Riverdale was a provincial riding in Ontario, Canada that existed from 1914 to 1999. It occupied an area east of the Don River from the city limits just north of Danforth Avenue south to Lake Ontario. It was named after the neighbourhood of Riverdale. In 1999 a major reduction in Ontario seats resulted in Riverdale being merged with part of East York into a larger riding called Broadview-Greenwood.
The 1964 by-election in this riding is well known for being among the first elections in Canadian history where a party (the NDP) used door to door canvassing and a get out the vote effort.
Boundaries In 1914 the riding was created out of the Toronto East riding. Its initial borders were Logan Avenue from Ashbridges Bay to the city limits just north of the Danforth. The northern boundary followed the city limits with East York east to Woodbine Avenue. The eastern boundary followed this road south to the lake.
In 1926 five ridings were added to Toronto. Three new ridings were created to the east of Riverdale called Greenwood, Woodbine and Beaches. The borders of Riverdale were altered to accommodate the new ridings. The western boundary was moved west to the Don River and this encompassed parts of the old Toronto Southeast and Toronto Northeast ridings. The eastern boundary was moved to Carlaw Avenue which bordered Greenwood riding.
Prior to the 1934 election, the riding of Greenwood was dissolved and split between Beaches riding to the east and Riverdale to the west. The new western boundary became Jones Avenue from Queen Street East to Danforth Avenue. North of Danforth Avenue the boundary continued along Dewhurst Avenue and south of Queen Street the boundary continued along Berkshire Avenue and south to the lake.
In 1966 the boundaries on the east and west sides were altered. To the west it was moved east from the banks of the Don River. Instead it started on the south where Carlaw Avenue met Toronto Harbour. It went north along Carlaw to Queen Street East, then west along Queen to DeGrassi St. It went north along DeGrassi until Gerrard, west along Gerrard until Broadview Avenue, north along Broadview until Sparkhall Avenue, east along Sparkhall until Hampton Avenue and north along Hampton until it reached Danforth Avenue. North of Danforth it continued along Jackman Avenue until it reached the city limits. On the east side, next to the neighbouring riding of Beaches-Woodbine, the border started at the lake and went north along Coxwell Avenue to Queen Street East. A one block jog west and then it went north along Rhodes Avenue to the Danforth. At Danforth it jogged back east to Coxwell and then followed this street north to the city limits.
In 1974 the eastern boundary with Beaches-Woodbine was altered. The new border consisted of Coxwell Avenue from Lake Ontario north to the railway right-of-way just south of Hanson Street. The boundary followed the right-of-way west until Greenwood Avenue. It then went north along Greenwood until it met the city limits.
The boundaries were further altered in 1987. The western boundary was moved back to the Don River. This was followed north to the Toronto city limits. Going east it followed the city limits to Coxwell Avenue. It turned south following Coxwell to the Canadian National Railway right-of-way. It went west along the right-of-way turning south following Greenwood Avenue to Queen Street East, then west to Leslie Street, and then south to Lake Ontario.
It was merged into the riding of merged into the Toronto-Danforth in 1996 prior to the election in 1999.
Members of Provincial Parliament
Election results
1914 boundaries + 1914 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % Conservative Joseph Russell 3,310 68.9 Temperance W.W. Hiltz 1,337 27.8 Socialist T.E. Black 135 3.3 Total 4,782
+ 1923 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % Conservative George Oakley 11,250 78.7 Independent Liberal H.G. Farrell 1,831 12.8 Labour Alexander Lyon 1,208 8.5 Total 14,289
1926 boundaries
+ 1926 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes64 out of 92 polls reporting. Vote % Conservative George Oakley 8,755 61.3 Conservative-Prohibitionist A.R. Hansard 4,022 38.7 Total 14,265
+ 1929 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % Conservative George Oakley 5,435 79.4 Liberal James McLauchlin 2,130 20.6Total 8,668
1934 boundaries
+ 1934 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % Liberal Robert Allen 10,909 49.0 Conservative George Oakley 10,325 46.4 Socialist-Labour Edward Farrell 1,010 4.5Total 22,244
+ 1937 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % Conservative William Summerville 10,865 43.7 Liberal Robert Allen 8,211 33.3 Co-operative Commonwealth J.W. Buckley 4,407 22.9 Socialist-Labour Edward Farrell 95 26.0Total 22,343
+ 1943 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % Co-operative Commonwealth Leslie Wismer 7,091 47.7 Progressive Conservative W.A. Summerville 6,959 39.3 Liberal W.R. Allen 2,068 13.0Total 17,685
+ 1948 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % Co-operative Commonwealth Leslie Wismer 12,419 46.8 Progressive Conservative Charles Walton 10,259 39.8 Liberal Joseph McNamara 3,194 12.5Total 27,308
+ 1951 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % Progressive Conservative Robert Macaulay 10,705 45.5 Co-operative Commonwealth Carroll Coburn 7,150 30.4 Liberal A. Roy Cadwell 5,264 22.4Total 23,506
+ 1955 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % Progressive Conservative Robert Macaulay 8,655 44.2 Co-operative Commonwealth H. Hargrave 5,128 37.6 Liberal Fred Beavis 4,195 16.9Total 19,332
+ 1959 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % Progressive Conservative Robert Macaulay 7,707 44.2 Co-operative Commonwealth Charles Daly 3,880 41.8 Liberal Carl Lewis 3,486 17.6Total 18,845
+ 1963 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % Progressive Conservative Robert Macaulay 7,994 49.3 Liberal Barry Allen 4,302 26.5 New Democrat Gerry Gallagher 3,671 22.7 Independent Fred Graham 137 0.8 Independent Alan Sanderson 103 0.6Total 16,207
+ By-election September 10, 1964PartyCandidate Votes Vote % New Democrat Jim Renwick 7,326 38.7 Progressive Conservative Kenneth Waters 5,782 30.5 Liberal Charles Templeton 5,738 30.3 Independent Fred Graham 92 0.5Total 18,938
1966 boundaries + 1967 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % New Democrat Jim Renwick 10,722 54.1 Progressive Conservative Ying Hope 6,136 30.9 Liberal Joseph Breglia 2,689 13.6 Independent William Hendry 289 1.5Total 19,836
+ 1971 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote %Total 21,213
1974 boundaries + 1975 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote %Total 18,167
+ 1977 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % New Democrat Jim Renwick 9,639 56.45 Progressive Conservative Nola Crewe 4,088 23.9 Liberal Dennis Drainville 2,821 16.5 Independent/Revolutionary Marxist Group Barry Weisleder 117 0.7Total 17,075
+ 1981 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % New Democrat Jim Renwick 6,770 46.7 Progressive Conservative Peter Hesky 4,088 28.2 Liberal Ed Schofield 3,237 22.4 Independent Thelma Forsyth 233 1.6Total 14,486
1987 boundaries
+ 1990 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % New Democrat Marilyn Churley 14,086 62.0 Liberal Pat Marquis 5,572 24.5 Progressive Conservative John Ruffolo 1,578 6.9Total 22,729
+ 1995 Ontario general electionPartyCandidate Votes Vote % New Democrat Marilyn Churley 10,948 46.9 Progressive Conservative John Gamble 6,348 27.2 Liberal Frank Lowery 5,443 23.3 Independent Pat Marquis 273 1.2 Natural Law Loucas Café 124 0.5Total 23,353
See also List of Ontario provincial electoral districts Canadian provincial electoral districts
References
Notes
Citations