Toronto

Neethan Shan wins Ward 42 Scarborough-Rouge River municipal byelection

Neethan Shan has won the Scarborough-Rouge River (Ward 42) municipal byelection held to replace former city councillor Raymond Cho.

Shan won by a margin of 4763 votes, representing 45.76 per cent of the total, according to city website

Neethan Shan has won the Scarborough-Rouge River (Ward 42) municipal byelection held to replace former city councillor Raymond Cho. (Adrian Cheung/CBC News)

Neethan Shan has won the Scarborough-Rouge River (Ward 42) municipal byelection held to replace former city councillor Raymond Cho.

Shan won the ballot by a margin of 4763 votes, representing 45.76 per cent of the total, according to the city's website. 

Shan is a current Toronto District School Board trustee and will replace Cho, who left his council seat vacant last fall after winning the Scarborough-Rouge River provincial byelection, replacing Liberal MPP Bas Balkissoon.

"People in this community feel like they're not being given the importance the community deserves," Shan told CBC Toronto ahead of the byelection.

Shan took up a trustee position in January 2016. His win could mean yet another byelection for the area, this time to fill his vacant trustee spot. 

Twenty-nine candidates vied to replace Cho.

Following the results, Mayor John Tory congratulated Shan on the win.

"The voters in Ward 42 have sent a strong message that they want a councillor who supports the Scarborough subway extension. I look forward to working with Councillor-Elect Shan to push ahead on the project that the people of Scarborough have voted for time and time again," Tory said.

Monday's byelection marked the first time Cho's name isn't on the ballot since the ward's creation 17 years ago.

Advanced voting was held last weekend and polls were open Monday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Corrections

  • A previous version of this story suggested Shan was a former executive assistant to Raymond Cho. In fact, fellow contender Hratch Aynedjian was in that role.
    Feb 13, 2017 10:23 PM ET