Byelection set for Scarborough-Rouge Park ward

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Voters in Scarborough-Rouge Park will soon be going to the polls.

Toronto City Council voted 19-1 on Thursday evening to hold a byelection to fill the spot left by Jennifer McKelvie, now a Liberal MP for the riding of Ajax.

While council could’ve opted to fill the vacancy with an appointment to council, Mayor Olivia Chow said it would be “difficult” to ask that of Torontonians in Ward 25 with roughly a year-and-a-half before the next regular municipal election.

“I’m recommending we decide to hold the byelection, because I think it’s important to respect local democracy and let the residents of Scarborough-Rouge Park decide who will represent them at City Hall,” Chow said at Thursday’s council meeting.

Councillors largely agreed, with only Jon Burnside voting in opposition. The vote took place shortly before council took an evening break, and five councillors were absent – but one had a stated reason.

Parthi Kandavel, the representative for Scarborough Southwest, declared a conflict of interest as his wife, Anu Sriskandarajah, is considering a run for the vacant seat.

Sriskandarajah currently serves as a Toronto District School Board trustee for Scarborough-Rouge Park. She’s eyeing a similar path to the one Kandavel took, as her husband is also a former TDSB trustee who joined council in a byelection.

Of note, the most recent municipal byelection, in November 2024, also brought a TDSB trustee, Rachel Chernos Lin, onto City Council.

A report from the city clerk sets out June 23 as the day for nominations to open, with ballot boxes coming out in September or early October. The byelection comes at a cost of $550,000, the report adds.

McKelvie also left a vacancy as deputy mayor. This week, Chow appointed Paul Ainslie as the new deputy mayor for Scarborough.

Chow formally thanked McKelvie at the meeting for her “many years of service,” adding that “she stepped in and did an enormous amount of work” this council term as Toronto’s temporary mayor after the sudden resignation of John Tory.

“I know that all of you in council want to join me in wishing Jennifer the best in the House of Commons, even though we know that we will miss her very much,” Chow said.

McKelvie won the federal riding of Ajax, to the east of the city, in April’s federal election. She picked up 56.3% of the vote, ahead of the 39.1% for Conservative Greg Brady.

jholmes@postmedia.com