Durham

Durham is a riding in the eastern Greater Toronto Area that encompasses much of the Municipality of Clarington, including the communities of Bowmanville, Courtice, Newcastle, and Orono, as well as the Township of Scugog and northern Oshawa. The riding blends suburban growth along the Highway 401 corridor with rural and small-town communities to the north. The seat was won in 2018 by Progressive Conservative Lindsey Park, but in October 2021 she resigned from the PC caucus amid allegations that she had misrepresented her COVID-19 vaccination status. Park sat as an independent for the remainder of her term and did not seek re-election, opening the seat for 2022.

Candidates

Todd McCarthy (Progressive Conservative) — McCarthy is a trial lawyer who practiced as a barrister and solicitor for thirty-three years, serving as senior partner at Flaherty McCarthy LLP. He was certified as a specialist in civil litigation by the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1996. From 2002 to 2011, he served as a deputy judge of the small claims court in Durham Region. He also taught as an adjunct professor at Queen’s University Faculty of Law and the Durham College Faculty of Justice and Emergency Services.

Granville Anderson (Liberal) — Anderson served as the Liberal MPP for Durham from 2014 to 2018, during which time he was parliamentary assistant to the ministers of Children and Youth Services and Education. Born in Jamaica, he moved to Canada at age thirteen and has lived in Clarington for over forty years. Before entering politics, he worked as a mediator at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal and served as a school board trustee and chair for the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board.

Chris Borgia (NDP) — Borgia is an electrician and member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 353. He served as president of the Durham Region Labour Council.

Mini Batra (Green Party), Spencer Ford (New Blue Party), Tony Stravato (Independent), and Lou DeVuono (Ontario Party) also ran.

Local Issues

Rapid residential growth in Bowmanville and Courtice was the defining issue of the riding during the 2018 to 2022 term. The completion of the Highway 407 East extension to Highway 35/115 in Clarington in December 2019 improved highway connectivity but also accelerated development pressures. Housing subdivisions expanded rapidly, bringing new residents but also straining local schools, roads, and recreational facilities. Long-time residents expressed concern that infrastructure was not keeping pace with the population influx.

Healthcare was a critical concern. The riding’s residents depended on Lakeridge Health’s Bowmanville Hospital, which faced capacity pressures. The province announced new long-term care beds for the region, including a 224-bed facility at Glen Hill Gardens in Bowmanville, but construction timelines extended years into the future. Family physician shortages were common, and pandemic-era stresses on the healthcare system heightened calls for more investment.

The departure of Lindsey Park from the PC caucus over vaccination status was part of a broader pattern of pandemic-related political disruption in the riding. The Ford government’s handling of COVID-19 restrictions, school closures, and vaccine mandates generated strong opinions on all sides. Meanwhile, Ontario Power Generation’s announcement that it would build a new corporate campus in Clarington offered a promise of long-term employment and economic diversification beyond the riding’s traditional manufacturing and agricultural base.