Do you ever find yourself heading to your local polling station on election day, only to realize you don’t know that much about your own neighbourhood? 

You’re not alone.

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. 

Read on for a short overview of Ward 6 York Centre.

York Centre is located in North York, south of Steeles Avenue West, north of Highway 401 and between Jane Street and Keele to the west and Bathurst Street to the east. This ward generally encompasses the neighbourhoods of Bathurst Manor, Clanton Park, Downsview, Westminster-Branson and York-University Heights. 

According to the most recent Canadian census, York Centre’s population is approximately 107, 335.

• 28% of residents are between the ages of 20 and 49. 
• 55.4% of residents are immigrants, primarily from the Philippines, Italy and Russia — about 10% higher than Toronto’s total population of immigrants of 46.6%. 

York Centre’s median annual household income is slightly less than Toronto’s average, at $82,000, and 13.6% of residents are classified as low-income — those with an average annual household income of under $30,000. 

Most homes in this ward are apartment buildings over five storeys, with only 10% of dwellings being semi-detached houses or row houses. 50% of residents are renters versus 50% who are homeowners, similar to Toronto’s renter-to-homeowner ratio. 

York Centre’s Local Issues

Some local issues that York Centre residents are concerned about include: noise complaints due to sound from the recently-opened Rogers Stadium, a contentious development proposal to replace local shops near Wilson Station with five mixed-use towers up to 49 storeys high, and tensions over pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests happening in the neighbourhood. 

Local development projects are mostly related to public transit infrastructure and flooding prevention. For example, the TTC’s Infrastructure Enhancement project at Wilson Avenue and Murray Road aims to enhance local transit infrastructure, including bus pads and streetcar upgrades. There are also over a dozen active basement flooding, sewer rehabilitation and watermain structural projects in the ward.

Ward 6 Candidates

Ward 6 is currently represented by James Pasternak. First elected as councillor in 2010, Pasternak was re-elected in 2014, 2018 and 2022. He’s running for re-election.

Alexander Artamonov and Conroy Irving are also candidates for city councillor. 

To make your own informed decision on who to vote for, check out The Green Line’s tool to fact check candidates. 

Don’t live in Ward 9 but are a Toronto resident? Find your 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. 

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