Willowdale (electoral district)

Infobox Canada electoral district
name = Willowdale
province = Ontario


caption = Willowdale in relation to the other Toronto ridings
fed-status = active
fed-district-number = 35100
fed-created = 1976
fed-abolished =
fed-election-first = 1979
fed-election-last = 2006
fed-rep = Martha Hall Findlay
fed-rep-link =
fed-rep-party = Liberal
fed-rep-party-link = Liberal Party of Canada
prov-status =
prov-created =
prov-abolished =
prov-election-first =
prov-election-last =
prov-rep =
prov-rep-link =
prov-rep-party =
prov-rep-party-link =
demo-census-date = 2006
demo-pop = 129356
demo-electors = 90358
demo-electors-date = 2007
demo-area = 32
demo-cd = Toronto
demo-csd = Toronto

Willowdale is a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.

The federal riding was created in 1976 from part of Eglinton. The provincial riding was created in 1987 and had slightly different boundaries until all Ontario ridings were redrawn in 1999 to match their federal equivalents.

Longtime MP, Jim Peterson resigned on June 20, 2007. A federal by-election to fill the seat was held on March 17. 2008. Liberal Martha Hall Findlay was elected.

In the Ontario legislature it has been represented by David Zimmer since 2003. On Toronto city council, the eastern half of the riding is represented by John Filion, and the western portion by David Shiner.

This district is home to some famous landmarks like Mel Lastman Square, the Toronto Centre for the Arts and the Claude Watson School for the Arts.

Federally, this riding is considered a Liberal stronghold, having been represented by a member of that party for all but four years since the 1980 federal election.

Geography

It consists of the part of the City of Toronto bounded on the north by the northern city limit (Steeles Avenue), and on the east, south and west by a line drawn from the city limit south along Victoria Park Avenue, southwest along the hydroelectric transmission line situated north of Apache Trail, south along Highway 404, west along Finch Avenue East, south along Leslie Street, southwest along Highway 401, northwest along the Don River West Branch, northeast along Bathurst Street, east along the hydroelectric transmission line situated north of Finch Avenue West and north along Yonge Street to the city limit.

Demographics

:"According to the Canada 2001 Census"

Ethnic groups: 50.5% White, 28.7% Chinese, 9.8% Korean, 4.2% South Asian, 3.9% West Asian, 3.3% Black, 1.5% Filipino.
Languages: 42.8% English, 54.6% Other, 1.6% Multiple languages
Religions: 21.7% Protestant, 21.4% Catholic, 8.4% Jewish, 6.1% Muslim, 5.6% Other Christian, 4.5% Christian Orthodox, 3.5% Buddhist, 1.5% Hindu, 26.5% No religious affiliation
Average income: $35,689

Federal electoral district

Willowdale (electoral district consisted initially of the part of the Borough of North York bounded on the north by the borough limit (Steeles Avenue), on the West by the West Branch of the Don River and Bathurst Street, on the south by Highway 401, and on the east by Bayview Avenue.

In 1987, it was redefined to consist of the part of the City of North York bounded on the north by the borough limits (Steeles Avenue), and on the east, south and west by a line drawn from the borough limit southeast along the Don River West Branch, south along Bayview Avenue, east along Finch Avenue East, south along the Don River East Branch, west along Highway 401, and northwest along the Don River West Branch to the borough limit.

In 1996, it was redefined to consist of the part of the City of North York bounded on the north by the borough limits (Steeles Avenue), and on the east, south and west by a line drawn from the borough limit south along the eastern limit of the city, west along the hydro-electric transmission line situated south of McNicoll Avenue, south along Highway 404, west along Finch Avenue East, south along the Don River East Branch, west along Highway 401, northwest along the Don River West Branch, north along Bathurst Street, east along Drewry Avenue, north along Chelmsford Avenue, west along Greenwin Village Road, and north along Village Gate to the northern city limit.

In 2003, it was given its current boundaries as described above.

Members of Parliament

This riding has elected the following Members of Parliament:

Former boundaries

Federal election results

:"See also: Willowdale by-election, 2008"

align="left" colspan=2|Liberal hold
align="right"|Swing
align="right"| +3.1
align="right"

-
Jim Peterson
align=right|30,713||52.23|| -9.15||$77,156
-
Jovan Boseovski
align=right|16,247||29.31|| +6.21||$81,690
-
Rochelle Carnegie
align=right|6,334||11.35 || +1.78||$12,532
-
Sharolyn Vettese
align=right|2,271||4.09 || +0.43||$5,067
- bgcolor="white"!align="right" colspan=3|Total valid votes!align="right"|55,442!align="right"|100.00!align="right"
!align="right"
- bgcolor="white"!align="right" colspan=3|Total rejected ballots!align="right"|216!align="right"|0.39!align="right"
!align="right"
- bgcolor="white"!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout!align="right"|55,658!align="right"|62.77!align="right"
!align="right"
- bgcolor="white"
align="left" colspan=2|Liberal hold
align="right"|Swing
align="right"| -7.68
align="right"
-
Jim Peterson
align=right|30,855||61.38
-
Jovan Boseovski
align=right|11,615||23.10
-
Yvonne Bobb
align=right|4,812||9.57
-
Sharolyn Vettese
align=right|1,844||3.66
-
Ardavan Behrouzi
align=right|883||1.75
-
Bernadette Michael
align=right|253||0.5

-
Jim Peterson
align=right|27,038
-
Kevyn Nightingale
align=right|7,411
-
Chungsen Leung
align=right|7,134
-
Yvonne Bobb
align=right|2,404
-
Roger Carter
align=right|145

-
Jim Peterson
align=right|27,311
-
Norm Gardner
align=right|10,043
-
Peter Cobbold
align=right|6,007
-
Mikael Swayze
align=right|2,833
-
Don Murray
align=right|268
-
Paul Coulbeck
align=right|266
-
Randall Whitcomb
align=right|128

-
Jim Peterson
align=right|28,372
-
John Oostrom
align=right|7,733
-
Gerry Welbourn
align=right|7,052
-
Mary Maron
align=right|1,682
-
Shelley Goldstein
align=right|674
-
Tom Salsberg
align=right|461
-
Mike Dubinsky
align=right|248
-
Owen Smith
align=right|204
-
Jewel McKenzie
align=right|53

-
Jim Peterson
align=right|24,230
-
John Oostrom
align=right|22,347
-
Anne Adelson
align=right|4,517
-
Peeter Tammisto
align=right|268
-
Hans Wienhold
align=right|147

-
John Oostrom
align=right|22,425
-
Jim Peterson
align=right|22,063
-
John Fagan
align=right|6,711
-
George Graham
align=right|329

-
Jim Peterson
align=right|22,235
-
Bob Jarvis
align=right|17,527
-
Bob Hebdon
align=right|6,889
-
Shannon Vale
align=right|170
-
Rae Greig
align=right|46

-
Bob Jarvis
align=right|22,238
-
Jim Peterson
align=right|19,848
-
Chris Thurrott
align=right|7,128
-
Robert Austin Leber
align=right|391
-
Rae Greig
align=right|71

See also

* List of Canadian federal electoral districts
* Past Canadian electoral districts

External links

* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Det&Include=Y&rid=817 Riding history from the] Library of Parliament