Parkdale-High Park residents head to the polls
Last Updated: Thursday, September 14, 2006 | 12:19 PM ET
CBC News
Voters in Toronto's Parkdale-High Park riding began heading to the polls in a provincial byelection Thursday morning.
The west-end riding is up for grabs after former Education Minister Gerard Kennedy left provincial politics in March to join the federal Liberal leadership race.
With the general election just over one year away, experts say the seat has become symbolic for the Liberals because they have already lost a popular cabinet minister and want to hold onto a seat previously considered solidly Liberal.
In the 2003 provincial election, Kennedy won the seat with almost 58 per cent of the vote, while the Progressive Conservative and NDP candidates trailed with about 16 per cent each.
Sylvia Watson is the Liberal candidate, while Cheri DiNovo is running for the NDP and David Hutcheon for the Conservatives.
The Liberals hold a clear majority at Queen's Park with 70 seats, while the Conservatives have 28 and the NDP have eight.
Parkdale-High Park marks the fourth byelection held this year. On March 30, the Conservatives won seats in Nepean-Carleton and Whitby-Ajax, and the NDP captured the Toronto-Danforth riding.
Polls are open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
