Ajax - Pickering

This southern Ontario riding was created for the 2004 election because of rapidly growing population in the region.

The riding runs from Lake Ontario in the southeast to the Uxbridge-Pickering town line in the north, and between Lake Ridge Road in the east and the Markham-Pickering town line in the west. It contains the town of Ajax and part of Pickering lying northeast of Finch Avenue, Valley Farm Road, Highway 401 and Brock Road.

Manufacturing and retail trade are the major industries. Ajax and Pickering are also home to many commuters who work in Toronto.

The 2006 census shows that more than 30 per cent of the residents are immigrants, and almost 19 per cent list a mother tongue other than French or English. The population is almost 80 per cent English-speaking, with just over one per cent listing French as their mother tongue. The average family income is $100,780 and the unemployment rate is 6.6 per cent.

The riding was created in 2004 by combining parts of the former ridings of Pickering-Ajax-Uxbridge and Whitby-Ajax.

Population: 117,183 (2006 census; an increase of 16.9% since 2001)

Political History

Liberal Mark Holland is serving his second term in this riding. In the 2006 election, Holland edged out Conservative Rondo Thomas by 8,644 votes. In the previous election, Holland was a newcomer but he still defeated his next-closest rival, Conservative Rene Soetens, by 7,040 votes.

The sitting MPs in 2004 were Dan McTeague in Pickering-Ajax-Uxbridge and Judi Longfield in Whitby-Ajax.

Ajax-Pickering was a solid PC riding from 1952-1968 and constituents also voted PC throughout the 1980s. PC candidate Soetens defeated Liberal John Roberts in 1988.

• 2004, 2006 - LIB