Sidelined TDSB chair wins Scarborough byelection, returns to Toronto council

The Toronto District School Board’s chair, one of several trustees sidelined by the provincial government, has won a Scarborough byelection, giving him a seat on city council until next year’s elections.

Unofficial results from the City of Toronto show Neethan Shan won the Scarborough-Rouge Park byelection to replace Jennifer McKelvie, now the Liberal MP for Ajax.

Shan won 5,174 votes, roughly 27 per cent of all ballots cast. Anu Sriskandarajah finished in second place with 3,374 votes and Shawn Allen was third with 2,934. In total, 20 people registered to run.

Shan was previously a councillor at city hall for the Scarborough area, before Ontario Doug Ford cut the size of city council shortly after becoming premier.

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Most recently, Shan served as a TDSB trustee, where the Ford government had sidelined him and his colleagues, alleging financial issues at the board and appointing a supervisor.

Shan will serve as a councillor for roughly a year before the next Toronto municipal election on Oct. 26, 2026.