Tabuns re- elected in NDP stronghold

Longtime NDP MPP Peter Tabuns retained his Toronto seat, securing over 60 per cent of the v vote as of Thursday evening.

The Toronto- Danforth riding, which covers an area of 29 square kilometres and has a population of 106,880, is traditionally a stronghold for the New Democratic Party.

Tabuns — a former city councillor and executive director of Greenpeace Canada — has served the diverse community for the past 12 years.

In 2017, Tabuns tabled a bill calling for rent control expansion to include private rental units built after 1991. He campaigned to revisit the regulation that allows landlords to unfairly hike rents under the guise of the above- guideline rent increase.

Tabuns won a byelection to replace fellow party member Marilyn Churley in 2006, a seat she held for 15 years. He was re- elected in 2007, 2011, and 2014. In the last election, the incumbent bested Rob Newman from the Liberal party by some 3,000 votes.

This election, the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives put up first- time candidates — Li Koo and Patricia Kalligosfyris respectively.

Koo is a public education advocate vv and an active member of t the refugee committee at the Metropolitan United Church and aa the 519 community centre in the Village.

The George Brown College professor of communication holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Toronto’s TT Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.