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Willowdale (federal electoral district)

Coordinates: 43°46′41″N 79°24′58″W / 43.778°N 79.416°W / 43.778; -79.416
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Willowdale
Ontario electoral district
Willowdale in relation to the other Toronto ridings (2013 boundaries)
Federal electoral district
LegislatureHouse of Commons
MP
 
 
 
Ali Ehsassi
Liberal
District created1976
First contested1979
Last contested2021
District webpageprofile, map
Demographics
Population (2021)[1]118,218
Electors (2021)75,773
Area (km²)[2]19.75
Pop. density (per km²)5,985.7
Census division(s)Toronto
Census subdivision(s)Toronto
Map of Willowdale riding

Willowdale is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1979. It is the riding with the biggest Korean community in Canada. As per the 2021 census, 9.9% of the population of Willowdale is Korean.[3]

For a long time this riding was considered a Liberal stronghold, having been won by the Liberal Party of Canada in all but one election since 1980. Longtime Liberal MP Jim Peterson was the riding's MP from 1980 to 1984 and from 1988 to 2007, and Martha Hall Findlay was the riding MP from 2008 to 2011. Long considered a safe Liberal seat, Conservative candidate Chungsen Leung won by 932 votes on the May 2, 2011 federal election. In the 2015 federal election, the seat returned to the Liberal Party with Ali Ehsassi unseating Leung. This district is home to some landmarks like Mel Lastman Square, the Toronto Centre for the Arts and the Claude Watson School for the Arts.

Geography

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Consisting of that part of the City of Toronto described as follows: commencing at the intersection of the northerly limit of said city with Bayview Avenue; thence southerly along said avenue to Highway No. 401; thence generally southwesterly along said highway to the Don River West Branch; thence generally northwesterly along said branch to Bathurst Street; thence northerly along said street to the northerly limit of said city; thence easterly along said limit to the point of commencement.[4]

The riding contains the neighbourhoods of Willowdale, Lansing, Newtonbrook and North York Centre.

Demographics

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According to the 2021 Canadian census; 2013 representation[5]

Languages: 29.4% English, 12.3% Mandarin, 9.2% Iranian Persian, 8.3% Korean, 6.7% Yue, 4% Russian, 3.2% Tagalog, 1.8% Spanish, 1.3% Arabic, 1.1% Italian, 1% Hindi, 1% Persian
Religions: 38.6% No religion, 38.5% Christian (17.5% Catholic, 3.9% Christian Orthodox, 2% Presbyterian, 1.3% Anglican, 1% United Church), 10.9% Muslim, 4.5% Jewish, 4% Hindu, 2.5% Buddhist
Median income (2020): $37,200
Average income (2020): $55,050

As per the 2021 Census, Willowdale has highest percentage of ethnic Iranians (8.9%) and ethnic Koreans (9.4%) of all City of Toronto ridings, and is one of the only four ridings with Chinese being the most frequent ethnic origin. In the same vein, it is the City of Toronto riding with the highest percentage of people belonging to the West Asian (11%) and Korean (9.9%) visible minorities.

Ethnicity groups: White: 28.7%, Chinese: 25.3%, West Asian: 11%, Korean: 9.9%, South Asian: 7.6%, Filipino: 6.5%, Black: 2.4%, Latin American: 2%, Arab: 1.4%, Southeast Asian: 1.3%

Ethnic origins: Chinese 22.9%, Korean 9.4%, Iranian 8.9%, Filipino 5.9%, Indian 4.8%, English 3.9%, Russian 3.8%, Italian 3.5%, Irish 3.4%, Canadian 3.2%

History

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The riding was created in 1976 from part of Eglinton, York North and York Centre.

Willowdale 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 redefined to consist of that part of the City of Toronto described as follows: commencing at the intersection of the northerly limit of said city with Victoria Park Avenue; thence southerly along said avenue to the hydroelectric transmission line situated northerly of Apache Trail; thence southwesterly along said transmission line to Highway No. 404; thence southerly along said highway to Finch Avenue East; thence generally westerly along said avenue to Leslie Street; thence southerly along said street to Highway No. 401; thence generally southwesterly along said highway to the Don River West Branch; thence generally northwesterly along said branch to Bathurst Street; thence northerly along said street to the hydroelectric transmission line situated northerly of Finch Avenue West; thence generally easterly along said transmission line to Yonge Street; thence northerly along said street to the northerly limit of said city; thence easterly along said limit to the point of commencement.

