Humber River—Black Creek

Humber River—Black Creek is a federal riding in Toronto's northwest, bounded by the Humber River to the west, Highway 401 to the south, Jane Street and Sheppard Avenue to the south and east, and the city limit at Steeles Avenue to the north. The riding encompasses the neighbourhoods of Jane and Finch, Humber Summit, Humbermede, Humberlea, and the western edge of Downsview. Its geography is defined by two waterways—the Humber River on the western boundary and Black Creek, a tributary that flows through the riding's interior as part of Toronto's ravine system. The population was approximately 111,600 in the 2021 census.

Candidates

Judy Sgro (Liberal) — Born in 1944 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Sgro moved to Toronto at age twelve. She was first elected to North York City Council in 1987 and went on to serve as a Metro councillor and then a Toronto city councillor, including a term as vice-chair of the Toronto Police Services Board. First elected to Parliament in 1999 representing the former York West riding, she served as Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and chaired the Prime Minister's Task Force on Urban Issues. She was seeking her eighth consecutive term.

Rinku Shah (Conservative) — Shah is a female entrepreneur and CEO of School of Flavours Ltd., a company that promotes cultural connection through food. She has volunteered in the community for over eight years and is the founder and organizer of the World of Flavours and Taste of India festivals.

Matias de Dovitiis (NDP) — A first-generation immigrant from Uruguay, de Dovitiis has lived, worked, and volunteered in Humber River—Black Creek for twenty-two years. He served as a Toronto District School Board Trustee for the area, upgrading school playgrounds and introducing new French Immersion and arts programs. He has extensive experience in the non-profit sector.

Raatib Anderson (PPC) — Anderson stood as the People's Party of Canada candidate in Humber River—Black Creek.

About the Riding

Humber River—Black Creek is one of Canada's most diverse federal ridings and one of its most economically challenged. The median individual income of $31,400 is well below the Toronto average, and the riding consistently registers among the lowest voter turnout rates in Ontario. The Jane and Finch neighbourhood—centred at the intersection of Jane Street and Finch Avenue West—is perhaps the riding's most recognized community, developed in the 1960s by the Ontario Housing Corporation as a model suburban community mixing low-, medium-, and high-density housing to accommodate Toronto's growing immigrant population.

The riding has the highest percentage of Latin American (9.5 percent) and Southeast Asian (8.9 percent) residents among Toronto's federal constituencies, and the highest concentration of Jamaican (8.5 percent) and Vietnamese (8.0 percent) ethnic origins. Italian is the largest single ethnic community at 12.8 percent—one of only two Toronto ridings where this is the case. The linguistic landscape is correspondingly varied: English is spoken by 44.3 percent of residents, followed by Spanish (7.0 percent), Vietnamese (6.1 percent), Italian (5.8 percent), Tagalog (3.9 percent), and Urdu (2.1 percent). Religious affiliation spans 58.9 percent Christian, 10.5 percent Muslim, 7.1 percent Hindu, and 6.1 percent Buddhist.

Despite its challenges, the riding has a strong network of community organizations, settlement agencies, and cultural institutions serving its diverse population. York University, whose Keele campus sits just east of the riding boundary, is a major institutional presence. The Humber River and Black Creek ravine corridors provide green space and recreational opportunities, though infrastructure investment in these natural areas has been a longstanding request. Community safety, affordable housing, youth employment, and access to settlement and social services dominate the riding's political discourse. Sgro's long tenure has been built on extensive constituency service in a riding where many residents rely on their MP's office for help navigating immigration, housing, and government programs.