For nine years, Alice Li has helped bring music to Toronto’s busy subway stations (you may have spotted her playing the keyboard, flute or guitar, or singing along to a familiar tune during your commute). But her latest performance was an emotional one, as the longtime TTC busker took to the platform for the final time before the upcoming Oct. 26 municipal election.
“Last performance before the elections! Thank you for 9 years in the TTC,” Li wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday, alongside a video of herself playing an upbeat pop tune on her keyboard while donning a sparkling dress. “Eyes teary, but heart so so full,” she added, thanking commuters for the smiles, joy and happiness they’ve brought her over the years.
Li began busking in 2018 as a means to raise money for charity, although, perhaps, she never imagined that her time performing for commuters would eventually inspire a move into politics. She’s now running for Toronto City Council in Ward 11, University-Rosedale, with hopes of taking the connections she’s made underground all the way to City Hall.
And Li’s musical journey began long before she became a familiar face on the TTC. In a previous LinkedIn post, she recalled growing up in a family that couldn’t afford a piano. She was determined to learn, so she drew a keyboard on paper with markers and spent five years practising on it. Her parents eventually bought her a second-hand piano for $300 when she was 15.
That passion for music eventually found a home in and around Toronto’s subway stations, where Li has spent years entertaining commuters while raising awareness and donations for charities, including SickKids, Kids Help Phone and SOS Children’s Villages Canada.
And music is just one part of her story! Li is a chartered professional accountant, a Canadian Armed Forces officer and a former beauty queen who held the titles of Miss Toronto 2017, Miss Ontario 2018 and most recently, Miss Earth Canada 2021.
But it’s her experiences on the TTC that have played a personal role in her decision to enter politics. Li has opened up about experiencing theft and security incidents over the years, including an unprovoked assault at Bloor-Yonge station in 2025 that left her with a herniated spinal disc and other injuries.
She says her time working in the transit system, and the people she’s met along the way, have given her a firsthand understanding of the challenges facing Toronto commuters.
It’s an experience she hopes to bring to City Hall. In her campaign platform, Li calls for safer, more affordable public transit and better support for frontline TTC workers, including “the staffing, resources, and support they need to keep riders and employees safe.”
Her other priorities include affordable housing and environmental sustainability (you can check out her full platform here), but she hasn’t forgotten her musical roots. She wants to expand the TTC Subway Musician program, giving more local performers a chance to bring music to the city’s subway stations.
Oh, and if she wins a seat at City Hall, her days as a TTC subway musician would come to an end. Li says she plans to end her contract with the transit agency if elected, closing a chapter that has connected her with countless Torontonians over the years while opening the door to an entirely new one.
Her Insta post quickly drew messages from commuters who had grown accustomed to seeing her perform.
“We are going to miss you. I love seeing you at Yonge and Bloor,” one person commented, recalling how Li once brought a huge smile to her son’s face during a subway encounter, while another supporter said, “Thank you for brin[g]ing so much positively during our commutes, even when I’m rushing to and from platforms on the subway, I stop myself for a few seconds to appreciate the music and good energy you give to us all.”
Follow @vote.alice.li for updates.