Beaches--East York

Beaches--East York is a federal riding in Toronto's east end, stretching from the shores of Lake Ontario northward through the established residential neighbourhoods of the Beaches, East York, Leaside, and the Danforth corridor. The riding is bounded by Coxwell Avenue to the west, the Don Valley and Sunrise Avenue to the north, Victoria Park Avenue to the east, and the Lake Ontario waterfront to the south. Predominantly a community of older single-family homes, tree-lined streets, and local shops, the riding has a strong sense of neighbourhood identity. It has been held by Liberal Nate Erskine-Smith since 2015.

Candidates

Nate Erskine-Smith (Liberal) won his fourth consecutive election with the largest margin of victory in the riding's history. A lawyer and Queen's University graduate who also holds a master of laws from Oxford, Erskine-Smith practised commercial litigation before entering politics in 2015 and supplemented his legal work with pro bono cases for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. He ran for the Ontario Liberal Party leadership in 2023, finishing second to Bonnie Crombie. He served as Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities beginning in December 2024.

Jocelyne Poirier (Conservative) is a Chartered Professional Accountant with nearly a decade of experience in financial leadership. Born and raised in east Toronto and a resident of Beaches--East York, Poirier is fluent in English and French.

Shannon Devine (NDP) has spent 18 years working in labour and social justice advocacy. Her career includes serving as communications director for the Canadian Auto Workers union and later Unifor, executive director of the Ontario Federation of Labour, and national department head for the Communications and Political Action Department at the United Steelworkers.

Jack Pennings (Green Party) is a software developer and amateur astronomer who has lived in the riding for more than 22 years. Before entering mobile device security, Pennings worked in addictions, disability rights, and landlord-tenant advocacy. He also ran provincially as a Green candidate in the February 2025 Ontario election.

Diane Joseph (Independent) ran as an independent candidate.

Elizabeth Rowley (Communist) ran for the Communist Party of Canada.

About the Riding

Beaches--East York is one of Toronto's most politically engaged ridings, with consistently high voter turnout and active community organizations. The Beaches neighbourhood, with its boardwalk along Lake Ontario and annual jazz festival, gives the riding a distinct lakeside character, while East York -- a former borough that prided itself on being Canada's only borough -- retains a strong working- and middle-class identity. Leaside, in the riding's northwest corner, is an affluent residential area.

Housing and development have been contentious local issues, with debates over missing-middle housing proposals, infill development, and the preservation of the riding's low-rise residential character generating strong opinions on all sides. Environmental protection along the waterfront and in the Don Valley ravine system is another persistent concern.

In the 2025 campaign, national issues including the US tariff threat and economic affordability were important, but local quality-of-life concerns also shaped the race. Transit reliability, particularly GO and TTC service, healthcare access, and the future of neighbourhood-scale development all figured in candidate debates. Erskine-Smith's commanding victory reflected the riding's strong Liberal lean and his deep personal brand in the community.