Newmarket—Aurora

Newmarket—Aurora comprises the Town of Newmarket, the northern portion of the Town of Aurora (north of Wellington Street), and a small sliver of East Gwillimbury south of Green Lane in York Region. Located about 50 kilometres north of downtown Toronto along the Yonge Street corridor, the riding sits at the northern edge of the Greater Toronto Area's commuter belt, where suburban development gives way to the agricultural lands of the Holland River watershed.

Candidates

Lois Brown (Conservative) — The incumbent MP, Brown was born in Stouffville, Ontario, in 1955 and held an ARCT degree from the University of Toronto. A businesswoman by profession, she was active in community organizations including the Royal Canadian Legion's Newmarket branch and the North Newmarket Lions Club. Before entering federal politics, she worked as an assistant to Progressive Conservative MPP Frank Klees. Brown was originally nominated as the Canadian Alliance candidate for the riding ahead of the 2004 election but lost the Conservative nomination to Belinda Stronach after the party merger. She won the seat in 2008 and was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation.

Kyle Peterson (Liberal) — Peterson was a lawyer and partner at the Toronto firm Affleck Greene McMurtry LLP. Active in the community, he served as director of the York Region branch of the United Way. This was his first run for federal office.

Kassandra Bidarian (NDP) — Bidarian ran as the NDP candidate in the riding. Detailed biographical information about Bidarian from this period is limited.

Vanessa Long (Green Party) — Long carried the Green Party banner in the riding. Detailed biographical information about Long from this period is limited.

Dorian Baxter, a perennial candidate and ordained minister known for incorporating Elvis Presley's music into his church services in Newmarket, ran for the Progressive Canadian Party. Yvonne Mackie ran for the Animal Alliance/Environment Voters party.

About the Riding

Newmarket, with a population of about 80,000 as of the 2011 census, is the larger of the riding's two main towns and serves as a commercial and institutional hub for northern York Region. Yonge Street runs through its core, and Upper Canada Mall, which opened in 1974, is the area's primary regional shopping centre. The Magna Centre, a recreation complex that opened in 2007, reflects the community's connection to auto parts giant Magna International, the region's largest private-sector employer with its global headquarters located nearby in Aurora.

Aurora, with a population of about 53,000 in 2011, grew from a crossroads hamlet known as Machell's Corners in the 1830s into a prosperous town after the arrival of the railway in 1853. The town retains a historic downtown along Yonge Street and Wellington Street.

The riding is a classic GTA commuter suburb, with the majority of working residents travelling south to employment in Toronto or in the corporate parks along the Highway 404 corridor. GO Transit's Newmarket and Aurora stations provide commuter rail service on the Barrie line. About thirty percent of the riding's population were immigrants, with the largest groups originating from China, the United Kingdom, and Iran. Manufacturing, led by the automotive parts sector, was the riding's leading industry.

Heading into 2011, growth management, transit connectivity to Toronto, and the economic pressures facing the manufacturing sector were key local issues. The riding had swung between the Liberals and Conservatives in recent elections, with Belinda Stronach winning it for the Conservatives in 2004 before crossing the floor to the Liberals, making it a bellwether suburban seat in the 905 belt.