Toronto Centre (federal electoral district)

Toronto Centre (Template:Langx) is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1872 to 1925, and since 1935, under the names Centre Toronto (1872–1903), Toronto Centre (1903–1925, and since 2004), Rosedale (1935–1997), and Toronto Centre—Rosedale (1997–2004).

Toronto Centre contains a large part of Downtown Toronto. The riding contains areas such as Regent Park (Canada's first social housing development), St. James Town (a largely immigrant area and the most densely populated neighbourhood in Canada), Cabbagetown, Church and Wellesley (a historic LGBTQ2 neighbourhood), Toronto Metropolitan University and part of the city's financial district (the east side of Yonge Street). At just under , it is the smallest riding in Canada by area.

History

Centre Toronto riding was first created in 1872 from portions of West Toronto and East Toronto. In 1903, the name was changed to Toronto Centre. In 1924, the riding was broken into Toronto East Centre, Toronto West Centre and Toronto South.

A riding covering much the same area was created in 1933 named "Rosedale" after the wealthy neighbourhood of Rosedale. This riding was replaced with "Toronto Centre—Rosedale" in 1996, but the quickly growing population resulted in large areas being shaved off on all sides. In 2003, Toronto Centre—Rosedale was abolished, and a new riding somewhat to the east was created named "Toronto Centre".

Each of the four major national political parties (the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the Green Party, and the NDP), have active federal and provincial riding associations which act as the local party organizations in the riding. Since the early 1990s, however, most contests have been between the Liberals and NDP.

This riding lost territory to University—Rosedale and Spadina—Fort York, and gained a small fraction of territory from Trinity—Spadina during the 2012 electoral redistribution. This made Toronto Centre the smallest size riding in the country, beating Papineau in Montreal by 4 km².

Historically, the riding was one of the few in central Toronto where the Progressive Conservatives usually did well. The PCs held the riding for 34 of the 58 years from 1935 to 1993. However, it has been in Liberal hands without interruption since 1993. The 2012 federal electoral redistribution shifted much of the wealthier northern part of the riding, which included Rosedale, to the new riding of University—Rosedale.

The riding was represented by former interim Liberal leader Bob Rae after the federal by-elections of March 17, 2008. Rae resigned from Parliament on July 31, 2013. Liberal Chrystia Freeland picked up the riding in the subsequent by-election, and held it until the 2015 Canadian federal election, when she chose to run for re-election in the new riding of University—Rosedale.

From 2015 to 2020, the riding was represented by Bill Morneau. On August 17, 2020, Morneau resigned as MP. Following a by-election on October 26, 2020, the riding has been represented by Marci Ien.

Former boundaries

• 1903–1914
  1903–1914
• 1933–1966
  1933–1966
• 1966–1976
  1966–1976
• 1976–1987
  1976–1987
• 1987–1996
  1987–1996
• 1996–2003
  1996–2003
• 2003–2015
  2003–2015

Demographics

According to the 2021 Canadian census

Ethnic groups: 40.7% White, 13.8% South Asian, 12.3% Chinese, 10.3% Black, 5.0% Filipino, 3.3% Latin American, 2.4% Arab, 2.2% Korean, 2.2% Southeast Asian, 2.0% West Asian, 1.9% Indigenous
Languages: 51.2% English, 6.2% Mandarin, 3.0% Spanish, 2.7% Cantonese, 2.4% French, 2.3% Tagalog, 1.7% Arabic, 1.7% Korean, 1.6% Bengali, 1.4% Russian, 1.4% Hindi, 1.3% Portuguese, 1.2% Tamil, 1.1% Persian
Religions: 34.5% Christian (17.2% Catholic, 2.9% Christian Orthodox, 2.7% Anglican, 1.2% United Church, 10.5% Other), 10.2% Muslim, 6.1% Hindu, 1.9% Buddhist, 1.7% Jewish, 44.0% None
Median income: $40,800 (2020)
Average income: $59,750 (2020)

Electoral district associations

Canadian political parties are locally represented by Electoral district associations (EDA). Elections Canada officially recognizes the following Toronto Centre EDAs:

Party

Association name

President

HQ city

Toronto Centre Conservative Association

Joseph A. Cadeau

Toronto

Toronto Centre Green Party Association

Lyndsey A. Lewis

Toronto

Toronto Centre Federal Liberal Association

Steven Williams

Toronto

Toronto Centre Federal NDP Riding Association

Jeff Slater

Toronto

Members of Parliament

These ridings have elected the following members of Parliament:

Election results

Toronto Centre, 2004–present

Template:Chart

Graph of election results in Toronto Centre (since 2003; minor parties that never got 2% of the vote or didn't run consistently are omitted)

2021 federal election redistributed results
Party		Vote	%
Template:Canadian party colour |	Liberal	23,683	49.83
Template:Canadian party colour |	New Democratic	12,474	26.25
Template:Canadian party colour |	Conservative	6,143	12.93
Template:Canadian party colour |	Green	3,826	8.05
Template:Canadian party colour |	People's	1,116	2.35
Template:Canadian party colour |	Others	281	0.59

Template:Canadian election result/top Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:Canadian election result/total Template:Canadian election result/total Template:Canadian election result/total Template:Canadian election result/total Template:CANelec/source Template:CANelec/nothold |} ^ Change is from 2011 redistributed results.

