Don Valley West

Don Valley West, encompassing the affluent neighbourhoods of Lawrence Park and Leaside alongside the densely populated towers of Thorncliffe Park, was held by Liberal Stephanie Bowman heading into the 2025 election. Bowman won the seat in 2022 after Kathleen Wynne, the former premier who had represented the riding since 2003, chose not to seek re-election. During her first term, Bowman served as the Liberal critic for finance, jobs, and the economy. The riding’s stark internal economic contrasts — multimillion-dollar homes just kilometres from overcrowded apartment towers housing newcomer families — continued to define its political landscape.

Candidates

Stephanie Bowman (Liberal) — Bowman is a chartered professional accountant who worked as a partner at Ernst and Young and as a senior executive at Scotiabank. She holds an honours degree in business administration from Western University’s Ivey Business School. She previously served on the board of directors of the Bank of Canada and chaired its audit and finance committee. She has lived in Don Valley West for over thirty years and was first elected in 2022.

Sam Moini (Progressive Conservative) — Moini is a small business owner in the taxi industry who has served as president of the Toronto Taxi Fleet Association. He immigrated to Canada from Iran as a child and later took over his family’s taxi company. He is a part-time member of the Ontario Licence Appeal Tribunal.

Linnea Löfström-Abary (NDP) was raised in Leaside. Sheena Sharp (Green Party) is the founder and principal architect of Coolearth Architecture Inc. and a former president of the Ontario Association of Architects. Laurel Hobbs (New Blue Party) and Bahira Abdulsalam (Independent) also appeared on the ballot.

Local Issues

The Ontario Line transit project was a prominent concern in Don Valley West during the 2022 to 2025 term. The construction of new subway infrastructure affected established residential streets in the southern portions of the riding, with residents raising concerns about noise, property impacts from tunnelling, and disruption to local traffic patterns. Community meetings in Leaside and Thorncliffe Park drew vocal participation from residents seeking transparency about construction timelines and mitigation measures.

The Ford government’s decision to close the Ontario Science Centre at its Don Mills location and relocate it to Ontario Place generated opposition from residents on both sides of the riding’s income divide. The Science Centre had served as a neighbourhood institution for decades, and the Auditor General’s finding that the relocation decision was based on incomplete information reinforced public criticism. Bowman was among the politicians actively involved in the movement to save the facility.

Income inequality within the riding itself was a persistent theme. In the high-rise towers of Thorncliffe Park at the riding’s southern edge, residents faced overcrowded housing conditions, food insecurity, and limited access to family physicians. Meanwhile, homeowners in Lawrence Park and Leaside focused on property tax assessments, school quality, and development pressures. Candidates were challenged to address the disparate needs of these communities within a single riding.