Scarborough—Guildwood

Scarborough—Guildwood, a riding in southeastern Scarborough stretching from the Scarborough Bluffs on Lake Ontario northward through established residential neighbourhoods, had been represented by Liberal MPP Mitzie Hunter since a 2013 by-election. Hunter was one of only a handful of Liberal MPPs who survived the party’s collapse in the 2018 election, and she entered the 2022 contest as a rare Liberal incumbent in a political landscape dominated by Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats. The riding includes the historic Guildwood Village, the communities along Kingston Road, and higher-density apartment areas further north.

Seven candidates contested the seat, with the Liberal-PC matchup at the centre of the campaign.

Candidates

Mitzie Hunter (Liberal) — Hunter was born in Jamaica and moved to Scarborough with her family in 1975. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management. Before entering politics, she served as CEO of the Greater Toronto Civic Action Alliance, chief administrative officer of Toronto Community Housing Corporation, and a vice-president with Goodwill Industries. As a cabinet minister in the Wynne government, she held the portfolios of Minister of Education and Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development.

Alicia Vianga (Progressive Conservative) — Vianga is a business entrepreneur and founder of Premier Jour Lingerie and Swimwear. She is also the founder and executive director of the charity After Breast Cancer, established in 2012 to support breast cancer survivors.

Veronica Javier (NDP) — Javier is a registered social worker who worked with families in Scarborough for over ten years. She is a founding member of the Filipino Canadian Social Workers network and served as the Ontario region representative for the Canadian Association of Nephrology Social Workers.

Dean Boulding (Green Party), Opa Hope Day (New Blue Party), William Moore (Ontario Party), and Kevin Clarke (People’s Political Party) also contested the riding.

Local Issues

Healthcare access was a major concern in Scarborough—Guildwood, as it was across all of Scarborough. The riding’s residents faced long wait times at area hospitals, with emergency departments operating at over 200 percent capacity. About fifteen percent of Scarborough residents lacked a primary care provider, the second-lowest ratio of family physicians per capita in Ontario. Hunter had advocated for improved healthcare infrastructure during her time in office, and the issue featured prominently in the local campaign.

Housing affordability and development along the transit corridor were significant topics. The Kingston Road corridor running through the riding was the subject of intensification plans that promised new housing but raised concerns about neighbourhood character and infrastructure capacity. Proposed transit-oriented development near the Guildwood GO Station envisioned new residential towers, reflecting broader provincial efforts to increase housing supply near transit hubs. Poverty remained a challenge in parts of the riding, with many residents living in aging apartment buildings and relying on social assistance.

During the campaign, an incident of election sign vandalism drew public attention. Sixteen of Hunter’s campaign signs were defaced with hateful graffiti near the intersection of Ellesmere and Markham roads. Despite approximately 25 signs from various parties in the area, only the Liberal candidate’s signs were targeted. Toronto police investigated the incident, and Hunter described it as evidence of the hostility that racialized candidates sometimes face in electoral politics.