St. Paul's

This affluent central Toronto riding includes the mansions of Forest Hill and multicultural neighbourhoods straddling St. Clair Avenue.

It is bordered by the CP Rail line, Yonge Street, Rosehill Reservoir and Moore Avenue in the south and Eglinton Avenue West, Yonge Street and Broadway Ave in the north. It lies between Bayview Avenue in the east and Ossington Avenue, Winona Drive, Holland Park Avenue, Rogers Road and Dufferin Street in the west.

According to the 2006 census, the riding has the second-highest average family income in Canada – $166,814 – and an unemployment rate of 6.2 per cent. Fifty-six per cent of residents over age 25 have a university certificate or degree, one of the highest levels in Canada

The immigrant population is 35 per cent, with the Jewish community the largest single ethnic group at 10.4 per cent of the total. The riding is almost completely residential and renters outnumber homeowners, 60 to 40 per cent. The business service industry is the major employer.

St. Paul's riding was established in 1933. In 1996, portions of the Don Valley West and Rosedale ridings were added. In 2004, the riding boundary was moved south to Eglinton Avenue in the north and extended west to Dufferin Street.

Population: 111,131 (2006 census; a decrease of 1.2% since 2001)

Political History

Liberal Carolyn Bennett is serving her fourth term in the riding after receiving 50 per cent of the vote in the 2006 election and defeating Conservative Peter Kent.

In 2004 and 2000, Bennett defeated Conservative Barry Cline. Prime Minister Paul Martin named Bennett minister of state for public health in December 2003.

In 1993, Liberal Barry Campbell defeated PC Isabel Bassett, who later became a provincial MPP and chair of TVOntario.

From 1984 to 1993, Barbara McDougall was the Progressive Conservative MP for St. Paul's. In the Brian Mulroney government, she was minister of state for finance, minister of state for privatization, minister responsible for the status of women, minister of employment and immigration and minister of external affairs.

Liberal John Roberts was elected MP in 1974 and 1980, but lost the 1979 election to PC Ron Atkey. Roberts was secretary of state, minister of environment and minister of state for science and technology.

Roland Michener was elected as a PC in 1953, 1957 and 1958. He was Speaker of the House and later governor general.

• 1935, 1940, 1945 - PC
• 1949 - LIB
• 1953, 1957, 1958 - PC
• 1962, 1963, 1965, 1968 - LIB
• 1972 - PC
• 1974 - LIB
• 1979 - PC
• 1980 - LIB
• 1984, 1988 - PC
• 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006 - LIB