Willowdale

Willowdale, located in the heart of North York along the Yonge Street corridor, is one of the most culturally diverse ridings in Ontario. It is home to the largest Korean-Canadian community in the country, with nearly 10 percent of the population identifying as Korean according to the 2021 census. The area along Yonge Street between Sheppard Avenue and Steeles Avenue is sometimes referred to as Koreatown North. Incumbent Progressive Conservative Stan Cho, himself a second-generation Korean-Canadian, had won the riding in 2018 by defeating longtime Liberal MPP David Zimmer. The riding has experienced substantial population growth driven by high-rise residential development along Yonge Street.

Candidates

Stan Cho (Progressive Conservative) — Born in Etobicoke to an immigrant family from South Korea, Cho moved to Willowdale as a child. He holds a degree in philosophy from Trinity College at the University of Toronto. Cho began his career as an auditor for Mercedes-Benz before entering his family's real estate business, eventually taking over as broker and general manager of their Royal LePage franchise in 2012. During the 2018–2022 term, he served as Associate Minister of Transportation with responsibilities for transit-oriented communities.

Paul Saguil (Liberal) — An award-winning Filipino-Canadian lawyer who served as Deputy Head of Sanctions Compliance and Anti-Corruption at TD Bank Group. Saguil had defended equality and human rights cases before the Supreme Court of Canada and served on boards including the Ontario Justice Education Network, the Wellesley Institute, and the federal Judicial Appointments Committee for the Greater Toronto Area.

Hal David Berman (NDP) — A palliative care physician specializing in internal and palliative medicine who provided at-home care in the Willowdale community and taught medicine at the University of Toronto.

Monica Henriques (Green) — The Green Party candidate in the riding.

Other candidates included Joanne Csillag (New Blue), Gian Pietro Arella (Ontario Party), Ben Barone (None of the Above), Lilya Eklishaeva (Freedom Party), and independents Birinder Singh Ahluwalia, Charles Roddy Sutherland, and Jaime Rodriguez (People's Political Party).

Local Issues

Housing development and intensification were major concerns in Willowdale during the 2018–2022 term. The Yonge Street corridor continued to see a wave of high-rise condominium construction, transforming the streetscape and bringing new residents into the neighbourhood. Many longtime residents expressed concerns about the pace of change, including impacts on traffic, parking, and neighbourhood character. The question of supportive housing also emerged locally, with a proposed modular housing project at 175 Cummer Avenue generating significant debate about how to address homelessness while respecting community input on site selection.

The race itself drew attention beyond local issues when the Ontario Liberal Party filed a complaint with Elections Ontario alleging that a business owner had offered staff overtime pay to campaign for Cho's Progressive Conservative campaign. The PC Party responded that once the comments came to the campaign's attention, the individual was informed that such support was inappropriate and would not be accepted.

Healthcare and long-term care also resonated with Willowdale voters, particularly given the riding's aging population in some neighbourhoods alongside the influx of younger condo residents. The pandemic experience had heightened concerns about the adequacy of the province's long-term care system.