This riding lost territory (36%) to Don Valley North, and gained territory from York Centre (16%) during the 2012 electoral redistribution. The reduction in land area of the riding was primarily facilitated by substantial population growth along Yonge Street where the on-going redevelopment of land into additional high-rise residential buildings continued with medium-density development (low-rise residential buildings and townhomes) occurring slightly further from Yonge Street and along Sheppard and Finch Avenues. The portion of the City of Toronto north of Highway 401 and east of Victoria Park Avenue (the former boundary with Scarborough) was allocated an additional riding now having five ridings versus the previous four.

Former boundaries

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Members of Parliament

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This riding has elected the following members of Parliament:

Parliament Years Member Party
Willowdale
Riding created from Eglinton, York North and York Centre
31st  1979–1980     Bob Jarvis Progressive Conservative
32nd  1980–1984     Jim Peterson Liberal
33rd  1984–1988     John Oostrom Progressive Conservative
34th  1988–1993     Jim Peterson Liberal
35th  1993–1997
36th  1997–2000
37th  2000–2004
38th  2004–2006
39th  2006–2007
 2008–2008 Martha Hall Findlay
40th  2008–2011
41st  2011–2015     Chungsen Leung Conservative
42nd  2015–2019     Ali Ehsassi Liberal
43rd  2019–2021
44th  2021–present

Election results

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Graph of election results in Willowdale (minor parties that never got 2% of the vote or didn't run consistently are omitted)
2021 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Ali Ehsassi 21,043 51.2 +2.2 $98,989.39
Conservative Daniel Lee 13,916 33.9 -2.3 $70,040.08
New Democratic Hal Berman 4,231 10.3 +1.0 $2,471.22
People's Al Wahab 1,102 2.7 +1.5 $1,784.10
Green Anna Gorka 812 2.0 -1.7 $1,462.34
Total valid votes/Expense limit 41,104 99.1 $108,952.94
Total rejected ballots 383 0.9
Turnout 41,487 54.8
Eligible voters 75,773
Liberal hold Swing +2.3
Source: Elections Canada[6]


2019 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Ali Ehsassi 22,282 49.0 -4.4 $103,868.26
Conservative Daniel Lee 16,452 36.2 -0.8 $82,193.67
New Democratic Leah Kalsi 4,231 9.3 +2.3 none listed
Green Sharolyn Vettese 1,671 3.7 +1.5 $0.00
People's Richard Hillier 563 1.2 - $1,005.61
Independent Birinder Singh Ahluwalia 200 0.4 -0.1 none listed
Independent Shodja Ziaian 71 0.2 - none listed
Total valid votes/expense limit 45,470 100.0
Total rejected ballots 410
Turnout 45,880 58.2
Eligible voters 78,809
Liberal hold Swing -1.80
Source: Elections Canada[7][8]
2015 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Ali Ehsassi 24,519 53.4 +13.5 $89,151.49
Conservative Chungsen Leung 16,990 37.0 -4.7 $135,960.85
New Democratic Pouyan Tabasinejad 3,203 7.0 -11.4 $6,678.16
Green James Arruda 1,025 2.2 +1.81 $7,484.51
Independent Birinder Singh Ahluwalia 216 0.5 $39,117.06
Total valid votes/Expense limit 45,953 100.0     $207,725.33
Total rejected ballots 251 0.5 -0.1
Turnout 46,204 61.46 +3.06
Eligible voters 75,172
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +9.1
Source: Elections Canada[9][10]
2011 federal election redistributed results[11]
Party Vote %
  Conservative 16,168 41.47
  Liberal 15,280 39.20
  New Democratic 7,383 18.94
  Green 152 0.39
2011 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Chungsen Leung 22,207 41.7 +9.2
Liberal Martha Hall Findlay 21,275 39.9 -8.8
New Democratic Mehdi Mollahasani 9,777 18.4 +8.2
Total valid votes/Expense limit 53,259 100.0
Total rejected ballots 295 0.6 +0.2
Turnout 53,554 58.4 +6.5
Eligible voters 91,631
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +9.0
2008 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Martha Hall Findlay 23,889 48.7 -10.6 $47,844.17
Conservative Jake Karns 15,931 32.5 +2.4 $75,479.99
New Democratic Susan Wallace 5,011 10.2 +5.4 $8,175.95
Green Lou Carcasole 3,130 6.4 +0.6 $4,270.98
Progressive Canadian Bahman Roudgarnia 864 1.8 $4,500
Independent Bernadette Michael 260 0.5 $421.93
Total valid votes/Expense limit 49,085 100.0 $94,573.51
Total rejected ballots 203 0.4
Turnout 49,288 51.9
By-election on March 17, 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Martha Hall Findlay 13,524 59.3 +7.1
Conservative Maureen Harquail 6,864 30.1 +0.8
Green Lou Carcasole 1,325 5.8 +1.7
New Democratic Rini Ghosh 1,084 4.8 -6.6
Total valid votes 22,797 100.0 $
  Liberal hold Swing +3.1
2006 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Jim Peterson 30,623 55.2 -6.2 $77,156
Conservative Jovan Boseovski 16,254 29.3 +6.2 $81,690
New Democratic Rochelle Carnegie 6,297 11.4 +1.8 $12,532
Green Sharolyn Vettese 2,268 4.1 +0.4 $5,067
Total valid votes 55,442 100.0
Total rejected ballots 216 0.4
Turnout 55,658 62.8
  Liberal hold Swing -7.7
2004 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Jim Peterson 30,855 61.4 +0.1
Conservative Jovan Boseovski 11,615 23.1 -9.9
New Democratic Yvonne Bobb 4,812 9.6 +4.2
Green Sharolyn Vettese 1,844 3.7
Progressive Canadian Ardavan Behrouzi 883 1.8
Independent Bernadette Michael 253 0.5
Total valid votes 50,262 100.0

