London—Fanshawe

London—Fanshawe is an urban riding covering the eastern and northeastern portions of the City of London in southwestern Ontario. The riding stretches from the city limits in the north and east to roughly Highbury Avenue and the Thames River in the west, taking in established residential neighbourhoods, commercial strips, and the campus of Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology.

Candidates

Irene Mathyssen (NDP) — The incumbent MP, first elected in 2006, Mathyssen earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Drama and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Ontario. She taught English at Saunders Secondary School in London for most of her career before entering politics. She previously served as a New Democratic Party Member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Middlesex from 1990 to 1995 during the Bob Rae government. In Parliament, she focused on issues affecting seniors and women.

Jim Chahbar (Conservative) carried the Conservative banner in the riding.

Roger Caranci (Liberal) — Caranci was a London city councillor who served on council from 2000 to 2010. He also worked as a real estate agent and municipal affairs consultant in the London area.

Matthew Peloza (Green Party) also ran. G.J. Rancourt (Christian Heritage Party) rounded out the ballot.

About the Riding

London—Fanshawe encompasses the working-class and middle-class neighbourhoods of east London, a part of the city with a strong manufacturing heritage and a diverse, growing population. Fanshawe College, the riding’s namesake institution, is one of Ontario’s larger community colleges, with its main campus in the northeastern part of the riding serving thousands of students in applied arts and technology programs.

The riding’s economy has historically been tied to London’s manufacturing sector, though the city experienced significant industrial restructuring in the years leading up to 2011 as several major employers closed or downsized facilities. The broader London economy also depended on the health care sector, anchored by the London Health Sciences Centre, and on the educational institutions including the University of Western Ontario (located in the adjacent London North Centre riding) and Fanshawe College.

With a population of approximately 126,000 as of the 2006 census, the riding included growing immigrant communities alongside longer-established neighbourhoods. Heading into 2011, key local issues included job losses in manufacturing, the cost of living, affordable housing, and concerns about supports for seniors in a city whose economy was transitioning away from its industrial base. The riding’s working-class character and strong labour ties made it one of the NDP’s most dependable seats in southwestern Ontario.