After seven years of PC representation, can Liberals turn Eglinton-Lawrence red?

TORONTO — When Vince Gasparro’s daughter suddenly fell ill last year, the “total chaos” he witnessed in the emergency department of a Toronto hospital spurred his desire to enter electoral politics.

Even though his daughter ultimately received “phenomenal” care, the expected wait time displayed on a clock in the ER was more than nine hours, he said.

On the way home from the hospital, Gasparro turned on the car radio and listened to a news report about provincial debt racked up under Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government.

“It was in and around that experience where I spoke to my family, spoke to friends and decided that I was going to put my name forward and I was going try to do something,” the Liberal candidate in Eglinton-Lawrence said in a recent interview.

“I just thought it was completely unacceptable that, you know, the provincial finances were in such disarray and our health-care system was in complete disarray.”

The north Toronto riding of roughly 115,000 residents who live in a mix of single family homes, townhouses and highrises was red for decades before PCs won it in 2018. Only about 500 votes kept it from going back to the Liberals in the 2022 election.

Gasparro, a 46-year-old former banker and bureaucrat who describes himself as fiscally responsible and socially progressive, said the goal is to retake Eglinton-Lawrence in the snap election Ford called for Feb. 27.

Gasparro’s mission is indicative of a larger battle between the Liberals and the PCs for semi-suburban ridings – and it may get a boost after the withdrawal of the NDP candidate in Eglinton-Lawrence.

Natasha Doyle-Merrick said Thursday there’s a “clear two-party contest” in the riding and she is stepping aside in the hopes of preventing another Progressive Conservative win.

The PC candidate is Michelle Cooper, an entrepreneur with years of experience in sales and marketing who worked as executive director of the PC Ontario Fund before running for a seat. She joined the race in Eglinton-Lawrence after incumbent Robin Martin announced she wasn’t seeking re-election.

The Canadian Press made multiple requests to interview Cooper and visited her campaign office, but she did not respond. In a social media post earlier this month, she said she’s “hearing directly” from people in the riding that they want to keep it blue.

Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie has said the party is ready to put up a fight to retake seats like Eglinton-Lawrence, calling Gasparro her “secret weapon” in that particular contest.

Gasparro said he has everything he needs to win the fight, citing his family’s ties to the riding, his “extensive” experience in finance and working for politicians such as former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin and former Toronto mayor John Tory.

“I will put my resume and background up against anyone I am running against,” he said, adding that he has been campaigning relentlessly, knocking on doors and listening to people’s concerns.

Despite his credentials in the public and private sectors, Gasparro may be fighting an uphill battle.

Although polls suggest that Liberals are steadily improving their support, including some gains in Toronto, they are still lagging far behind the Progressive Conservatives.

Conservative strategist Jeff Rutledge said he has reasons to believe that Cooper will keep the riding in PC’s hands.

“Michelle’s been very active in the community. I think she has a great reputation,” he said. “She’s been kind of an ever-present face, and … you’re hearing that from local residents.”

Rutledge said Ford’s quest for an even larger majority means the Progressive Conservatives will fight hard in battleground ridings such as Eglinton-Lawrence.

Susan Hunt, who lives in the riding and has a PC sign on her front lawn, said she has more reasons to vote for Cooper than any other candidate.

“I’ve heard her speak, and I think she can be quite impressive, and she can pull out a crowd any time she wants,” Hunt said.

She said affordable housing, public safety and fiscal responsibility are the top three issues for her – and she thinks the Progressive Conservative party is the one to address them.

“We have children and grandchildren … in university and I’m concerned about the safety of the city,” she said. “It has declined markedly over the last few years with shootings and gun crime and that sort of thing.”

In Hunt’s view, Ford has been successful in encouraging municipalities to remove red tape around home building and she hopes a PC government would continue on that path.

Gasparro said he may be the underdog, but he believes his messages are resonating with voters.

“I can tell you they know when their health care is an unmitigated disaster, education is failing our students, housing starts are at an all-time low affordability … you have crime, congestion, all out of control,” he said.

“And this all happened under Doug Ford’s watch.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2025.

Sharif Hassan, The Canadian Press