# Downsview (electoral district)

Downsview was a provincial riding in Ontario, Canada. It was created for the 1963 provincial election, and was retained until redistribution in 1999. Downsview was located in North York, which was previously part of Metropolitan Toronto and is now part of the City of Toronto. It was formed from part of the original riding of York Centre. In 1996 it was merged into a newly reconstituted riding of the same name.
For most of its history, Downsview was a hotly contested marginal seat between the Liberals and the New Democratic Party. Its final representative, however, was a Progressive Conservative: Annamarie Castrilli was elected as a Liberal in 1995, but crossed parties on the last sitting day of the legislature before the 1999 election.
The riding's demographics and boundaries shifted throughout its existence. In the 1960s, it consisted of the area of the borough of North York between Bathurst Street and Keele Street. During this period, the riding had a large Jewish community, representing about 40% of the population. In the 1975 election, the eastern, predominantly Jewish section of the riding was redistributed to the riding of Wilson Heights and the riding became predominantly Italian. Odoardo Di Santo, elected as a New Democrat in 1975, was one of the first three Italian-Canadians to serve in the Ontario legislature.

## Members of Provincial Parliament

Downsview :
| Assembly | Years | Member | Party |
| Created from part of York Centre riding in 1963 |||||
| 27th | 1963–1967 | Vern Singer | Liberal |
| 28th | 1967–1971 | Vern Singer | Liberal |
| 29th | 1971–1975 | Vern Singer | Liberal |
| 30th | 1975–1977 | Odoardo Di Santo | New Democratic |
| 31st | 1977–1981 | Odoardo Di Santo | New Democratic |
| 32nd | 1981–1985 | Odoardo Di Santo | New Democratic |
| 33rd | 1985–1987 | Joseph Cordiano | Liberal |
| 34th | 1987–1990 | Laureano Leone | Liberal |
| 35th | 1990–1995 | Anthony Perruzza | New Democratic |
| 36th | 1995–1999 | Annamarie Castrilli | Liberal |
| 36th | 1999–1999 | Annamarie Castrilli | Progressive Conservative |
| Sourced from the Ontario Legislative Assembly |||||
| Merged into York Centre riding after 1999 |||||

## Electoral results

1963 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Vote % |
| Liberal | Vern Singer | 7,328 | 38.0 |
| New Democrat | Alan Borovoy | 6,806 | 35.3 |
| Progressive Conservative | David Vanek | 5,168 | 26.8 |
| | Total | 19,302 | |
1967 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Vote % |
| Liberal | Vern Singer | 8,875 | 36.6 |
| New Democrat | Murray Chusid | 8,848 | 36.4 |
| Progressive Conservative | Max Shecter | 6,293 | 25.9 |
| Independent | Sonee Cohen | 261 | 1.1 |
| | Total | 24,277 | |
1971 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Vote % |
| Liberal | Vern Singer | 16,933 | 52.2 |
| New Democrat | Murray Chusid | 10,803 | 33.3 |
| Progressive Conservative | Lorraine Deane | 4,673 | 14.4 |
| | Total | 32,409 | |
1975 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Vote % |
| New Democrat | Odoardo Di Santo | 8,090 | 37.0 |
| Liberal | Michael Spensieri | 7,962 | 36.4 |
| Progressive Conservative | Barbara Greene | 5,832 | 26.6 |
| | Total | 21,884 | |
1977 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Vote % |
| New Democrat | Odoardo Di Santo | 10,238 | 45.3 |
| Progressive Conservative | Sam Stabile | 6,109 | 27.0 |
| Liberal | Joseph De Angelis | 5,818 | 25.7 |
| Independent | Doreen Leitch | 252 | 1.1 |
| Libertarian | Michael Little | 187 | 0.8 |
| | Total | 22,604 | |
1981 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Vote % |
| New Democrat | Odoardo Di Santo | 8,718 | 39.4 |
| Liberal | Joe Volpe | 8,039 | 36.3 |
| Progressive Conservative | Ross Charles | 5,368 | 24.3 |
| | Total | 22,125 | |
1985 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Vote % |
| Liberal | Joseph Cordiano | 11,250 | 43.9 |
| New Democrat | Odoardo Di Santo | 11,119 | 43.7 |
| Progressive Conservative | Vincent Stabile | 3,250 | 12.7 |
| | Total | 28,559 | |
1987 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Vote % |
| Liberal | Laureano Leone | 11,921 | 46.7 |
| New Democrat | Maria Augimeri | 11,778 | 46.2 |
| Progressive Conservative | David McCreadle | 1,816 | 7.1 |
| | Total | 19,058 | |
1990 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Vote % |
| New Democrat | Anthony Perruzza | 13,440 | 56.7 |
| Liberal | Laureano Leone | 8,180 | 34.5 |
| Progressive Conservative | Chris Smith | 1,471 | 6.2 |
| Libertarian | David Kenney | 618 | 2.6 |
| | Total | 23,709 | |
vte1995 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Annamarie Castrilli | 9,142 | 39.48 | $36,676.53 |
| | New Democratic | Anthony Perruzza | 8,782 | 37.92 | $36,600.54 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Frank Ellis | 4,444 | 19.19 | $8,755.28 |
| | Independent | Donato De Dominicis | 572 | 2.47 | $3,816.31 |
| | Green | Tiina Leivo | 217 | 0.94 | $1,046.57 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 23,157 | 100.00 | |
| Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 439 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,596 | 63.90 | |
| Electors on the lists | Electors on the lists | Electors on the lists | 36,926 | | |
| "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. 1995-06-08. Retrieved 2012-09-04. |||||||