Toronto Centre

Toronto Centre occupies the heart of downtown Toronto, stretching from the edge of the financial district eastward to the Don River, and from the waterfront northward to Bloor Street and Rosedale Valley Road. The riding encompasses some of the city's most iconic and varied neighbourhoods, including Rosedale, Cabbagetown, St. James Town, the Church and Wellesley Village, Regent Park, the Garden District, and portions of the St. Lawrence neighbourhood. It is one of the most densely populated ridings in Canada.

Candidates

Bob Rae (Liberal) — Rae won the Toronto Centre seat in a March 2008 by-election, succeeding Liberal MP Bill Graham. One of the most experienced politicians in Canadian public life, Rae earned his bachelor's degree in modern history from the University of Toronto and a master's degree as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University before graduating from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. He was first elected to the House of Commons as an NDP MP in 1978 and later served as leader of the Ontario NDP, becoming the 21st Premier of Ontario in 1990 and serving until 1995. After leaving provincial politics, he practised law as a partner at Goodmans LLP in Toronto and took on public policy roles, including serving as founding chairman of the Forum of Federations. He joined the Liberal Party and was re-elected in Toronto Centre in 2008.

Susan Wallace (NDP) — Wallace ran a grassroots NDP campaign in Toronto Centre that focused heavily on affordable housing, calling for a national housing strategy and the expansion of public housing. Her campaign mobilized significant volunteer support and drew strong responses at all-candidates debates for her proposals on housing and social services.

Kevin Moore (Conservative) — Moore carried the Conservative banner in Toronto Centre, a riding where the party historically finished third behind the Liberals and NDP.

Ellen Michelson (Green Party) also stood as a candidate, along with Judi Falardeau (Libertarian), Catherine Holliday (Communist), Bahman Yazdanfar (Independent), and Philip Fernandez (Marxist-Leninist).

About the Riding

Toronto Centre is defined by extreme contrasts in wealth and housing. Rosedale, in the riding's northwest, is one of the wealthiest residential neighbourhoods in Canada, with stately homes and tree-lined streets. Just blocks away, St. James Town is one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in the country, with high-rise apartment towers housing a large immigrant and newcomer population. Regent Park, in the riding's southeast, is the site of Canada's first and largest social housing project, which was undergoing a major revitalization in 2011 with the phased demolition and reconstruction of its public housing stock into mixed-income communities.

The Church and Wellesley Village is the historic centre of Toronto's LGBTQ community and a hub for nightlife, cultural events, and social services. Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), located in the heart of the riding, is a major post-secondary institution with tens of thousands of students. The riding also includes portions of Toronto's hospital row, with St. Michael's Hospital serving as a major trauma and teaching centre.

Heading into 2011, the riding's central issues reflected its diverse population: affordable housing and homelessness, poverty reduction, immigrant settlement services, support for the arts and culture sector, urban transit, and health care access. The tension between rapid condominium development and the preservation of affordable rental housing was a particularly acute local concern.