Riding Profile:
This riding takes in the western part of Hamilton and part of the city's
downtown core. Its economy relies primarily on the manufacturing industry.
Its border stretches to Hamilton Harbour and Cootes Paradise in the
north, to Stone Church Road and Redhill Creek Expressway to the south.
To the west, the riding ends at Hamilton city limits and 5th Street,
the Niagara Escarpment, Wentworth Street and Wellington Street in the
east.
A large part of the riding's population lives in apartment complexes
in the downtown area; renters outnumber homeowners by 56 per cent to
44 per cent.
The post-redistribution riding added almost two-thirds of the old
Hamilton Centre to almost all of the old Hamilton West riding.
Political History:
The old riding of Hamilton Centre was consecutively held by the NDP
father-son duo of Norm and Michael Davison. The senior Davison was elected
here in 1967 and 1971, and his son won in 1975 and 1977.
Michael Davison was unseated in 1981 by Liberal Sheila Copps, but not
by much: she won by a scant 14 votes. Copps resigned to run federally
in 1984, and Michael Davison recaptured the seat by a 55-vote margin
in the ensuing byelection.
The Liberals reclaimed the riding in the general elections of 1985
and 1987. The NDP won it back in 1990, 1995 and 1999.
In the riding of Hamilton West, Liberal Stuart Smith won in 1975, 1977
and 1981. Smith also served as Ontario Liberal leader from 1976 to 1982.
The NDP held the riding from 1982 through to 1995, when they lost to
the Tories. David Christopherson reclaimed it for the New Democrats
in 1999.
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