Beaches–East York federal byelection candidates’ debate set for Aug. 19 at Calvary Baptist Church
By MATTHEW STEPHENS
With an upcoming federal byelection called for the Beaches—East York riding later this month, party candidates will have an opportunity to debate issues like housing, affordability and food insecurity with residents before they cast their votes on Monday, Aug. 31.
“As voters in Beaches East-York prepare to cast their ballots in the upcoming Aug. 31 federal by-election, Daily Bread Food Bank in partnership with Calvary Baptist Church, home to the Calvary Grace Food Bank, is bringing together local candidates for a community debate focused on the issues that matter most to residents,” reads an excerpt from the debate’s Eventbrite webpage, where attendees can register for free.
The upcoming debate for the Beaches—East York federal byelection will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at Calvary Baptist Church (72 Main St.) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. With limited availability for seating, attendees are urged to register promptly.
Candidates running in the upcoming byelection will be Shannon Devine of the New Democratic Party (NDP); Michel Lachance of the People’s Party of Canada; Bruce Livesey of the Green Party of Canada; Jim Sybros of the Conservative Party of Canada; Cameron Thomas of the Canadian Future Party; and Tanveer Shahnawaz of the Liberal Party of Canada.
As of Wednesday, Aug. 12, the Daily Bread Food Bank has confirmed that the NDP, Green Party and Liberal Party candidates will attend the debate.
Moderated by Community Centre 55 Executive Director Reza Khoshdel, the debate will allow voters to hear directly from candidates about their plans to address issues at the federal level.
With Toronto food banks documenting a record number of visits last year, the Eventbrite webpage suggests that food insecurity will be at the forefront of the discussion among candidates during the upcoming debate.
“For too many people, the rising cost of housing, food, and other essentials has made it increasingly difficult to make ends meet,” reads the website.
“In 2025, Toronto food banks recorded more than 4.1 million visits — a record high that shows food insecurity is no longer a short-term challenge but a deeply entrenched reality for far too many people across our city.”
For more information on this month’s Beaches—East York federal byelection, please visit the Elections Canada website at https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=ele&dir=2026/35007&document=index&lang=e.
Click this link to register for the event on Eventbright.
