Results suggest rift between urban, rural voters
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 | 4:51 PM ET
CBC News
Voters outside of urban, downtown areas in places like Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, were much more likely to cast their ballots for the Conservatives.
Inside those centres, many more voters tended to support the Liberals, the NDP or, in Quebec, the Bloc Québécois.
Liberals solid in Toronto
In the city of Toronto, for example, there was little sign of the blue Tory tide as the Liberals took 50.9 per cent of the vote and 19 of the 22 seats. The NDP won the three other seats.
When the Grit vote was combined with the NDP vote in Toronto, the total came to over 70 per cent. The Conservatives had just 23.4 per cent.
Heading beyond the immediate city limits, the Liberals kept a strong base of support in the so-called 905 belt of suburbs, earning 46.5 per cent of the popular vote. But there was considerable Tory support as well, at 36.4 per cent support.
Outside the Greater Toronto Area, that support climbed even higher: the Conservatives were at 38.2 per cent, compared with 34.1 per cent for the Liberals and 21.7 for the NDP.
Vancouver voting divisions
Voters in and around Vancouver showed a similar kind of split.
In the city of Vancouver proper, the Liberals took 42.2 per cent of the vote, and the NDP was at 30.1 per cent. Combined, that comes to more than 72 per cent support.
The Conservatives, meanwhile, took 22.1 per cent support of the vote in that city.
Beyond Vancouver in the rest of B.C., the Conservatives commanded 41.5 per cent of the vote, while the NDP had 29.4 per cent and the Liberals 22.1.
Montreal and rest of Quebec
Voters in and around Montreal offered a different kind of split.
In Greater Montreal, the Bloc took 40.7 per cent of the vote, while the Liberals had 29.0 per cent.
For the province of Quebec as a whole, the Bloc had 43 per cent support, while the Conservatives had 30.8 per cent support. The Liberals were at 14 per cent.
