York South

For the New Brunswick provincial electoral district, see York South (New Brunswick provincial electoral district).

York South was an electoral district (or "riding") in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1999.

The riding is notable for the 1942 federal by-election in which newly-elected Conservative leader Arthur Meighen was defeated in his attempt to win a seat in the House of Commons by the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation's (CCF) candidate (assisted by the Liberals). The election was a major breakthrough for the CCF, and ended Meighen's attempt to return to politics. In later years, it became known as perennial leaders' riding, the home district for both CCF and New Democratic Party (NDP) leaders Ted Jolliffe, Donald C. MacDonald, David Lewis and Bob Rae.

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History

York South was created in 1903 as "the south riding of York" from parts of York East and York West ridings. It initially consisted of the township of York, and the towns of East Toronto, North Toronto, and Toronto Junction. As is suggested by the names of the towns in the riding, the constituency abutted on the city of Toronto's northern border.

In 1914, it was called "South York", and redefined to consist of the villages of Richmond Hill and Markham, the township of Markham, the town of Leaside, and the township of York (excluding parts included in the riding of West York); and those portions of the city of Toronto not included in the ridings of West York, Parkdale, North Toronto, East Toronto, Centre Toronto, West Toronto, South Toronto and East York. In 1924, it was called "York South", and consisted of all that part of the county of York lying east of Yonge Street, south of the township of Markham and outside the city of Toronto.

In 1933, York South was defined to consist of all that portion of the township of York not included in the electoral district of West York, the town of Weston and the village of Forest Hill. From 1947, it consisted of the village of Forest Hill and a portion of the township of York. In 1952, it consisted the village of Forest Hill and a re-defined portion of the township of York.

As time progressed and the population grew, the riding shrank in size so that it consisted of what was later called the Borough of York in the middle western part of Metropolitan Toronto and some surrounding areas. While it was originally a largely rural riding it was an urban, working class riding by the end of World War II.

The electoral district was abolished in 1976 when the main part of the riding became York South—Weston, and other parts were redistributed between Davenport, Eglinton—Lawrence and St. Paul's ridings.

Provincial riding

The provincial riding of York South first came into existence for the 1926 Ontario election. It was slightly smaller than the federal riding but covered much of the same area. For most of the period after World War II, it was a bastion of the Ontario CCF and its successor, the NDP, being the riding of three CCF/NDP leaders in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario: Ted Jolliffe, Donald C. MacDonald and Bob Rae.

Members of Parliament

For the 1979 election, the riding was redistributed and became York South—Weston.

Members of Provincial Parliament

When the government of Mike Harris changed Ontario's electoral law so that federal and provincial ridings matched, the riding of York South was abolished and redistributed into York South—Weston, Parkdale—High Park, and a small part to Davenport.

Electoral history

South riding of York

Canadian federal election, 1904
Party Candidate Votes
     Independent Conservative William F. MACLEAN 2,418
     Unknown Alexander J. ANDERSON 1,790
Canadian federal election, 1908
Party Candidate Votes
     Independent Conservative William F. MACLEAN acclaimed
Canadian federal election, 1911
Party Candidate Votes
     Independent Conservative William F. MACLEAN 7,194
     Unknown Louis Franklin HEYD 1,901

South York

Canadian federal election, 1917
Party Candidate Votes
     Government William F. MACLEAN 16,088
     Opposition Alexander MACGREGOR 2,065
     Labour James Thomas GUNN 1,977
     Unknown John GALBRAITH 118
Canadian federal election, 1921
Party Candidate Votes
     Independent Conservative William F. MACLEAN 10,368
     Liberal Alexander MACGREGOR 8,015
     Progressive Roland Hill PALMER 3,276

