Photo: Loozrboy from Toronto, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0Toronto has one council seat for every 125,840 residents, more than 99% of municipalities in Ontario
As a neighbourhood of Toronto, Birchcliffe-Cliffside shares the council elected in October 2022, with John Tory as mayor. Ontario held new municipal elections on 26 October 2026; until the province publishes them, the open record stops at the council elected in 2022. For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Birchcliffe-Cliffside votes in Scarborough Southwest; open data doesn’t yet say who its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) is. Birchcliffe-Cliffside sends one MP to Ottawa from Scarborough Southwest, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP): Doly Begum (Liberal Party of Canada).
What stands out in how Birchcliffe-Cliffside is governed
Many residents per seat
Across Ontario the median is one seat per 1,540 residents, well under the ratio on Toronto council. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
Across Ontario, median turnout in 2022 was 35%, and Toronto council came in under it. How Birchcliffe-Cliffside voted ↓
High spending per resident
Per resident, Toronto council’s 2024 spending tops 81% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities. Council money ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Birchcliffe-Cliffside is governed by Toronto, with Ontario and Ottawa.
The city council decides local matters.
Schools, health care, highways, municipal law.
ola.org ↗Passports, pensions, EI, defence, immigration.
ourcommons.ca ↗Who to ask
Green: municipal. Gold: provincial. Grey: federal.
Its council answers to no county or region: Toronto is a single-tier city.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Birchcliffe-Cliffside, from the most recent elections.
- 1Toronto councilelected October 2022John Tory
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioScarborough Southwest
- 3House of CommonsScarborough Southwest
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada
Who was elected to Toronto council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- John Tory
- Nick Mantas
- Paul Ainslie
- Brad Bradford
- Shelley Carroll
- Mike Colle
- Gary Crawford
- Paula Fletcher
- Stephen Holyday
- Josh Matlow
- Jennifer McKelvie
- Frances Nunziata
- James Pasternak
- Gord Perks
- Anthony Perruzza
- Jaye Robinson
- Michael Thompson
- Vincent Crisanti
- Amber Morley
- Alejandra Bravo
- Ausma Malik
- Dianne Saxe
- Chris Moise
- Jon Burnside
- Lily Cheng
- Jamaal Myers
26 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Tory | Mayor | 342,158 | 62% | Yes |
| Nick Mantas | Councillor | 8,228 | 49% | Yes |
| Paul Ainslie | Councillor | 12,483 | 77% | Yes |
| Brad Bradford | Councillor | 15,169 | 55% | Yes |
| Shelley Carroll | Councillor | 12,897 | 72% | Yes |
| Mike Colle | Councillor | 17,109 | 70% | Yes |
| Gary Crawford | Councillor | 8,216 | 35% | Yes |
| Paula Fletcher | Councillor | 20,305 | 74% | Yes |
| Stephen Holyday | Councillor | 18,559 | 72% | Yes |
| Josh Matlow | Councillor | 22,670 | 85% | Yes |
| Jennifer McKelvie | Councillor | 14,168 | 72% | Yes |
| Frances Nunziata | Councillor | 10,077 | 48% | Yes |
| James Pasternak | Councillor | 12,187 | 74% | Yes |
| Gord Perks | Councillor | 11,149 | 36% | Yes |
| Anthony Perruzza | Councillor | 8,707 | 61% | Yes |
| Jaye Robinson | Councillor | 16,142 | 74% | Yes |
| Michael Thompson | Councillor | 9,977 | 55% | Yes |
| Vincent Crisanti | Councillor | 6,815 | 41% | No |
| Amber Morley | Councillor | 15,271 | 46% | No |
| Alejandra Bravo | Councillor | 17,009 | 71% | No |
| Ausma Malik | Councillor | 8,033 | 37% | No |
| Dianne Saxe | Councillor | 8,614 | 35% | No |
| Chris Moise | Councillor | 10,457 | 49% | No |
| Jon Burnside | Councillor | 8,147 | 45% | No |
| Lily Cheng | Councillor | 8,337 | 42% | No |
| Jamaal Myers | Councillor | 5,315 | 51% | No |
The contest for mayor went to John Tory, with 62% of the votes. Each ward chooses its own councillors on Toronto council, while the whole municipality votes for the mayor.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Birchcliffe-Cliffside voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
30% of those on the list cast a ballot for Toronto council on 24 October 2022, fewer than in a typical municipality.
How Birchcliffe-Cliffside voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Birchcliffe-Cliffside votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The last general elections came on 27 February 2025 for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and on 28 April 2025 for Parliament. 28 October 2030 is the next council election in Toronto, fixed by the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 for the fourth Monday in October every four years. The 2025 results are left out because elections.ca’s terms forbid commercial reproduction; the open catalogue’s latest is 2021.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Birchcliffe-Cliffside votes in Scarborough Southwest for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MPP.
MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗The riding comes from the 2013 federal map, which southern Ontario’s provincial ridings match under the Representation Act, 2015. The riding is Scarborough Southwest: it sends one MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Birchcliffe-Cliffside votes in it.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Doly Begum represents Scarborough Southwest in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Scarborough Southwest · Liberal Party of Canada · member since 13 April 2026
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Doly Begum is one of 71 Liberal Party of Canada MPs among the 122 from Ontario.
The MP’s record
Doly Begum won the seat at a by-election on 13 April 2026. Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Scarborough Southwest gives the Liberal Party of Canada 58%, a lead of 37.4 points over the runner-up (Conservative Party of Canada).
MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026
In 2021, Scarborough Southwest re-elected Bill Blair of the Liberal Party of Canada
Results in Scarborough Southwest as drawn in 2013, the boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections; the riding was redrawn for 2025.
In 2019, Bill Blair had won the same riding with 57%. Bill Blair (Liberal Party of Canada) took Scarborough Southwest in 2021 with 58% of the vote, 15,842 votes ahead of Mohsin Bhuiyan (Conservative Party of Canada). 57% of electors in Scarborough Southwest voted in 2021, below the 63% turnout across Canada.
All 6 candidates in Scarborough Southwest, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Blair | Liberal Party of Canada | 24,823 | 57.5% |
| Mohsin Bhuiyan | Conservative Party of Canada | 8,981 | 20.8% |
| Guled Arale | New Democratic Party | 6,924 | 16.0% |
| Ramona Pache | People's Party of Canada | 1,259 | 2.9% |
| Amanda Cain | Green Party of Canada | 1,068 | 2.5% |
| David Edward-Ooi Poon | Independent | 117 | 0.3% |
Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Toronto council spends more per resident than most
The 2024 financial return: spending by service and revenue by source, per resident, compared only with Ontario’s single-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
Spending by Toronto council reached $4,945 a resident in 2024, well over the $3,796 median of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities. The return counts 51,029 full-time positions, 15.6 for every thousand residents. No service costs more than roads and transit, at $1,396 per resident and 28% of the total. Local taxpayers carry a smaller share than elsewhere: 32% of revenue, where the province’s returns show 37%. Long-term debt at Toronto council stood at $9.4 billion, or $2,862 a resident, above the $971 median.
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $4.6 billion | $1,396 | 28% |
| Social services and child care | $3.9 billion | $1,194 | 24% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.6 billion | $800 | 16% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $1.3 billion | $403 | 8% |
| Recreation and culture | $1.3 billion | $402 | 8% |
| Social housing | $1.0 billion | $308 | 6% |
| Public health and paramedics | $642M | $196 | 4% |
| General government | $558.3M | $171 | 3% |
| Planning and development | $159.5M | $49 | 1% |
| Other | $89.6M | $27 | 1% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Toronto council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Beside its neighbours, Toronto council is the bar in colour; the headline above has the comparison with the province.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Birchcliffe-Cliffside is run
Check or update the federal list.
elections.ca ↗Every MP lists an office.
ourcommons.ca ↗Ridings, registration and voting dates.
elections.on.ca ↗What this data can and can’t tell you
- Council size. For residents per seat, the head of council is counted as a seat, and the population is the 2021 Census figure.
- Council money. The 2024 Financial Information Return, totals after adjustments by service, per resident with the return’s own population. A lower tier’s figures leave out its county’s or region’s spending, so lower tiers are compared only with lower tiers.
- Not on this page. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and band councils.
- Who holds each seat. Who holds each seat is read from Wikidata, so a very recent change in the Commons may not appear yet.
- Which riding. A place belongs to the riding where most of its 2021 Census residents live, plus any other with 5% or more.
- Election results. Ridings changed in 2023: the 2019 and 2021 results are on the old map, and the 2021 vote on today’s map is Elections Canada’s own estimate from polling divisions.
Questions about how Birchcliffe-Cliffside is run
Who is the MP for Birchcliffe-Cliffside?
Doly Begum of the Liberal Party of Canada is the MP for Scarborough Southwest, which includes Birchcliffe-Cliffside.
Which party won Birchcliffe-Cliffside in the 2021 federal election?
Scarborough Southwest went to Bill Blair (Liberal Party of Canada) in 2021. Since 2025, Doly Begum has been the MP for Scarborough Southwest.
Who is the MPP for Birchcliffe-Cliffside?
Birchcliffe-Cliffside votes in Scarborough Southwest; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s members page gives its current MPP.
Who heads the council in Toronto?
John Tory was elected mayor in October 2022, for the 2022–26 term of Toronto council.
How much does Toronto council spend?
The 2024 return of Toronto council shows $16.2 billion of spending for roughly 3,273,119 residents, $4.6 billion of it on roads and transit.
How is Toronto council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on Toronto council.
What was the turnout in Birchcliffe-Cliffside?
It was 29.8% for Toronto council in 2022, with Ontario’s municipalities at a median of 35.5%.
Sources: MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada · Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario) · Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Next municipal election: the province’s municipal election act · Municipality types: Statistics Canada census subdivisions · Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).