Trinity-Spadina is old, poor, and ethnically diverse compared to the rest of the country.
Of its 115,360 residents, 26.7 per cent are categorized as low income before taxes, compared to a national average of 15.3 per cent. More than 91 per cent of area residents are over 15 years old, and 36 per cent are visible minorities, mostly from Chinese descent. Roughly 40 per cent of the population are immigrants, and 48 per cent of residents over 15 years old are first generation Canadians. The sales and service sector is the largest source of employment in the riding.
Trinity-Spadina encompasses a diverse array of neighbourhoods including the Annex, the Entertainment District, Queen West, and the Toronto Islands. The NDP’s Olivia Chow has won the previous two elections in the riding, and before that it was held by Liberal Tony Ianno for 13 years.
The riding is a key battleground for the Liberals and NDP, and the NDP has the upper hand of late, having won the riding during the last provincial and federal elections. Incument and NDP candidate Olivia Chow has the biggest profile in the district, being both the wife of federal NDP leader Jack Layton and a former 11-year city councillor for a ward within the Trinity-Spadina riding.
Click through to read the candidates responses to our #elxn41 questionnaire. (Conservative Gin Siow did not respond.)
