Do you know your ward well enough to vote in Toronto’s municipal election this fall?
If not, no worries — we’re here to catch you up.
Toronto’s municipal election is coming up on Oct. 26, with advance voting open between Oct. 6 and 11. So we’re here to help you stay informed on what’s happening in your neighbourhood before you cast your ballot for mayor, city councillor and school board trustee.
Here are the basics that you need to know about Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest.
Scarborough Southwest is located south of Eglinton Avenue East, north of Lake Ontario, east of Victoria Park Avenue and west of Markham Road. which. It includes Clairlea-Birchmount, Oakridge, Birchcliffe-Cliffside, Kennedy Park, Cliffcrest, half of Scarborough Village and small bits of Ionview and Eglinton East.
According to the ward profile based on the 2021 Canadian census, Ward 20’s population is approximately 110,095.
- 40.1% of residents are between the ages of 20 and 49.
- 45.8% of residents are immigrants, primarily from Bangladesh, the Philippines, India, China and Sri Lanka.
Scarborough Southwest residents’ median annual household income is $79,000 — which is $5,000 below the city average. 14% of residents are classified as low-income, meaning they make less than $30,000 per year.
Homes in this ward are evenly split between buildings over five storeys and single-detached houses at 34% and 35%. People tend to be homeowners a bit more than renters, with 54% owners and 46% renters.
Scarborough Southwest’s local issues
What’s on residents’ minds? Hot topics and concerns include the expansion of an AI data centre, disruption caused by construction on Kingston Road and the development of the Scarborough rapid transit SRT corridor.
Some notable projects in the neighbourhood include the construction of the Scarborough Busway, the addition of new speed humps and lower speed limits on local roads, and the Scarborough Bluffs West Project to protect and improve the shoreline.
Ward 20 candidates
Scarborough Southwest is currently represented by Coun. Parthi Kandavel, who was first elected to City Council in a by-election in 2023. Before that, he served as a trustee on the Toronto District School Board since 2014. He’s running for re-election this fall.
Challengers for the ward are Luigi Lisciandro, Sharmina Nasrin, Mohammad Ali Reza, Kevin Rupasinghe, Laikul Choudhury, Ariel-Rachel Karokis and Naser Kaid.
How can you learn about each? Use The Green Line’s tool to fact-check candidates.
If you don’t live in Ward 20, you can find your own ward on THEGREENLINE.TO. Plus: more hyperlocal coverage to keep you in the loop this election cycle.
For information on how and where to vote, check out The Green Line’s explainer on voting in the 2026 Toronto municipal election.
Fact-Check Yourself
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