Eglinton--Lawrence

Eglinton--Lawrence is an established urban riding in Toronto's midtown, stretching from Yonge Street in the east to Caledonia Road in the west and from Highway 401 in the north to Eglinton Avenue in the south. The riding encompasses a socioeconomic cross-section of the city, from the affluent tree-lined streets of Lawrence Park and Bedford Park to the apartment towers and public housing of Lawrence Heights, a neighbourhood that has undergone a massive revitalization. Historically a Liberal stronghold--returning Liberal MPs at every election since its creation except for Joe Oliver's Conservative victory in 2011--the riding saw one of the closest races in Toronto in 2025.

Candidates

Vince Gasparro (Liberal)* is a first-time MP who won the riding in 2025. He holds an HBA from York University, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and an Executive MBA from Villanova University. Gasparro built a career in finance and infrastructure, serving as Chief Investment Officer at the Canada Infrastructure Bank and holding executive roles at Scotiabank's Roynat Capital and Vancity. He previously worked as a special assistant in Paul Martin's Prime Minister's Office and as principal secretary to Toronto Mayor John Tory. Active in civic life, he founded Project Engagement, a non-profit focused on poverty alleviation, and was awarded the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship in 2010. He represented Canada at UN climate conferences COP26 through COP28.

Karen Stintz (Conservative) is a former Toronto city councillor who represented Ward 16 Eglinton--Lawrence from 2003 to 2014 and served as chair of the Toronto Transit Commission from 2010 to 2014. Under her TTC leadership, the system introduced new subway cars, station Wi-Fi, and articulated buses while reducing the transit subsidy. She holds a Master of Public Administration from Queen's University and a Master of Science in journalism from Boston University. Since leaving municipal politics, she has served as president and CEO of Variety Village and Variety the Children's Charity--Ontario.

Allison Tanzola (NDP) is a political science student at the University of Toronto who has worked as campaign staff on federal NDP campaigns.

Wayne Chechuevskiy (Green Party) and Timothy Gleeson (People's Party - PPC) also stood as candidates in the riding.

About the Riding

Eglinton--Lawrence reflects Toronto's diversity in miniature. Lawrence Park and Bedford Park, in the riding's northeast, are among the city's wealthiest residential neighbourhoods, with stately homes, mature trees, and top-ranked public schools. Lawrence Heights, by contrast, was a postwar social housing development that has been undergoing a multi-phase redevelopment into a mixed-income community. The riding also has notable Polish and Jewish communities, with the highest proportion of Polish-origin residents in Toronto and a significant Jewish population.

The riding's commercial life is anchored by Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue, the latter of which has been disrupted for years by construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. The prolonged construction--delays, dust, and business closures along the corridor--was a source of deep frustration for residents and merchants alike heading into the 2025 election.

In 2025, the race in Eglinton--Lawrence was among the tightest in the city, with the Liberals edging the Conservatives by a narrow margin. Karen Stintz's candidacy attracted strong support, earning the highest Conservative vote total in the riding's history. Affordability, transit completion, healthcare access, and the US trade dispute shaped the campaign, while the riding's demographic mix ensured that issues ranging from immigration settlement to seniors' services were also prominent.