Don Valley North

Don Valley North, in the northeastern part of Toronto’s former North York district, entered the 2025 election under unusual circumstances. Vincent Ke, elected as a Progressive Conservative in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, resigned from the PC caucus in March 2023 amid allegations that he had served as a financial intermediary connected to Chinese government election interference. Ke denied the allegations and sat as an independent for the remainder of his term. The PCs nominated a new candidate, while Ke sought re-election as an independent, setting up a three-way contest in a riding with a large Chinese-Canadian community alongside significant Persian, Korean, and South Asian populations.

Candidates

Jonathan Tsao (Liberal) — Tsao was born and raised in North York and holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Toronto and a master of science from the London School of Economics. He previously served as a Toronto city councillor for Ward 33 in 2018 and has worked in public service, including roles in housing policy and senior advisory positions in the Ontario government.

Sue Liu (Progressive Conservative) — Liu has lived in Don Valley North for over twenty years. An immigrant to Canada, she built a career as a teacher and has been active in community volunteer work in the riding.

Vincent Ke (Independent) — Ke was born in Quanzhou, Fujian, China, and immigrated to Canada in 1998. He holds an engineering degree from Fuzhou University and a master’s degree from Ruhr University in Germany. He worked as an electronic engineer at a German electronics firm before being elected as MPP in 2018. He left the PC caucus in March 2023 following allegations of involvement in foreign election interference.

Ebrahim Astaraki (NDP), Andrew Armstrong (Green Party), and Annie Nolan (New Blue Party) also ran.

Local Issues

The foreign interference allegations surrounding Ke cast a shadow over the riding throughout the 2022 to 2025 term. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service had briefed the premier’s office about concerns related to Ke, and the issue became part of a broader national conversation about foreign government influence in Canadian elections. For residents, the allegations raised questions about representation and trust at a time when community concerns about development, transit, and services required active advocacy at Queen’s Park.

Development and density along the Sheppard corridor remained a major source of debate. New high-rise residential proposals continued to emerge near subway stations, generating tension between residents who welcomed additional housing supply and those concerned about traffic congestion, shadows, and the strain on an already crowded Yonge subway line. The planned Yonge North Subway Extension into York Region heightened concerns about capacity on the existing line without sufficient relief measures for Don Valley North commuters.

Healthcare access was also a significant concern. The riding’s growing and aging population reported persistent difficulty finding family physicians, and residents called for expanded community health services and culturally responsive care serving the riding’s diverse population.