Ontario rose to second place in Canada for the percentage of female representatives in its legislature after 28 won seats in Wednesday's provincial election.
Women now hold 26 per cent of the 107 seats in Ontario, CBC News projects. That means it trails only Manitoba, where 31.6 per cent of the seats are held by women.
However, Ontario has now edged past Quebec and P.E.I., surging from fourth place.
Before the election, women held 26 seats, or a quarter of the province's then-103 ridings.
A number of high-profile female cabinet members held their seats in the vote, including Kathleen Wynne, who defeated Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory in Don Valley West.
However, Liberal candidate Caroline Di Cocco, who was culture minister in the previous Liberal government, conceded defeat to Progressive Conservative Bob Bailey in the southwestern Ontario riding of Sarnia-Lambton.
The 2007 general election saw the three main parties fielding 22 per cent more female candidates than four years earlier, for a total of 104.
However, Queen's Park also lost several female MPPs, including cabinet ministers, this time around. The majority of the MPPs not seeking re-election — five out of seven — were women.
That included two cabinet ministers: Mary Anne Chambers (Youth and Children Services) and Marie Bountrogianni (Intergovernmental Affairs). The NDP also lost high-profile MPP Shelley Martel, who retired after two decades in politics.
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Ontario Votes 2007 »
- McGuinty wins massive majority, Tory loses seat
- Dalton McGuinty won a second majority government for the Liberals in Ontario on Wednesday night, a triumph for a party that earlier expressed fears of a drop to minority status.
- Ontario rejects electoral reform in referendum
- Ontario voters have rejected a proposed electoral reform that would have seen some provincial legislators chosen based on a party's share of the popular vote, results showed Thursday.
- Ontario voter turnout a record low
- The percentage of eligible voters casting ballots in Wednesday's Ontario election hit an all-time low despite changes introduced in an effort to boost turnout.
- Ont. Green party scores 8 per cent of vote
- No Green party candidates made it to the Ontario legislature in Wednesday's election, but that defeat was sweetened by a swell in their share of the popular vote, which more than doubled.
- McGuinty only leader not facing leadership questions
- Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty won re-election in Ottawa South and NDP Leader Howard Hampton again won his northern Ontario riding of Kenora-Rainy River. PC Leader John Tory was defeated.
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More Ontario Votes Headlines »
- McGuinty wins massive majority, Tory loses seat
- Dalton McGuinty won a second majority government for the Liberals in Ontario on Wednesday night, a triumph for a party that earlier expressed fears of a drop to minority status.
- Ontario rejects electoral reform in referendum
- Ontario voters have rejected a proposed electoral reform that would have seen some provincial legislators chosen based on a party's share of the popular vote, results showed Thursday.
- Ontario voter turnout a record low
- The percentage of eligible voters casting ballots in Wednesday's Ontario election hit an all-time low despite changes introduced in an effort to boost turnout.
- Ont. Green party scores 8 per cent of vote
- No Green party candidates made it to the Ontario legislature in Wednesday's election, but that defeat was sweetened by a swell in their share of the popular vote, which more than doubled.
- McGuinty only leader not facing leadership questions
- Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty won re-election in Ottawa South and NDP Leader Howard Hampton again won his northern Ontario riding of Kenora-Rainy River. PC Leader John Tory was defeated.
