York South

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 candidate (assisted by the Liberals). The election was a major breakthrough for the CCF, and ended Meighen's attempt to return to politics. It later became the home riding of New Democratic Party leader David Lewis.

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

*1904 - William Findlay MacLean - Independent Conservative
*1908 - William Findlay MacLean - Independent Conservative
*1911 - William Findlay MacLean - Independent Conservative
*1917 - William Findlay MacLean - Unionist
*1921 - William Findlay MacLean - Independent Conservative
*1925 - William Findlay MacLean - Independent Conservative
*1926 - Robert Henry McGregor - Conservative
*1930 - Robert Henry McGregor - Conservative
*1935 - James Earl Lawson - Conservative
*1940 - Alan Cockerham - National Government
*1942 by-election - Joseph W. Noseworthy - Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
*1945 - Alan Cockerham - Progressive Conservative
*1949 - Joseph W. Noseworthy - Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
*1953 - Joseph W. Noseworthy - Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
*1957 - William G. Beech - Progressive Conservative
*1958 - William G. Beech - Progressive Conservative
*1962 - David Lewis - New Democratic Party
*1963 - Marvin Gelber - Liberal
*1965 - David Lewis - New Democratic Party
*1968 - David Lewis - New Democratic Party
*1972 - David Lewis - New Democratic Party
*1974 - Ursula Appolloni - Liberal

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

Members of Provincial Parliament

*Leopold Macaulay - Conservative - 1926-1943
*Ted Jolliffe - Ontario CCF - 1943-1945
*Howard Julian Sale - Progressive Conservative - 1945-1948
*Ted Jolliffe - Ontario CCF - 1948-1951
*William George Beech - Progressive Conservative - 1951-1955
*Donald C. MacDonald - CCF/NDP 1955-1982
*Bob Rae - New Democratic Party - 1982-1996
*Gerard Kennedy - Liberal - 1996-1999

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 into York South—Weston, Parkdale—High Park, and a small part to Davenport.

Electoral history

outh riding of York

-
Independent Conservative
William F. MACLEAN
align="right"|2,418
Unknown
Alexander J. ANDERSON
align="right"|1,790

-
Independent Conservative
William Findlay MACLEAN
align="right"| acclaimed

-
Independent Conservative
William Findlay MACLEAN
align="right"| 7,194
Unknown
Louis Franklin HEYD
align="right"| 1,901

outh York

-
Government
William Findlay MACLEAN
align="right"|16,088
Opposition
Alexander MACGREGOR
align="right"| 2,065
Labour
James Thomas GUNN
align="right"|1,977
Unknown
John GALBRAITH
align="right"|118

-
Independent Conservative
William Findlay MACLEAN
align="right"|10,368
Liberal
Alexander MACGREGOR
align="right"|8,015
Progressive
Roland Hill PALMER
align="right"| 3,276

York South

-
Independent Conservative
William Findlay MACLEAN
align="right"|7,762
Liberal
Russell James REESOR
align="right"|1,394
Independent Conservative
John GALBRAITH
align="right"| 990

-
Conservative
Robert Henry MCGREGOR
align="right"| 6,555
Independent Conservative
William Findlay MACLEAN
align="right"| 4,880

-
Conservative
Robert Henry MCGREGOR
align="right"| 11,852
Liberal
Dennis MCCARTHY
align="right"| 5,394

-
Conservative
Hon. James Earl LAWSON
align="right"|11,596
Co-operative Commonwealth
Luke TESKEY
align="right"| 8,247
Liberal
Elmore PHILPOTT
align="right"| 7,059
Reconstruction
Earl M. HAND
align="right"| 4,113

-
National Government
Alan COCKERAM
align="right"|15,346
Liberal
F.J. MACRAE
align="right"| 12,864
Co-operative Commonwealth
J.W. NOSEWORTHY
align="right"| 5,372

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

-
Co-operative Commonwealth
J.W. NOSEWORTHY
align="right"|16,408
Conservative
Rt. Hon. Arthur MEIGHEN
align="right"| 11,952

-
Progressive Conservative
Alan COCKERAM
align="right"|16,666
Co-operative Commonwealth
J.W. NOSEWORTHY
align="right"|13,543
Liberal
John Harvey LYNES
align="right"| 9,104
Labour-Progressive
Walter E. DENT
align="right"|1,089

-
Co-operative Commonwealth
J.W. NOSEWORTHY
align="right"|15,293
Progressive Conservative
Alan COCKERAM
align="right"|14,273
Liberal
Eric R. MARSDEN
align="right"| 11,932

-
Co-operative Commonwealth
J.W. NOSEWORTHY
align="right"|12,216
Liberal
Alfred GREEN
align="right"|10,820
Progressive Conservative
Alan COCKERAM
align="right"| 10,116
Labour-Progressive
Norman PENNER
align="right"| 755

-
Progressive Conservative
William G. BEECH
align="right"| 16,624
Liberal
Marvin GELBER
align="right"| 12,232
Co-operative Commonwealth
William SEFTON
align="right"| 12,024
Social Credit
Sloan A. SMITH
align="right"| 654

-
Progressive Conservative
Wm. G. BEECH
align="right"| 22,980
Liberal
Marvin GELBER
align="right"| 13,141
Co-operative Commonwealth
Bill SEFTON
align="right"| 9,643
Labour-Progressive
Leslie MORRIS
align="right"|427
Social Credit
Harvey JAMIESON
align="right"|258

-
New Democratic Party
David LEWIS
align="right"|19,101
Liberal
Marvin GELBER
align="right"|15,423
Progressive Conservative
William G. BEECH
align="right"|12,552
Social Credit
Reinald NOCHAKOFF
align="right"| 179

-
Liberal
Marvin GELBER
align="right"| 21,042
New Democratic Party
David LEWIS
align="right"| 17,396
Progressive Conservative
William G. BEECH
align="right"|9,648

-
New Democratic Party
David LEWIS
align="right"|21,693
Liberal
Marvin GELBER
align="right"| 18,098
Progressive Conservative
Maxwell ROTSTEIN
align="right"| 6,427

-
New Democratic Party
David LEWIS
align="right"|12,357
Liberal
Ron BARBARO
align="right"|11,693
Progressive Conservative
Cy TOWNSEND
align="right"|4,499

-
New Democratic Party
David LEWIS
align="right"|14,225
Liberal
Lucio APPOLLONI
align="right"|9,551
Progressive Conservative
John M. OOSTROM
align="right"| 6,401
Unknown
Keith CORKHILL
align="right"|172

-
Liberal
Ursula APPOLLONI
align="right"| 12,485
New Democratic Party
David LEWIS
align="right"| 10,622
Progressive Conservative
Paul J. SCHRIEDER
align="right"| 5,557
Independent
Richard SANDERS
align="right"| 103
Marxist-Leninist
Keith CORKILL
align="right"|102
Independent
Robert Douglas SPROULE
align="right"|97

External links

* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Det&Include=Y&rid=853 York South entry on the House of Commons website] includes election results and the changing descriptions of the riding's boundaries.