Ridings
200 Toronto Centre
2004 Candidates
GRN: Gabriel Draven
MLP: Philip Fernandez
COM: Dan Goldstick
LIB: Bill Graham (Incumbent)
CON: Megan Harris
CAP: Kevin Peck
NDP: Michael Shapcott
MP: Jay Wagner
Riding Profile
This downtown Toronto riding mixes the wealthy enclave of Rosedale
with the densely populated apartments of St. Jamestown and a noted gay district.
The riding stretches from Toronto Harbour in the south to the southern
boundary of Mount Pleasant Cemetery in the north, between the Don River in the
east and Avenue Road, Queen's Park, College Street and Yonge Street in the
west.
The population of the riding is among the most transient in Canada. Rentals
outnumber homeowners 73 per cent to 27 per cent. Average family income is
$124,082 (the third highest in Canada) and unemployment is 7.8 per cent.
The majority of jobs are in the service sector, including finance and insurance.
More than 34 per cent of residents have university degrees.
According to the 2001 census, 42 per cent of the population are immigrants,
with a significant Chinese community.
In 2004, Toronto Centre added a small part of St. Paul's in the northwest
and Toronto-Danforth n the northeast. The riding of Rosedale was established
in 1933. Its name was changed to Toronto Centre-Rosedale in 1996 and to Toronto
Centre in 2004.
Political
History ROSEDALE:
1935, 1940, 1945: PC
1949, 1953: LIB
1957, 1958: PC
1962-1974 inclusive: LIB
1978 byelection-1988 inclusive: PC
1993: LIB
TORONTO CENTRE-ROSEDALE:
1997, 2000: LIB
In 2000, Liberal Bill Graham defeated Conservative Randall Pearce to win Toronto
Centre-Rosedale for a third term. Graham has been minister of foreign affairs
since January 2002. In 1988, PC David MacDonald, who had served four terms in
Egmont riding in Prince Edward Island, defeated Graham by 80 votes. In 1993,
Graham defeated MacDonald. In 1997, MacDonald transferred to the New Democrats
and was defeated in Toronto Centre-Rosedale.
Liberal Donald MacDonald, who was government House leader; minister
of defence; minister of energy, mines and resources; and minister
of finance in the Trudeau era, was MP for Rosedale from 1962 to 1978,
when he resigned. In a byelection to replace him in October 1978,
Conservative David Crombie was first elected. Crombie was re-elected
in 1979, 1980 and 1984, and was minister of health and welfare, minister
of Indian affairs and northern development and minister responsible
for multiculturalism in the Mulroney era. He resigned in 1988.
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