avenues.

Immigration policy, credential recognition for newcomers, and affordable housing were recurring concerns. The riding's condominium stock had grown considerably in the years preceding the election, but affordability pressures intensified for families in the high-rise rental towers near Finch and Sheppard avenues. Seniors' services and transit expansion also featured in local campaign discussions.