Where North York City Councillor frontrunners stand in the upcoming municipal election
With the October 26, 2026, Toronto municipal election entering its final week, North York’s council races have emerged as a critical battleground for the future of the city. Encompassing vast communities from Humber River—Black Creek to the Don Valley, the borough is navigating rapid vertical intensification along transit arteries, ongoing infrastructure gridlock, rising property taxes, and increasing public safety concerns. Detailed profiles from platforms like The Local and The Green Line indicate that voters across North York are actively evaluating incumbent track records against competitive major challengers and independent grievance candidates channeling suburban frustration with City Hall.
Across all seven North York wards, here is where the incumbents, major challengers, and main grievance candidates stand:
Ward 6: York Centre
Stretching from Steeles Avenue down past Highway 401, this race centres on neighbourhood preservation and large-scale redevelopment around Downsview Park.
- James Pasternak (Incumbent): Holding this seat since 2010, Pasternak is running on a core platform of fiscal restraint, protecting established single-family neighbourhoods from disruptive zoning changes, and boosting local policing to combat car thefts.
- Conroy Irving (Major Challenger): The president of private security firm Irving Security Corps is mounting a campaign focused squarely on community safety, park infrastructure, youth employment, and introducing fiscal discipline to municipal development.
- Alexander Artamonov (Noteworthy Grievance Candidate): Running as an outsider against the council establishment, Artamonov has voiced local frustration with municipal planning decisions. His platform posted on his Instagram account has garnered media attention for demanding a freeze on property taxes, "secret and uniformed" TTC criminal patrols, and implementing safely rideable, snowless e-bike lanes.
Ward 7: Humber River—Black Creek
A diverse northwest district where youth community services, transit affordability, and neighbourhood infrastructure intersect.
- Anthony Perruzza (Incumbent): Serving on council since 2006, Perruzza is leveraging decades of municipal service to advocate for tenant protections, equitable community centre funding, and local employment opportunities.
- Amanda Coombs (Major Challenger): Having closely contested the ward previously, Coombs is offering an experienced alternative focused on revitalizing local recreation, youth violence intervention, and upgrading basic municipal services across local community housing complexes.
- Lorna Antwi (Noteworthy Grievance Candidate): A lifelong resident and Toronto Shelter and Support Services counsellor endorsed by CUPE Local 79, Antwi has captured neighbourhood attention by giving voice to local alienation over perceived municipal neglect. Profiling in the Emery Village Voice highlights her platform's focus on grassroots servant leadership to fix deep-seated food insecurity and housing instability.
Ward 8: Eglinton—Lawrence
Framed by Highway 401 to the north and the ongoing construction impacts of the Eglinton transit corridor.
- Mike Colle (Incumbent): Serving as Deputy Mayor for North York, the veteran politician is running on an active record of local neighbourhood advocacy, mitigating midtown development impacts, and demanding rapid resolution of transit construction disruptions.
- Liz Grade (Major Challenger): A commercial real estate broker with federal campaign experience, Grade provides a strong conservative push against the incumbent, standing for municipal fiscal restraint, lower property taxes, and business-friendly red tape reduction along local retail strips.
- Domenico Maiolo & Enzo Torrone (Major Challengers): Representing local merchant communities, Maiolo (Chair of the Dufferin-Wingold BIA) and Torrone (longtime Chair of the Fairbank Village BIA) are both mounting competitive campaigns focused on reviving local commercial districts, reducing small-business tax burdens, and curbing the impact of prolonged infrastructure work on neighbourhood storefronts.
- Daniel Trayes (Noteworthy Grievance Candidate): A former City Hall staffer with lived experience of homelessness and an advocate on the Inner City Family Health Team board, Trayes has captured the spotlight by exposing the failure of basic municipal social safety nets, demanding aggressive tenant protections, and pushing for equitable transit investment over downtown bureaucratic bloat.
Ward 15: Don Valley West
Covering diverse communities spanning from Thorncliffe Park to affluent midtown enclaves, this ward continues to navigate rapid change.
- Rachel Chernos Lin (Incumbent): Elected in a 2024 by-election following the death of Jaye Robinson, the former TDSB Chair is campaigning on collaborative leadership, modernizing local parks, and managing transit-oriented development around the Ontario Line.
- Sheena Sharp (Major Challenger): A climate-focused architect who ran in 2022 and 2024, Sharp is presenting a progressive policy platform targeting net-zero building standards, reforming density approvals, and prioritizing non-profit and co-op housing models.
- Denis Tsang (Noteworthy Grievance Candidate): Board chair of the College of Dietitians of Ontario and a health equity director, Tsang has tapped into local frustration over government opacity and civic services, campaigning on radical municipal transparency, accountable transit planning, and stronger support for neglected low-income enclaves like Thorncliffe.
Ward 16: Don Valley East
A central suburban ward where transit expansion, tenant issues, and industrial rezonings are central themes.
