Liberal candidate Nathaniel Erskine-Smith wants to be clear: he is not running to be Justin Trudeau’s voice in Beaches-East York; he is running to be the voice of Beaches-East York to Justin Trudeau. “I got involved because of Justin Trudeau," Erskine-Smith said, "(because) Trudeau is the only leader of a major party who has committed to bottom-up democracy, not telling candidates what to say or think, but really encouraging us to be strong advocates for our communities.”

In the last days of her mother’s life coping with Alzheimer’s, Maria Minna took on the role of primary caregiver. She often relied on her family’s own resources when there didn’t appear to be help from government services.