York Centre

York Centre is a federal riding in the north-central part of the City of Toronto, bounded roughly by Steeles Avenue to the north, Bathurst Street to the east, Highway 401 to the south, and Jane Street and Black Creek to the west. The riding encompasses the neighbourhoods of Downsview, Bathurst Manor, Wilson Heights, and Westminster–Branson, with Downsview Park — the former Canadian Forces Base Toronto — sitting at its approximate centre.

Candidates

Mark Adler (Conservative) — Adler was a Toronto businessman who founded the Economic Club of Toronto in 2003, which was relaunched as the Economic Club of Canada in 2008; he served as its president and CEO. A graduate of the University of Toronto and Carleton University's Graduate School of Public Administration, Adler had earlier worked for the Canadian Institute of International Affairs and served as a trade representative in the Government of Ontario's office in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ken Dryden (Liberal) — Dryden had held the York Centre seat since 2004, when he was recruited by Prime Minister Paul Martin as a star candidate. Before entering politics, he was one of Canada's most celebrated athletes — a Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender who won six Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens during the 1970s, along with five Vezina Trophies and the Conn Smythe Trophy. After retiring from hockey, he earned a law degree and was called to the Ontario Bar. He also became a best-selling author, with his book The Game widely regarded as one of the finest works of sports literature. In government, Dryden served as Minister of Social Development in the Martin cabinet and ran for the Liberal leadership in 2006.

Nick Brownlee (NDP) — Brownlee ran as the NDP candidate in York Centre. He was involved in student politics and NDP organizing in the Toronto area.

Rosemary Frei (Green Party) — Frei stood as the Green Party candidate in the riding.

About the Riding

York Centre in 2011 was a densely populated, ethnically diverse urban riding in Toronto's north end. The riding had one of the largest Jewish communities of any federal constituency in Canada, concentrated particularly in the Bathurst Manor and Wilson Heights areas. It was also home to substantial Filipino, Italian, Russian, and South Asian populations, making it one of the most multicultural ridings in the country.

Downsview Park, a 572-acre federal urban park on the grounds of the decommissioned Canadian Forces Base Toronto, was the riding's most prominent landmark. Adjacent to it, Bombardier Aerospace operated a major manufacturing and testing facility at Downsview Airport, producing business jets and serving as one of the area's largest employers. The aerospace sector was a significant part of the local industrial base.

The riding was well served by transit, with several TTC subway stations along the Yonge–University line and bus routes along its major arterials. York University's Keele campus sat just beyond the riding's western edge. Commercial activity centred on the Yorkdale Shopping Centre corridor and the Wilson Avenue business strip. In the 2011 campaign, local issues included transit expansion, immigration services for the riding's large newcomer population, and the future development of Downsview Park lands.