- Jon Burnside (Incumbent): A former police officer who previously represented Don Valley West before winning Ward 16 in 2022, Burnside is running on public safety, balanced city budgets, and measured local planning.
- Sinan Erdemir (Major Challenger): The co-founder of an immigration consultancy firm, Erdemir is running on a platform of economic integration, better municipal support for newcomer communities, and backing small commercial enterprises navigating inflation.
- Stacey Moffatt (Noteworthy Grievance Candidate): A multi-decade resident of the area, Moffatt has mounted a vocal grassroots campaign focused on suburban dissatisfaction with basic service delivery, demanding cleaner neighbourhoods, accountable transit funding, and a pushback against wasteful downtown spending.
Ward 17: Don Valley North
Bordering York Region along Steeles Avenue, this area faces growing demographic shifts and key arterial bottlenecks.
- Shelley Carroll (Incumbent): Serving as council's Budget Chief, Carroll is running on her extensive governing experience, highlighting balanced city financial plans, transit funding delivery, and community recreation investments.
- Jeffery Adamson (Major Challenger): Running a tech-forward, modernizing campaign, Adamson is challenging Carroll’s long-standing hold by advocating for improved municipal digital services, aggressive transit coordination, and housing modernization.
- Hassan Mubarak Noor Mohamed (Major Challenger): Mohamed has emerged as an active challenger pushing for enhanced city transparency, project-level budget reporting for all major capital projects, and targeted improvements in local recreation facilities.
- Roy Samathanam (Noteworthy Grievance Candidate): Campaigning on the slogan that every household deserves an answered call, Samathanam has tapped into widespread suburban alienation, slamming City Hall’s neglect of basic constituent services and calling for direct accountability on pothole repairs and neighbourhood safety.
Ward 18: Willowdale
Centred on the high-density Yonge Street corridor with one of the city's largest proportions of high-rise renter households.
- Lily Cheng (Incumbent): First elected in 2022, Cheng is campaigning on grassroots constituent engagement, tenant advocacy, pedestrian safety, and managing intense growth along the Yonge subway spine.
- Ardeshir Zarezade (Major Challenger): A legal advocate, Zarezade is running an active campaign targeting civic governance, pushing for enhanced infrastructure to match the corridor's explosive condo density and stronger tenant protections.
- Nicole Daneshvar & Hamid Shakeri (Major Challengers): Both mounting active campaigns in the corridor, Daneshvar and Shakeri are focusing on managing high-density residential developments, advocating for improved community safety around transit hubs, and pushing for better traffic flow along east-west commuter routes.
- David Magazzinich (Noteworthy Grievance Candidate): Magazzinich has gained traction among Willowdale homeowners and commuters frustrated by persistent Yonge Street gridlock, property tax spikes, and neighbourhood safety concerns, advocating for a pause on unfunded vertical density until local services catch up.
From the transit-dense corridors of Willowdale to the suburban avenues of York Centre, North York's council contests mirror the overarching tension of the 2026 election: balancing city-wide growth with suburban quality of life. As voters head to the polls, the battle between entrenched incumbents, competitive mainstream challengers, and grievance-fueled outsiders will determine whether North York backs City Hall's current direction or demands a sharp course correction.
?? Polling Hours and Voter Registration Requirements
As you prepare to make your voice heard on final voting day, Monday, October 26, 2026, it is critical to ensure you have the right details to cast your ballot smoothly. While advanced online and mail-in options have closed, in-person voting is fully accessible across all North York and Scarborough neighbourhoods.
? Polling Hours
- Election Day (Monday, October 26): All designated municipal voting places across Toronto will be officially open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m..
- Workplace Allocations: Under Ontario law, qualified electors are entitled to three consecutive hours free from work to cast their vote while the polls are open. If your regular shift does not naturally allow for this window, your employer is legally required to grant you the necessary time off without penalty.
? Voter Registration Requirements
While the deadline to update or add your details to the municipal voters' list online closed on October 11, you can still register directly in person at your designated polling station on Election Day.
To be eligible to vote in a Toronto municipal election, you must meet the following criteria on voting day:
- Be a Canadian citizen.
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Be a resident of the City of Toronto, or a non-resident owner or tenant of land in the city, or the spouse of such an owner or tenant.
? What Identification to Bring
To register or cast your ballot at the polling station, you must present one piece of acceptable identification showing your name and qualifying Toronto address.
- Photo ID is not required: You do not need a driver's licence or Ontario Photo Card to vote.
- Acceptable documents include: A utility bill (hydro, water, gas), cell phone statement, bank statement, residential lease/rental agreement, credit card statement, or pay stub. Digital versions shown on your mobile device (such as an e-billed hydro invoice) are fully accepted.
- What does NOT count as ID: A Canadian Passport is not accepted on its own because it does not list your current residential address. Additionally, the Voter Information Card (VIC) mailed to your house cannot be used as a primary piece of identification.
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