Richmond Hill

Richmond Hill sits in the heart of York Region along the Yonge Street corridor, roughly 20 kilometres north of Toronto. The riding covers the southern and central sections of the City of Richmond Hill, bounded approximately by Bathurst Street to the west, Highway 404 to the east, and Elgin Mills Road to the north. Once a quiet commuter suburb, Richmond Hill has been transformed by decades of immigration into one of the most ethnoculturally diverse communities in the Greater Toronto Area.

Candidates

Majid Jowhari (Liberal) --- Born in Iran, Jowhari immigrated to Canada as a young man. He earned a Bachelor of Technology in industrial engineering from Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University. A licensed professional engineer, he founded a management consulting firm specializing in business transformation. First elected in 2015, he founded and chaired the Parliamentary Mental Health Caucus during his first term and was seeking re-election.

Costas Menegakis (Conservative) --- Menegakis holds a business degree from Concordia University and built a career in corporate management, founding a national marketing and logistics company. He served as president of the Greek Community of Toronto for a decade. Elected in the Richmond Hill riding in 2011, he served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration before being defeated in 2015 in the redistributed Aurora--Oak Ridges--Richmond Hill riding. He returned to contest Richmond Hill in 2019.

Adam DeVita (NDP) --- A professional engineer with fifteen years of experience in the high-technology sector designing software and computer electronics, DeVita earned his engineering degree from the University of Toronto. A Richmond Hill resident of nearly four decades, he served as president of the local NDP riding association for a decade and volunteered at Richmond Hill United Church.

Ichha Kohli (Green Party) --- Kohli carried the Green Party banner in Richmond Hill, advocating for the party's environmental and social platform in one of the GTA's fastest-growing suburban ridings.

Igor Tvorogov (People's Party) and Otto Wevers (Parti Rhinoceros Party) also appeared on the ballot.

About the Riding

Richmond Hill's transformation from a predominantly Anglo-Canadian suburb into one of the most diverse municipalities in the country is the defining feature of the riding. Beginning in the 1990s, immigration from Hong Kong and mainland China reshaped the commercial landscape along the Highway 7 corridor, where shopping centres and restaurants cater to a large Chinese-Canadian community. An equally significant Iranian-Canadian population established businesses along the same corridors, and South Asian, Korean, and other communities have added further diversity. The riding's economy is tied to the broader GTA service and professional sectors, with many residents commuting to Toronto. Transit was a major local issue in 2019 --- the capacity of GO Transit's Richmond Hill line and the long-awaited Yonge North subway extension were top concerns. Traffic congestion along Highway 7 and Yonge Street affected daily commuters. Housing affordability had become acute, with property values well above the provincial median. The 2019 contest between Jowhari and Menegakis proved to be one of the tightest races in the country, decided by a margin of just 212 votes.