September 4, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Scarborough—Rouge Park By-Election: Progress Toronto backs progressive Neethan Shan

Toronto, ON – After helping defeat far-right conservative Anthony Furey in 2024, electing Mayor Olivia Chow in 2023, and supporting five successful council candidates in 2022, Progress Toronto now sets its sights on electing Neethan Shan in Scarborough–Rouge Park.

“Electing Neethan will mean we can build more affordable housing, invest in youth and community safety, improve transit, and deliver more for Scarborough,” says Executive Director Saman Tabasinejad. “It will also strengthen the progressive coalition at City Hall so we can win on issues that make our city more affordable.”

Progress Toronto has shown it can help elect strong local candidates in suburban ridings. In 2022, Progress Toronto helped elect Deputy Mayor Amber Morley in south Etobicoke by mobilizing community support and resources in a close race. Now, its team of dedicated supporters and volunteers will spend the next 25 days reaching tens of thousands of voters in person, on the phone, and through digital ads to ensure Scarborough–Rouge Park elects a candidate who will prioritize urgent local issues.

“For too long, Scarborough has been neglected. This by-election is an important opportunity to elect a proven progressive leader in Neethan Shan—someone committed to local communities and who has delivered real change,” said Krissan Veerasingam, longtime Progress Toronto volunteer and Scarborough community leader. “Neethan is the progressive champion we need at City Hall to advance an agenda that makes Scarborough more affordable and livable.”

For more than 20 years, Neethan has served Scarborough as a teacher, Toronto District School Board Trustee (since 2022), TDSB Chair, and previously as a City Councillor. He has been a consistent advocate for public education, affordable housing, child care, recreation programs, youth and senior services, public services, and good jobs for Scarborough.

For the better part of 15 years, Toronto has been governed by conservatives who deepened the affordability crisis. Today, with Chow’s administration, the city is finally making historic investments in affordable housing, transit, and public services. The outcome of this by-election could shift the balance of power on City Council—determining whether those gains are expanded or stalled.

With successive progressive wins on City Council, conservatives are hoping to gain ground this election but Progress Toronto won’t let that happen. With thousands of volunteers and supporters ready to take action, we will work to elect another strong progressive voice for Scarborough.

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About Progress Toronto

Progress Toronto is a not-for-profit organization that advocates and organizes for a more democratic, socially just, and progressive city. We work with people, community, organizations, and movements to advance a broad progressive vision for Toronto. We are connecting people to democratic power through mobilization and engagement in decision making at Toronto City Hall. In 2023, Progress Toronto helped elect Olivia Chow as Mayor and in 2022, Progress Toronto helped elect five new progressive champions to City Council and six new progressive champions to the TDSB. Progress Toronto is a registered Third Party Advertiser in the 2024 Don Valley By-Election.

Contact
Saman Tabasinejad
Executive Director
416-583-5265
saman@progresstoronto.ca