Our Riding: York Centre 

York Centre consists of part of the former Municipality of North York bounded on the north by the city limit, and on the east, south and west by a line drawn from the city limit south along Dufferin Street, west along Sheppard Avenue West, north along Keele Street, west along Grandravine Drive, south along Jane Street, east along Highway 401, northwest along the Don River West Branch, north along Bathurst Street, east along Drewry Avenue, north along Chelmsford Avenue, west along Greenwin Village Road, and north along Village Gate to the city limit.

The York Centre area plays a lead role in Canada’s aerospace industry. Bombardier currently manufactures the cutting edge Dash-8 at its Global Express facility. This edge in innovation edge is part of the reason why made-in-Ontario components are involved in more than 100 aerospace programs in countries around the world. The Airbus A380, Boeing 787 and the US led Joint Strike Fighter F-35 Lightning II Program all include high quality products manufactured in Ontario.

York Centre also provides a creative, top-ranked business environment that includes globally recognized advanced manufacturers in the life sciences and aerospace sectors. Sanofi Pasteur, the largest company in the world devoted entirely to human vaccines, employs over 1,110 people. Bombardier, with approximately 4,000 employees (17% of Canadian aerospace employment), and 97 other large businesses are also based in York Centre. The northern area of the riding features an industrial area with numerous factories and facilities, including a Go Transit Service Station. In response to the importance York Centre plays in the regional Toronto economy, a new subway line is currently under construction which will extend from Downsview station north to York University.

Canada’s number one ranking in the G7 as the best place to invest and do business through to 2012, according to the Economic Intelligence Unit’s global business ranking forecast, and Ontario’s Research and Development tax incentive program being one of the most generous in the world, is contributing to the competitive business environment offered by York Centre. 

In addition to manufacturing and industrial activity, York Centre has generous green space. Earl Bales Park is a very popular site with many communities hosting events, picnics and parties. G-Ross Lord Park is also a large city park with a water reservoir and sports facilities (soccer, baseball, football etc).  There is also a large arts scene in York Centre, with the Barry Zukerman Amphitheatre putting on summer exhibits and performances.  Furthermore, the annual two week Kiwanis music festival is a celebrated event in the riding, bringing in numerous schools’ and independent musical groups each year to compete in the prestigious event.

York Centre is a tapestry of ethnicities, which includes but is not limited to, Jewish, Chinese, Russian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Haitian and Latin American communities.

York Centre contains two municipal wards of the city of Toronto. Ward 10 Toronto is represented by city councillor James Pasternak, and Ward 9 Toronto is represented by city councillor Maria Augimeri. For more information on the City of Toronto, please click here. 

In the May 2011 Federal Election, Mark Adler was elected as Member of Parliament for York Centre, the first Conservative to be elected in York Centre in 50 years.