York South—Weston

York South—Weston is a diverse, working-class riding in Toronto’s west end, encompassing the neighbourhoods of Weston, Mount Dennis, and Keelesdale-Eglinton West. The riding has a large immigrant population, with significant Portuguese, Caribbean, Somali, and Latin American communities. Faisal Hassan of the NDP had held the seat since 2018, making history as the first Somali-Canadian elected to the Ontario Legislature. The 2022 contest drew attention when Michael Ford, the nephew of Premier Doug Ford and a Toronto city councillor, entered the race as the Progressive Conservative candidate, setting up a high-profile contest between the incumbent New Democrat and the Ford family’s political brand.

The riding’s residents had long grappled with poverty, housing affordability, and community safety concerns. The City of Toronto had designated most of the ward as a Neighbourhood Improvement Area, reflecting persistent socioeconomic challenges that shaped the campaign’s key debates.

Candidates

Michael Ford (Progressive Conservative) — The nephew of Premier Doug Ford and the late Toronto mayor Rob Ford, Michael Ford had served as a Toronto District School Board trustee beginning in 2014 and as a Toronto city councillor for Etobicoke North from 2016 to 2022. He entered the provincial race after resigning from council.

Faisal Hassan (NDP) — Originally from Somalia, Hassan emigrated to Canada in 1990. Before entering politics, he spent over 15 years working on housing issues in Toronto with organizations including the Toronto Community Hostel and Woodgreen Housing. He served on the boards of the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation and Habitat for Humanity. As MPP, he served as the NDP critic for Youth Opportunities and introduced a private member’s bill establishing Somali Heritage Week in Ontario.

Nadia Guerrera (Liberal) — An educator with a Master of Business Administration and over 20 years of experience in education, Guerrera had previously run for the Liberals in Parkdale—High Park in 2018. She had taught at Parkdale Collegiate Institute and Chaminade College, and had served as an Industry Partnership Officer at Loyalist College, where she focused on health and social services programming.

Ignacio Mongrell Gonzalez (Green Party) — An entrepreneur and environmentalist, Mongrell had worked with startup accelerators for over a decade, including positions at the Waterloo Accelerator Centre, Haltech Regional Innovation Centre, and the University of Toronto’s ICUBE business incubator.

Tom Hipsz (New Blue Party), Ana Gabriela Ortiz (Ontario Party), and James Michael Fields (Independent) also ran.

Local Issues

Flooding was one of the most pressing concerns in the riding. The Toronto Region Conservation Authority had identified parts of York South—Weston, particularly areas along the Humber River and Black Creek, as among the highest-risk flood plains in its jurisdiction. Homeowners experienced repeated basement flooding, and residents criticized the Rockcliffe Riverine Flood Mitigation Project as inadequately planned and insufficiently funded by the province. MPP Hassan had written to the provincial Minister of Environment requesting a partnership with municipal and federal governments on a comprehensive flood mitigation strategy, but said he received no reply.

Housing affordability and the threat of displacement weighed heavily on the riding’s residents. Construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, which had been underway since 2011 with its western terminus in the Mount Dennis neighbourhood, generated both hope for improved transit access and anxiety about rising property values and gentrification. Developers were acquiring land along the route, and residents worried that increasing rents and condo prices would push longtime community members out of the area.

Community safety remained a persistent issue. The neighbourhoods of Weston and Mount Dennis had experienced gun violence, and residents called for greater investment in youth programming, mental health services, and community centres rather than relying solely on increased policing. The loss of major local employers in previous decades had contributed to high youth unemployment and school dropout rates, compounding the socioeconomic challenges that shaped daily life in the riding.