Businessman and repeat candidate for Mayor, with a property tax cut plan.
Edward Gong is on the City of Toronto’s list of certified candidates for Mayor, with a nomination filed on May 6, 2026. He ran for Mayor in 2023 under the name Xiao Hua Gong. Easy Canada reports that his 2026 platform includes a 3 percent annual property tax cut and a new department to review City spending. The Capital Markets Tribunal records a 2021 conviction of his company for using forged documents and operating a pyramid scheme.
Researched by voche.me · Not a campaign-authored page
Edward Gong appears on the City of Toronto’s list of certified candidates for Mayor. A certified candidate is one whose nomination the City Clerk has accepted. The list shows the nomination date as May 6, 2026 and shows no campaign website for him.
NOW Toronto identified him on May 8, 2026 as Edward Gong, also known as Xiao Hua Gong, a Chinese-Canadian businessman who ran in the 2023 mayoral by-election. The City's declaration of results for that by-election lists Xiao Hua Gong with 2,983 votes, 11th of 102 candidates. CBC News reported in 2023 that he was born in China, moved to Canada in 2002 and founded a Chinese-language broadcaster. The Local describes him as the owner of a Markham-based Chinese-language television station and of hotels in Canada and the United States.
After 2023 he ran in the 2024 Mississauga mayoral by-election and, as an independent, in the 2025 federal election in Don Valley North, according to NOW Toronto. The Local gives his results as a tie for ninth of 19 candidates in Mississauga and a tie for last of six in Don Valley North.
The Capital Markets Tribunal, which hears cases brought by the Ontario Securities Commission, says Gong is the sole director, officer and shareholder of Edward Enterprise International Group Inc. It says that in 2021 the company pleaded guilty and was convicted in an Ontario court of using forged documents and of operating a pyramid scheme, in which, in the Tribunal's words, “about 40,000 people invested hundreds of millions of dollars”. On October 30, 2024 the Tribunal approved a settlement between Gong and the Commission. Under it he is permanently restricted from taking part in Ontario's capital markets (the buying and selling of investments), with limited exceptions, and he pays no financial sanction in that case. The Local reports that the charges against Gong personally were withdrawn. voche.me did not open the court record.
In 2023 his campaign manager told The Canadian Press that Gong “has no interest in revisiting this difficult chapter of his recent life” and that his business “ran legitimate multi-level marketing operations”.
Easy Canada, a Chinese-language community news site, reported on September 25, 2026 that he opened a campaign office in North York on September 12, 2026 and set out the proposals listed below. NOW Toronto quotes an Instagram post in which he said his commitment to serving residents remains strong and that he wants a safer, more affordable, more innovative and more prosperous Toronto.
Summarized from the campaign’s published profile. These are stated positions, not an assessment of results or a complete platform.
Easy Canada reports that he proposes freezing tax increases immediately and cutting Toronto property taxes by 3 percent each year, paid for by reviewing City spending, raising the efficiency of City departments and attracting investment.
Easy Canada · Edward Gong Opens Toronto Mayoral Campaign Office, Pledges Property Tax Cuts, September 25, 2026Easy Canada reports that he proposes a new department to review spending and performance across City departments, public projects and agencies, with clear performance targets and more transparency on how TTC funding is spent.
Easy Canada · Edward Gong Opens Toronto Mayoral Campaign Office, Pledges Property Tax Cuts, September 25, 2026Easy Canada reports that he proposes a specialized unit for shootings, serious robberies and other violent crimes, and wants major construction companies to rely more on private security so police officers can spend more time on patrols and investigations.
He also called for better working conditions and equipment for frontline officers, according to the same report.
Easy Canada reports that he proposes shorter approval and construction times for seniors' housing and a study of free TTC rides for people aged 60 and older, on the condition that TTC finances and management improve.
Easy Canada · Edward Gong Opens Toronto Mayoral Campaign Office, Pledges Property Tax Cuts, September 25, 2026Easy Canada reports that he wants to attract international investment and technology companies, expand business exchanges with China and other markets, and develop Toronto's nighttime economy using the waterfront, hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues.
Easy Canada · Edward Gong Opens Toronto Mayoral Campaign Office, Pledges Property Tax Cuts, September 25, 2026Evidence reviewed on October 4, 2026: the City of Toronto's list of certified candidates, The Local's candidate page, NOW Toronto's article of May 8, 2026, an Easy Canada article of September 25, 2026, a CBC News article of June 24, 2023, a decision summary of the Capital Markets Tribunal dated October 30, 2024 and the City's declaration of results for the 2023 by-election. His 2026 plans come from Easy Canada's report of his campaign office opening and are written here as his campaign's proposals. The business and legal history comes from the Tribunal, CBC News and The Local.
Gaps. The City's list gives no campaign website. A site at gong4mayor.com appeared in search results and returned no readable text, so it is not used and its owner is not confirmed. NOW Toronto refused the saved-page tool, so it was read through the WebFetch tool, which returned a summary and not the full text. The Instagram post NOW Toronto quotes was not found. The court record of the 2021 plea and the Tribunal's full order were not opened, so the withdrawal of the personal charges rests on The Local. The 2024 and 2025 results and the business ownership were not checked with the electoral bodies or a company registry. The questionnaire has not been sent.
The Local describes him as the owner of a Markham-based Chinese-language television station and of hotels in Canada and the United States. CBC News reported in 2023 that he founded a Chinese-language broadcaster. Easy Canada reports his own statement that he has been in business for more than 20 years. voche.me did not check these businesses in a company registry.
The Local · Toronto Mayoral Candidates 2026The City's declaration of results lists Xiao Hua Gong with 2,983 votes, 11th of 102 candidates. He was not elected.
City of Toronto · Declaration of Results, 2023 By-Election for MayorNOW Toronto reports that he ran in this by-election. The Local gives his placing as a tie for ninth of 19 candidates. voche.me did not open Mississauga's results.
NOW Toronto · 'The Gong Show is back,' Edward Gong is officially running for Toronto mayor again, May 8, 2026NOW Toronto reports that he ran as an independent. The Local gives his placing as a tie for last of six candidates. voche.me did not open the federal results.
NOW Toronto · 'The Gong Show is back,' Edward Gong is officially running for Toronto mayor again, May 8, 2026Proposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied.
No questions and answers have been supplied.
Ask Edward Gong directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one.
Facts voche.me can state about Edward Gong's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.
No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Edward Gong's own campaign.
Not according to this profile. voche.me has not listed a current public office for Edward Gong.
This profile lists 7 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.
The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Edward Gong in a future interview. They have not been sent yet, so the page says plainly that no answer has been supplied instead of leaving the section blank.
The 2026 Toronto municipal election, including the Mayor race, is decided on October 26, 2026.
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