Don Valley East

Don Valley East is a Toronto riding that stretches across the densely populated communities of Flemingdon Park, Thorncliffe Park, and parts of the Don Mills corridor. It is one of the most diverse ridings in Ontario, serving as a landing point for newcomers from South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa. The high-rise apartment towers of Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park, built in the 1960s, house many lower-income immigrant families. The seat had been held by Liberal Michael Coteau since 2011, and he was one of only seven Liberals re-elected in the 2018 wave. Coteau did not seek re-election in 2022, choosing instead to run federally, leaving an open contest in a riding the Liberals hoped to retain.

Candidates

Adil Shamji (Liberal) — Shamji is an emergency physician who practiced at Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto. He holds a medical degree from the University of Toronto and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government. He was nominated as the Liberal candidate in December 2021.

Sam Moini (Progressive Conservative) — Moini is a small business owner in the taxi industry who has served as president of the Toronto Taxi Fleet Association. He immigrated to Canada from Iran as a child; his father began his career in Canada as a cab driver before building a small taxi company, which Moini later operated.

Mara-Elena Nagy (NDP) — Nagy is a supply teacher with the Toronto District School Board and a teaching assistant at York University, where she is also a PhD candidate in Humanities. She is a member of CUPE Local 3903 and Local 4400.

Rizwan Khan (Green Party), Denyse Twagiramariya (New Blue Party), Donald McMullen (Ontario Party), and several other minor-party and independent candidates also appeared on the ballot.

Local Issues

The COVID-19 pandemic had an outsized impact on Don Valley East. Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park were among the hardest-hit neighbourhoods in Toronto, with high case rates driven by crowded multi-generational households and a workforce heavily concentrated in essential jobs such as warehousing, food processing, and transportation. Pop-up vaccination clinics and community outreach campaigns were organized to address vaccine hesitancy and language barriers in a community where dozens of languages are spoken.

Healthcare access was a chronic concern. Both neighbourhoods were designated as Neighbourhood Improvement Areas by the City of Toronto, reflecting lower average incomes and under-investment in local services. Residents advocated for better access to family physicians, mental health supports, and culturally appropriate care. The nearest hospital, East York’s Michael Garron Hospital, served a large and growing catchment area.

Transit connectivity was another priority. Many residents relied on the TTC bus network to reach employment centres, and overcrowded buses on routes serving Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park were a longstanding complaint. The City of Toronto’s Fair Pass transit discount program, which offered reduced fares for low-income riders, had not been expanded to meet demand. The planned Ontario Line, which would include a new station near Flemingdon Park, offered a long-term promise of improved rapid transit, though construction timelines remained uncertain.