Willowdale

Willowdale, located along the Yonge Street corridor in North York, is among the most culturally diverse ridings in Ontario and home to the largest Korean-Canadian community in the country. Progressive Conservative incumbent Stan Cho, a second-generation Korean-Canadian, had held the seat since 2018. During the 2022–2025 term, Cho advanced through several cabinet portfolios: he was named Minister of Long-Term Care in September 2023, overseeing the opening of thousands of new and upgraded long-term care beds, before being appointed Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming in June 2024.

The riding has undergone significant physical transformation during the term, with high-rise condominium development continuing apace along the Yonge Street corridor between Sheppard Avenue and Steeles Avenue. The 2025 contest featured a rematch between Cho and Liberal candidate Paul Saguil, who had also run in 2022, making it one of the more closely watched suburban Toronto races.

Candidates

Stan Cho (Progressive Conservative) — Born in Etobicoke to an immigrant family from South Korea, Cho grew up in Willowdale and holds a degree in philosophy from Trinity College at the University of Toronto. He began his career as an auditor for Mercedes-Benz before entering his family's real estate business, eventually taking over as broker and general manager of their Royal LePage franchise. He served as Associate Minister of Transportation, then Minister of Long-Term Care, and most recently as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming.

Paul Saguil (Liberal) — An acclaimed Filipino-Canadian lawyer and regulatory compliance professional, Saguil has championed equality and human rights in cases before the Supreme Court of Canada. He previously served as Deputy Head of Sanctions Compliance and Anti-Corruption at TD Bank Group and has held governance positions with the Ontario Justice Education Network, the Wellesley Institute, and the federal Judicial Appointments Committee for the Greater Toronto Area.

Boris Ivanov (NDP) — The NDP candidate campaigned on addressing housing insecurity, strengthening public healthcare, and expanding transit connectivity.

Other candidates included Sharolyn Vettese (Green Party), Lilya Eklishaeva (Independent), and Pit Goyal (People's Political Party).

Local Issues

Housing development and the pace of intensification along the Yonge Street corridor remained the foremost local concern during the 2022–2025 term. The wave of high-rise construction continued to reshape the neighbourhood, bringing new residents while generating tension over traffic congestion, parking shortages, and strain on community amenities. The North York at the Centre planning review, launched in 2023, initiated a comprehensive re-examination of the secondary plan for the Yonge-Sheppard area to guide future growth, signalling that the existing planning framework had not kept pace with the scale of development.

The question of supportive housing persisted as a local flashpoint. The City of Toronto won a long-running dispute at the Ontario Land Tribunal in early 2024 over a planned 60-unit supportive housing development at 175 Cummer Avenue in Willowdale, overcoming opposition from neighbourhood groups concerned about its placement next to a seniors' residence. The case highlighted the broader challenge of siting affordable and supportive housing in communities facing acute need.

Public transit remained an important issue for Willowdale residents. While the riding benefits from subway access along Line 1, the Sheppard subway line (Line 4) has long been criticized for limited reach, and community members continued to advocate for improved bus connections and expanded rapid transit to better serve the riding's growing population.