Toronto-area MP Levitt says he is quitting

OTTAWA — Michael Levitt is to resign as the Liberal MP for the Toronto-area riding of York Centre.

Levitt, first elected in 2015, said he has informed the Speaker of the House of Commons that he will give up his seat on Sept. 1.

In a Facebook post, Levitt said he has loved being a Member of Parliament, but the intense, “allencompassing” job has taken a toll on his family — especially since the COVID-19 crisis hit Canada five months ago.

He said it’s time to “put family first and come back home, both physically and mentally.”

Levitt said he will soon begin a new career as president and CEO of the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre, an organization devoted to combating antiSemitism and promoting human rights.

He said he hopes to use his new position to continue fighting systemic racism in Canada.