Whitby

Whitby, a rapidly growing community in Durham Region east of Toronto, headed into the 2025 provincial election with a high-profile local issue at the centre of the campaign: the promise of a new hospital. Progressive Conservative incumbent Lorne Coe had held the seat since winning a 2016 by-election and was re-elected in 2018 and 2022. During the 2022–2025 term, he served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier, giving him a role in coordinating government priorities across the province.

The riding's population has been growing rapidly, driven by new subdivision development in communities such as Brooklin to the north. The province mandated the Town of Whitby to support the construction of 18,000 new homes by 2031, intensifying demands for infrastructure, schools, and healthcare services to keep pace with growth.

Candidates

Lorne Coe (Progressive Conservative) — A Whitby resident of more than 30 years, Coe served on Whitby Town Council and Durham Regional Council for 13 years before entering provincial politics. He previously held senior positions in the Ontario government, working as a senior manager of communications at the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the Ministry of Finance. He served as Government Chief Whip from 2018 to 2022 and as Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier from 2022 onward.

Roger Gordon (Liberal) — A secondary school teacher at Henry Street High School in Whitby since 2005, Gordon is a member of the Canadian and World Studies department under the Durham District School Board. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Master of Education in Special Education. He also served as Vice-President of OSSTF District 13, the teachers' union local representing Durham.

Jamie Nye (NDP) — The New Democratic Party's candidate in the riding.

Other candidates included Steven Toman (Green Party) and Ralph Blank (New Blue Party).

Local Issues

The campaign for a new hospital in Durham Region dominated local discussion throughout the 2022–2025 term. An independent panel had selected north Whitby as the preferred location for a new Lakeridge Health facility in early 2022, but progress stalled, leading to a public confrontation between Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy and the Ford government in early 2024. The mayor launched a sustained advocacy campaign pressing the province to fulfil its commitment. In August 2024, the provincial government confirmed the new regional hospital would be built in Whitby, with a target of becoming operational within ten years. The broader Lakeridge Health master plan also included 300 new hospital beds across Durham Region and a redeveloped hospital in Bowmanville.

Growth management remained a central concern. The expansion of the Brooklin community was bringing thousands of new residents, and the pace of development raised questions about whether roads, transit, schools, and emergency services could keep up. The removal of tolls on Highway 412 in 2022 had been a welcome step for commuters, but traffic congestion on the Highway 401 corridor and local arterial roads continued to worsen as the population expanded.

Education was also a significant issue. Overcrowded schools and the need for new school construction in growing neighbourhoods were frequently raised by residents. The Liberal candidate, himself a local teacher and union representative, brought particular attention to classroom conditions and the state of school infrastructure in the riding.