# London Centre (provincial electoral district)

London Centre is a defunct Ontario provincial electoral district that was abolished in 1996. Its most notable representative was former Liberal Premier David Peterson, and was located in London, Ontario.

## Boundaries

Just prior to the 1975 election, the riding of London Centre was created. It consisted of the following boundary: commencing at the intersection of the Thames River and Highbury Avenue it went north along Highbury Avenue to Huron Street, west to Adelaide Street and then north to the North Thames River. It then went southwest following the river to Wharncliffe Road North and then south to Essex Street, then west to Platts Lane and south to Oxford Street. It then went east to Woodward Avenue and south to Mount Pleasant Avenue and then west to the Canadian National Railway line. It followed the railway southeast to the Thames River and then southeast following the river back to Highbury Avenue. Minor changes were made in 1986 but essentially the riding still occupied the central part of the city.
In 1996, a major electoral riding redistribution occurred which abolished the riding. Overall 130 seats were reduced to 103 which harmonized the provincial riding boundaries with those of the already existing federal ridings. A large portion of the riding was incorporated into the new riding of London North Centre. The southeast corner of the riding was incorporated into the riding of London—Fanshawe.

## Members of Provincial Parliament

London Centre :
| Assembly | Years | Member | Party |
| Created from parts of London North and London South before the 1975 election |||||
| 30th | 1975–1977 | David Peterson | Liberal |
| 31st | 1977–1981 | David Peterson | Liberal |
| 32nd | 1981–1985 | David Peterson | Liberal |
| 33rd | 1985–1987 | David Peterson | Liberal |
| 34th | 1987–1990 | David Peterson | Liberal |
| 35th | 1990–1995 | Marion Boyd | New Democratic |
| 36th | 1995–1999 | Marion Boyd | New Democratic |
| Sourced from the Ontario Legislative Assembly |||||
| Merged into the ridings of London North Centre and London—Fanshawe before the 1999 election |||||

## Electoral history

1975 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Liberal | David Peterson | 11,617 | 40.4% |
| Progressive Conservative | Earle Terry | 9,018 | 31.4% |
| New Democratic | Pat Chefurka | 7,896 | 27.5% |
| Independent | Agnes Shaw | 219 | 0.8% |
1977 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | David Peterson | 12,808 | 45.4% | +5.0% |
| Progressive Conservative | Frank Ross | 8,915 | 31.6% | +0.2% |
| New Democratic | Stu Ross | 6,279 | 22.3% | -5.2% |
| Independent | Agnes Shaw | 200 | 0.7% |
1981 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | David Peterson | 12,315 | 51.7% | +6.3% |
| Progressive Conservative | Russ Monteith | 8,329 | 34.9% | +3.3% |
| New Democratic | Diane Risler | 3,189 | 13.4% | -8.9% |
1985 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | David Peterson | 13,890 | 54.8% | +3.1% |
| Progressive Conservative | Bill Rudd | 6,714 | 26.5% | -8.4% |
| New Democratic | Peter Cassidy | 4,340 | 17.1% | +3.7% |
| Freedom | Michelle McColm | 3,137 | 1.6% | +1.6% |
1987 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal | David Peterson | 18,194 | 55.2% | +0.4% |
| New Democratic | Marion Boyd | 9,266 | 28.1% | +11.0% |
| Progressive Conservative | Dennis McKaig | 3,864 | 11.7% | -14.8% |
| Family Coalition | Brenda Rowe | 695 | 2.1% | +2.1% |
| Freedom | Lloyd Walker | 589 | 1.8% | +0.2% |
| Independent | Stunning Bentley | 375 | 1.1% | +1.1% |
1990 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| New Democratic | Marion Boyd | 17,837 | 51.3% | +23.2% |
| Liberal | David Peterson | 9,671 | 27.8% | -27.4% |
| Progressive Conservative | Mark Handelman | 5,348 | 15.4% | +3.7% |
| Family Coalition | John Van Geldersen | 982 | 2.8% | +0.7% |
| Freedom | Lloyd Walker | 589 | 1.4% | -0.4% |
| Independent | Terry Smart | 375 | 0.8% | +0.8% |
| Communist | Issam Mansour | 84 | 0.2% | +0.2% |
| Independent | Sidney Tarleton | 73 | 0.2% | +0.2% |
1995 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| New Democratic | Marion Boyd | 11,096 | 36.8% | -14.5% |
| Progressive Conservative | Patrick McGuinness | 9,364 | 31.0% | +15.6% |
| Liberal | Ron Postian | 7,559 | 25.1% | -2.7% |
| Family Coalition | Mike Dwyer | 1,041 | 3.5% | +0.7% |
| Green | Jeff Culbert | 533 | 1.8% | +1.8% |
| Freedom | Lloyd Walker | 452 | 1.5% | +0.1% |
| Natural Law | Liz Overall | 134 | 0.4% | +0.4% |