York South

Canadian federal election, 1925
Party Candidate Votes
     Independent Conservative William F. MACLEAN 7,762
     Liberal Russell James REESOR 1,394
     Independent Conservative John GALBRAITH 990
Canadian federal election, 1926
Party Candidate Votes
     Conservative Robert Henry MCGREGOR 6,555
     Independent Conservative William F. MACLEAN 4,880
Canadian federal election, 1930
Party Candidate Votes
     Conservative Robert Henry MCGREGOR 11,852
     Liberal Dennis MCCARTHY 5,394
Canadian federal election, 1935
Party Candidate Votes
     Conservative Hon. James Earl LAWSON 11,596
     Co-operative Commonwealth Luke TESKEY 8,247
     Liberal Elmore PHILPOTT 7,059
     Reconstruction Earl M. HAND 4,113
Canadian federal election, 1940
Party Candidate Votes
     National Government Alan COCKERAM 15,346
     Liberal F.J. MACRAE 12,864
     Co-operative Commonwealth J.W. NOSEWORTHY 5,372

By-election: On Mr. Cockeram's resignation to allow Arthur Meighen to contest the seat:

By-election on 9 February 1942
Party Candidate Votes
     Co-operative Commonwealth J.W. NOSEWORTHY 16,408
     Conservative Rt. Hon. Arthur MEIGHEN 11,952
Canadian federal election, 1945
Party Candidate Votes
     Progressive Conservative Alan COCKERAM 16,666
     Co-operative Commonwealth J.W. NOSEWORTHY 13,543
     Liberal John Harvey LYNES 9,104
     Labour-Progressive Walter E. DENT 1,089
Canadian federal election, 1949
Party Candidate Votes
     Co-operative Commonwealth J.W. NOSEWORTHY 15,293
     Progressive Conservative Alan COCKERAM 14,273
     Liberal Eric R. MARSDEN 11,932
Canadian federal election, 1953
Party Candidate Votes
     Co-operative Commonwealth J.W. NOSEWORTHY 12,216
     Liberal Alfred GREEN 10,820
     Progressive Conservative Alan COCKERAM 10,116
     Labour-Progressive Norman PENNER 755
Canadian federal election, 1957
Party Candidate Votes
     Progressive Conservative William G. BEECH 16,624
     Liberal Marvin GELBER 12,232
     Co-operative Commonwealth William SEFTON 12,024
     Social Credit Sloan A. SMITH 654
Canadian federal election, 1958
Party Candidate Votes
     Progressive Conservative Wm. G. BEECH 22,980
     Liberal Marvin GELBER 13,141
     Co-operative Commonwealth Bill SEFTON 9,643
     Labour-Progressive Leslie MORRIS 427
     Social Credit Harvey JAMIESON 258
Canadian federal election, 1962
Party Candidate Votes
     New Democratic Party David LEWIS 19,101
     Liberal Marvin GELBER 15,423
     Progressive Conservative William G. BEECH 12,552
     Social Credit Reinald NOCHAKOFF 179
Canadian federal election, 1963
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Marvin GELBER 21,042
     New Democratic Party David LEWIS 17,396
     Progressive Conservative William G. BEECH 9,648
Canadian federal election, 1965
Party Candidate Votes
     New Democratic Party David LEWIS 21,693
     Liberal Marvin GELBER 18,098
     Progressive Conservative Maxwell ROTSTEIN 6,427
Canadian federal election, 1968
Party Candidate Votes
     New Democratic Party David LEWIS 12,357
     Liberal Ron BARBARO 11,693
     Progressive Conservative Cy TOWNSEND 4,499
Canadian federal election, 1972
Party Candidate Votes
     New Democratic Party David LEWIS 14,225
     Liberal Lucio APPOLLONI 9,551
     Progressive Conservative John M. OOSTROM 6,401
     Unknown Keith CORKHILL 172
Canadian federal election, 1974
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Ursula Appolloni 12,485
     New Democratic Party David Lewis 10,622
     Progressive Conservative Paul J. Schrieder 5,557
     Independent Richard Sanders 103
     Marxist-Leninist Keith Corkill 102
     Independent Robert Douglas Sproule 97

References