Nine candidates vie for longtime Tory seat
THERESA BOYLE The past five times that residents of York-Simcoe have gone to the polls, they have elected a Conservative.
But with the resignation of MP Peter Van Loan, who handily won each of those races, residents will have nine candidates to choose from in Monday’s byelection.
In all but one of the last five elections, Liberals have placed second and NDP third. In 2011, it was the other way around.
The riding is located north of Toronto by Lake Simcoe. It encompasses parts of York Region, Simcoe County and the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation. Within its boundaries are all or parts of Georgina, East Gwillimbury, Bradford West Gwillimbury and King.
Statistics Canada’s 2016 census profile shows the riding has a population of 104,000 with an average age of 40 and average income of $47,162.
Van Loan, a Conservative stalwart, prompted the byelection when he announced last summer he was stepping down from elected office so he could return to practising law. Candidate Scot Davidson hopes to keep the riding Tory blue. Born and raised in Georgi- na, he has owned and operated a number of companies throughout his career, including the former Bonnie Boats marina in Jackson’s Point.
He has said that if he wins he would work to help small businesses prosper and make the proposed Hwy. 400-404 connecting link a reality.
Liberal candidate Shaun Tanaka is making her second bid for the seat, having also run in 2015. A professor, she teaches geography at both the University of Toronto and Queen’s.
Tanaka has a long history of volunteer work, including at the Sharon Temple Museum Society, East Gwillimbury Public Library, National Association of Japanese Canadians and the Maytree Foundation, a charity committed to reducing poverty and inequality.
She has campaigned to help strengthen the middle class and grow the local economy.
Carrying the banner for the NDP is Jessa McLean of Sutton, a workers rights advocate, most recently active with the “$15 and Fairness” campaign. She has committed to work on eliminating poverty, ensuring fair taxation, ending reliance on fossil fuels and introducing national pharmacare.