Ontarians head to the polls to elect the next provincial government on Feb. 27 — less than a week from today.
Davenport is a provincial riding in Toronto's west end that encompasses the neighbourhoods of Bloordale, Little Portugal and the Junction Triangle.
Provincially, the constituency has flipped between electing Liberal and New Democrat representatives to Queen’s Park. Federally, it is held by Liberal Party of Canada MP Julie Dzerowicz.
Here’s who voters in Davenport can choose from on their ballot this election.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles
Marit Stiles has been the MPP for Davenport since 2018. She was elected leader of the New Democratic Party of Ontario in February 2023 in an uncontested leadership race, which was held to replace Andrea Horwath.
Since then, Stiles has been the Leader of the Official Opposition at Queen’s Park.
Before running for elected office, Stiles was a researcher for the federal NDP and worked for the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), Canada’s actors union. She was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
The NDP’s Toronto-specific campaign platform pledges to provide more funding for the TTC, build provincially funded affordable housing projects and upload homeless shelter costs to Queen’s Park.
Stiles has said an NDP government, if elected, would reverse the closure of the Ontario Science Centre and cancel the plan to let Austrian firm Therme build a spa at Ontario Place.
Liberal candidate Paulo Pereira
Paulo Pereira was born and raised in Davenport, according to the Ontario Liberal Party.
He is an accountant and is involved with the Associação Cultural do Minho, a Portuguese community centre in Toronto.
The Liberals appointed Pereira as a candidate part-way through the snap election campaign. PC Leader Doug Ford’s early election call left political parties scrambling to name candidates so many of them, like Pereira, did not go through traditional local nomination processes.
He told a local news outlet that he once worked at a BMO in Dufferin Mall and as a construction worker on the UP Express.
“The Ontario Liberal Party has a party that is viable and will help people today without sacrificing our future tomorrow,” he told the outlet. “We can actually [make change] that will benefit all of us, especially the working class people of Davenport.”
The Liberals’ campaign is focussed on improving Ontario's health-care system. Leader Bonnie Crombie has also pledged to install safety doors on TTC subway platforms.
PC candidate Nick Pavlov
The PC Party is running candidate Nick Pavlov, a long-time real estate broker at RE/MAX.
Pavlov was acclaimed by the party at the end of January alongside a large batch of candidates. The PC Party provides little information about most of its candidates. They are also not participating in local debates.
The PC Party is pledging to build a tunnel under Highway 401 to reduce traffic congestion, remove bike lanes on Toronto streets, and secure the economy and Ontario jobs in the face of tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Green candidate Randi Ramdeen
Randi Ramdeen is running for the Green Party of Ontario in Davenport. She is a project manager at Start The Wave, a non-profit.
According to the Greens, Ramdeen is a “proud member and advocate for the 2SLGBTQ+ community” and “has spent years dismantling barriers and empowering marginalized communities” using her background in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and anti-racism education.
The Green Party is campaigning on building affordable rental housing, increasing housing density, improving transit and starting a universal basic income program.
The Liberals, NDP and Greens have all pledged to double ODSP rates for disabled Ontarians, many of whom live in poverty.
Visit Elections Ontario’s website to find out where to vote in Davenport on Thursday, Feb. 27.