2011 federal election redistributed results
Party		Vote	%
Template:Canadian party colour |	Liberal	14,828	39.42
Template:Canadian party colour |	New Democratic	13,617	36.20
Template:Canadian party colour |	Conservative	6,746	17.93
Template:Canadian party colour |	Green	1,942	5.16
Template:Canadian party colour |	Others	487	1.29

Template:2013 Canadian federal by-elections/Toronto Centre Template:Canadian election result/top Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:Canadian election result/total Template:Canadian election result/total Template:Canadian election result/total Template:Canadian election result/total Template:CANelec/hold |}

2008

General election

On September 21, 2008, Conservative candidate Chris Reid resigned because he said he couldn't commit to four years in government. However, blog entries were discovered that linked him to controversial musings on guns and the murder of Tim McLean aboard a Greyhound bus. Chris Reid was replaced by David Gentili as the Conservative candidate for Toronto Centre. Expenditures listed for Gentili include expenditures reported by Reid.

Template:Canadian election result/top Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:Canadian election result/total Template:Canadian election result/total Template:Canadian election result/total Template:CANelec/hold |}

By-election

A by-election, held on March 17, 2008, to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Bill Graham was won by Liberal Bob Rae, a former Ontario NDP Premier.

The nominated Conservative candidate in the by-election, Mark Warner, was dropped by the party's national council on October 31, 2007. Don Meredith was nominated as the Conservative candidate in December 2007.

Activist El-Farouk Khaki ran for the NDP and Chris Tindal was the Green Party of Canada candidate. Liz White was the Animal Alliance Environmental Voters Party of Canada candidate, and Doug Plumb represented the Canadian Action Party.

Template:CANelecTemplate:CANelecTemplate:CANelecTemplate:CANelecTemplate:CANelecTemplate:CANelecTemplate:Canadian election result/totalTemplate:Canadian election result/totalTemplate:Canadian election result/totalTemplate:Canadian party colour

By-election on March 17, 2008 On Bill Graham's resignation, July 2, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Liberal hold		Swing	+8.5

Template:Canadian election result/top Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:CANelec Template:Canadian election result/total |- Template:Canadian party colour |align="left" colspan=2|Liberal hold |align="right"|Swing |align="right"| -2.1 |align="right"|

|}

|}

Toronto Centre—Rosedale, 1996–2003

Template:Chart

Graph of general election results in Toronto Centre—Rosedale (1996–2003, minor parties that never got 2% of the vote or didn't run consistently are omitted)

|}

Rosedale, 1933–1996

Template:Chart

Graph of general election results in Rosedale (1933–1996, minor parties that never got 2% of the vote or didn't run consistently are omitted)

|}

|}

|}

|}

|}

Template:CANelecTemplate:CANelecTemplate:CANelecTemplate:CANelecTemplate:CANelecTemplate:CANelecTemplate:Canadian election result/total

By-election on October 16, 1978
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

|}

|}

|}

1933–1965

|}

|}

|} Note: NDP vote is compared to CCF vote in 1958 election.

|}

|}

|}

|} Note: Progressive Conservative vote is compared to "National Government" vote in 1945 election.

|} Note: Progressive Conservative vote is compared to "National Government" vote in 1940 election.

|} Note: "National Government" vote is compared to Conservative vote in 1935 election.

|}

Toronto Centre, 1903–1924

Template:Chart

Graph of general election results in Toronto Centre (1904–1925, minor parties that never got 2% of the vote or didn't run consistently are omitted)

|} Note: Conservative vote is compared to Unionist vote in 1917 election.

|} Note: Unionist vote is compared to Liberal-Conservative vote in 1911 election.

|}

|} Note: vote compared to 1904 election.

By-election on Template:Trim
Party		Candidate	Votes

|}

Centre Toronto, 1872–1903

Template:Chart

Graph of general election results in Centre Toronto (1872-1900, minor parties that never got 2% of the vote or didn't run consistently are omitted)

|}

Template:CANelecTemplate:CANelecTemplate:Canadian election result/total

By-election on September 30, 1897
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

|}

|}

|}

|}

|} Note: vote compared to 1874 election.

By-election on Template:Trim
Party		Candidate	Votes

|}

|}

See also

• List of Canadian electoral districts
• Historical federal electoral districts of Canada

References

• Template:SCref

External links

Riding history from the Library of Parliament:

• 1872-1924
• 1933-1996
• 1996-2003
• 2003-present
• Campaign expense data from Elections Canada