Results, Ridings and Candidates

York Centre

2008 Results

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This north Toronto riding takes in part of the former city of North York, including York University and the former Downsview airport.

The riding lies between Highway 401 in the south and Steeles Avenue West in the north, between Yonge Street, the hydro transmission line, Bathurst Street and the west branch of the Don River in the east and Keele Street, Grandravine Drive, Sheppard Avenue West and Jane Street in the west.

The manufacturing sector is the major employer, followed by retail trade and the service sector. Average family income is $80,688 and unemployment is 7.6 per cent.

According to the 2006 census, the immigrant population is just under 60 per cent. Seventeen per cent of residents are Jewish, 16 per cent Italian and 10 per cent Russian. Thirty-eight per cent gave English as their mother tongue, and less than one per cent listed French.

York Centre was re-established in 1952. The 1996 redistribution kept 82 per cent of the riding and added part of Willowdale. In 2000, another portion of Willowdale was added in the east, moving the riding boundary to Yonge Street. The northwestern boundary moved west to Keele Street.

Population: 113,457 (2006 census; there has been no percentage change since 2001)

Political History

Former NHL goalie and Liberal candidate Ken Dryden is serving his second term as MP in this riding. He defeated Conservative challenger Michael Mostyn in 2006 by 9,640 votes. In the same year, he also ran for the Liberal leadership but was defeated by Stéphane Dion. Dryden earned his first term as an MP here in 2004 and was named minister of social development.

York Centre has usually voted Liberal. The exceptions were 1957 and 1958, when Conservative Frederick Stinson was elected.

Liberal Jim Walker was MP from 1962 to 1974. Bob Kaplan replaced him from 1974 to 1993. Kaplan was named solicitor general in 1980.

Liberal Art Eggleton served three terms from 1993 to 2004. A former Toronto mayor, Eggleton was appointed minister responsible for infrastructure in 1993, minister for international trade in 1996 and minister of national defence from 1997 to 2002.