St. Paul's By-Election Coverage: Torontoist

St. Paul's By-Election Headquarters

Riding Information

St. Paul's is located in central Toronto, and was created in 1999 (though the federal riding whose boundaries and name it shares dates back to 1933). It contains many of Toronto's more affluent neighbourhoods, including Forest Hill and Rosedale, and a smaller number of comparatively socio-economically depressed areas, such as Oakwood-Vaughan. At the time of the 2006 census St. Paul's had a population of 111,131; 56% of eligible voters cast ballots in the 2007 provincial election. (Voter turnout is typically considerably lower for by-elections.)

St. Paul's was held by Michael Bryant (Liberal) since its inception and until Bryant stepped down earlier this year to take a position as CEO of Invest Toronto (a position from which he has now resigned). He won handily in all three of the elections the riding has thus far seen: with 10% (1999), 30% (2003), and 21% (2007) margins of victory, St. Paul's has so far proven a Liberal stronghold. (Federally, the riding has voted Liberal in every election since 1993.) Conservative support in the riding is strongest in Forest Hill, and the NDP fares best along the southern border, where St. Paul's meets Trinity-Spadina. St. Paul's is known for having one of the highest median incomes, and highest education levels, in all of Canada.

Though ten candidates have registered for this month's by-election, attention has thus far centred around two: Liberal Eric Hoskins, and Progressive Conservative Sue-Ann Levy. Hoskins has the support of the current St. Paul's MP (Carolyn Bennett) and TDSB Trustee (Josh Matlow), while Levy has so far collected endorsements from ten city councillors (most of whom are members of the so-called Responsible Government Group, a right-leaning coaltion at City Hall).

The St. Paul's by-election will be held on September 17, 2009.

Recent Coverage

Levy Referendum

Neither Levy the person nor levy the sales tax was able to overturn the Liberal stronghold of St. Paul's yesterday, as voters selected Eric Hoskins (Liberal) to be their new MPP by a roomy 19% margin.

Continue reading "Levy Referendum"

Sun on the Run

When voters go to the ballot box in St. Paul’s on Thursday their choices will include the latest in a long line of Toronto Sun columnists who have attempted to parlay their print personas into elected office, usually for parties that have matched the paper’s right-wing tilt.

Continue reading "Sun on the Run"

St. Paul's By-Election Throwdown

Sue Ann Levy really doesn’t like the Liberals' proposed Harmonized Sales Tax.

Continue reading "St. Paul's By-Election Throwdown"

Riding Map

Selected Web Coverage

A perfect candidate, anywhere else (National Post) "If I ran a scrappy, populist tabloid newspaper, I would very much want Sue-Ann Levy as my City Hall columnist. If I ran the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, however, she would definitely not be my candidate in Thursday's by-election in St. Paul's."

The Liberal prescription for success in St. Paul's (The Globe and Mail) "Eric Hoskins, a family physician, Rhodes scholar, co-founder of War Child Canada and war-zone hopping humanitarian, is vying to hold what would seem one of the safest Liberal seats in the province."

Underdog pushes on in St. Paul's (Toronto Star) "If the world loves an underdog, if it really does prize the ethos of try-try-again, if all politics truly is local, Julian Heller should be sitting pretty."

Metro Morning: Andy Barrie Interviews Eric Hoskins and Sue-Ann Levy (CBC)

By-election seen as test of new sales tax (Toronto Star) "It's seen by the political parties at Queen's Park as the first big test of Premier Dalton McGuinty's controversial 13 per cent harmonized sales tax and his handling of expense account scandals, but Thursday's by-election in the mid-town Toronto riding of St. Paul's isn't generating much excitement for voters."