Note: Conservative vote is compared to the total of the Canadian Alliance vote and Progressive Conservative vote in 2000 election.

2000 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Jim Peterson 27,038 61.3 +3.0
Alliance Kevyn Nightingale 7,411 16.8 +4.0
Progressive Conservative Chungsen Leung 7,134 16.2 -5.3
New Democratic Yvonne Bobb 2,404 5.4 -0.6
Marxist–Leninist Roger Carter 145 0.3
Total valid votes 44,132 100.0

Note: Canadian Alliance vote is compared to the Reform vote in 1997 election.

1997 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Jim Peterson 27,311 58.3 -2.8
Progressive Conservative Norm Gardner 10,043 21.4 +4.8
Reform Peter Cobbold 6,007 12.8 -2.4
New Democratic Mikael Swayze 2,833 6.0 +2.4
Natural Law Don Murray 268 0.6 0.0
Independent Paul Coulbeck 266 0.6
Canadian Action Randall Whitcomb 128 0.3
Total valid votes 46,856 100.0
1993 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Jim Peterson 28,372 61.0 +14.0
Progressive Conservative John Oostrom 7,733 16.6 -26.7
Reform Gerry Welbourn 7,052 15.2
New Democratic Mary Maron 1,682 3.6 -5.2
National Shelley Goldstein 674 1.5
Green Tom Salsberg 461 1.0
Natural Law Mike Dubinsky 248 0.5
Independent Owen Smith 204 0.4
Abolitionist Jewel McKenzie 53 0.1
Total valid votes 46,479 100.0
1988 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Jim Peterson 24,230 47.0 +4.2
Progressive Conservative John Oostrom 22,347 43.4 -0.1
New Democratic Anne Adelson 4,517 8.8 -4.3
Rhinoceros Peeter Tammisto 268 0.5
Libertarian Hans Wienhold 147 0.3 -0.4
Total valid votes 51,509 100.0
1984 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative John Oostrom 22,425 43.5 +6.1
Liberal Jim Peterson 22,063 42.8 -4.6
New Democratic John Fagan 6,711 13.0 -1.7
Libertarian George Graham 329 0.6 +0.3
Total valid votes 51,528 100.0
1980 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Jim Peterson 22,235 47.4 +7.5
Progressive Conservative Bob Jarvis 17,527 37.4 -7.4
New Democratic Bob Hebdon 6,889 14.7 +0.4
Libertarian Shannon Vale 170 0.4 -0.4
Marxist–Leninist Rae Greig 46 0.1 0.0
Total valid votes 46,867 100.0
1979 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Conservative Bob Jarvis 22,238 44.8
Liberal Jim Peterson 19,848 40.0
New Democratic Chris Thurrott 7,128 14.3
Libertarian Robert Austin Leber 391 0.8
Marxist–Leninist Rae Greig 71 0.1
Total valid votes 49,676 100.0

See also

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References

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  • "Willowdale (federal electoral district) (Code 35100) Census Profile". 2011 census. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada. Retrieved March 3, 2011.

Notes

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43°46′41″N 79°24′58″W / 43.778°N 79.416°W / 43.778; -79.416