Beaches—East York

Beaches—East York is a Toronto riding stretching along the city's eastern lakeshore. It is bounded by Coxwell Avenue to the west, the Don River and Sunrise Avenue to the north, Victoria Park Avenue to the east, and Lake Ontario to the south. The riding encompasses the neighbourhoods of the Beaches, Upper Beaches, East Danforth, O'Connor–Parkview, and part of Old East York. Woodbine Beach, one of the most popular public beaches in Toronto, anchors the southern end of the riding, while Queen Street East serves as the main commercial corridor — a strip of independent shops, restaurants, and cafes.

The riding had a population of approximately 109,500 as of the 2016 census. It is less ethnically diverse than many Toronto ridings — roughly 64 percent of residents identified as white, with the highest proportion of English, Canadian, and Scottish ethnic origins in the City of Toronto. Smaller communities include Bengali, Cantonese, Greek, and Tagalog-speaking residents. About 43 percent identified as Christian, 9 percent as Muslim, and 41 percent reported no religious affiliation. The neighbourhood is popular with highly educated professionals — approximately 60 percent of adult residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Candidates

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Liberal) — The incumbent MP, first elected in 2015. A lawyer by training, Erskine-Smith attended Bowmore Elementary School and Malvern Collegiate in the riding before earning a B.A. in politics from Queen's University and completing law school. Before politics, he practised commercial litigation and did volunteer legal work for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. He lived in the riding with his wife Amy, a chef and nutrition professor at George Brown College.

Alejandra Ruiz Vargas (NDP) — Born in Colombia and immigrated to Canada in 2005. Ruiz Vargas worked as a frontline housing worker at Fred Victor Housing and served as Chair of the East York Chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) Canada. Her advocacy for affordable rents and tenant rights was profiled on national media outlets.

Lisa Robinson (Conservative) — Originally nominated as the Conservative candidate, Robinson was disavowed by the party during the campaign after the discovery of social media posts deemed discriminatory. Her name remained on the ballot as the Conservative candidate since ballots had already been printed by Elections Canada.

Radu Rautescu (PPC) — The People's Party candidate in the riding.

About the Riding

Beaches—East York is predominantly a residential riding with a strong local-business economy. Queen Street East is the commercial spine, where roughly 84 percent of businesses are independently run, typically employing one to three people. The professional, scientific, and technical services industry is the most common employment sector for residents, many of whom commute to downtown Toronto offices. Average household income in the Beaches neighbourhood was approximately $92,100 — well above the city average of about $66,000.

Housing affordability was a top concern despite the neighbourhood's relative affluence. The average home price in the area exceeded $1.2 million, putting ownership out of reach for many younger residents and renters. The city's 2019 decision to limit short-term rentals like Airbnb to primary residences was partly driven by concerns in neighbourhoods like the Beaches, where rental housing stock was being converted to tourist accommodation. Tenant advocacy groups pushed for stronger rent protections and more purpose-built rental construction.

The riding's infrastructure included the Queen streetcar line, a critical but frequently delayed transit route, and cycling infrastructure that had expanded in recent years but remained contentious among residents and businesses. The Gardiner Expressway rehabilitation and the future of the eastern portion of the expressway were regional transit issues with direct implications for the riding's waterfront.

The Danforth corridor in the northern part of the riding — home to Greektown — had been the site of a mass shooting in July 2018, and gun violence prevention remained a salient issue for residents heading into 2021. Community organizations along the Danforth continued to advocate for mental health services and youth programming as preventive measures.