Bruce - Grey - Owen Sound

This large rural riding in southwestern Ontario includes the Bruce Peninsula, which stretches north between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. It contains parts of Bruce and Grey counties, the Saugeen No. 29 Reserve, the Cape Croker reserve and Fathom Five National Marine Park.

The riding includes Owen Sound, Sydenham and Hanover. The southern boundary is Highway 89, excluding the town of Minto.

It has a mixed economic base. Manufacturing is the main industry, but agriculture and tourism-related employment are also important.

This area two hours northwest of Toronto is a popular destination for tourists and retirees and sees the population swell during the summer. Average household income is $69,530 and unemployment is 5.5 per cent.

According to the 2006 census, 83 per cent of residents list English as their mother tongue. Twenty-two per cent are immigrants, two-thirds from Europe and most of the rest from Asia and the Middle East.

The riding was created in 1976 from most of Bruce riding and part of Wellington-Grey-Dufferin-Simcoe. In the 2004 redistribution, small portions of Dufferin-Peel in the southeast, Simcoe-Grey in the east and Huron-Bruce in the west were added.

Population: 105,947 (2006 census; an increase of 3.4% since 2001)

Political History

Conservative Larry Miller is serving his second term in the riding after his 2006 election win over Liberal Verona Jackson.

In 2004, Miller defeated incumbent Ovid Jackson by 4,587 votes. Jackson had held the riding for the Liberals for three terms.

Bruce riding elected Conservatives from 1953-72. Liberal Crawford Douglas won one term in 1974.

Progressive Conservative Gary Gurbin served three terms in Grey-Bruce-Owen Sound, from 1979-88. In 1988, Gus Mitges, who had been the Tory MP for Grey-Simcoe from 1972-84, ran and won in Grey-Bruce-Owen Sound.

Bruce:

• 1953-72 inclusive - PC
• 1974 - LIB

Grey-Bruce-Owen Sound:

• 1979-88 inclusive - PC
• 1993, 1997, 2000 - LIB
• 2004, 2006 - CON