Peterborough—Kawartha

Peterborough (formerly Peterborough—Kawartha) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1953.

From 2015 to 2025, the riding was known as Peterborough—Kawartha.

Geography

It now consists of the City of Peterborough and the municipalities of: Douro-Dummer, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, Selwyn, Otonabee-South Monaghan, Asphodel-Norwood and Hiawatha First Nation plus the Curve Lake First Nation.

History

The riding's borders have differed slightly since its creation in 1953, but has always included most or all of Peterborough County and its county seat of Peterborough, Ontario. Prior to 1952, Peterborough was split into two ridings, one of which was sometimes partly joined to neighbouring Hastings County. Since 1999, the riding boundaries and names of the provincial and federal electoral districts have been identical.

It was created in 1953 from Peterborough West and Hastings—Peterborough. It consisted initially of the city of Peterborough and the townships of Galway, Cavendish, Harvey, Ennismore, Smith, Douro, Otonabee, and North Monaghan. In 1966, the townships of Galway, Cavendish and Harvey were removed from the riding, and the townships of Belmont and Methuen, Dummer, Smith and Asphodel (excluding the Village of Hastings) were added.

In 1976, it was redefined to consist of the part of the County of Peterborough lying south of the Townships of Burleigh and Anstruther, Chandos and Harvey, but excluding the Township of Cavan and the Village of Hastings. In 1987, the Village of Millbrook was excluded, and the Village of Hastings was added to the riding.

In 2003, the Township of North Monaghan was removed from the riding.

In 2013, the riding lost the Townships of Otonabee-South Monaghan, Asphodel-Norwood, and the Hiawatha First Nation, while subsequently gaining the townships of Trent Lakes and North Kawartha.

The riding is a noted bellwether normally held by a member of the governing party of the day. It has only elected an opposition MP at four general elections since its creation—in 1953, 1963, 1980, and 2021. Former MP Dean Del Mastro, who was elected as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada, resigned from the Conservative caucus in 2013. In 2014, Del Mastro was found guilty of falsifying his expense report in the 2008 election, failing to include $21,000 in expenses and spending more than the election spending limit. He resigned his seat on November 5, 2014.

Following the 2022 Canadian federal electoral redistribution, this riding was renamed Peterborough. With a boundary almost identical to 2003, it regained all of the city of Peterborough. Specifically, it will gain Otonabee-South Monaghan, Asphodel-Norwood and Hiawatha First Nation from Northumberland—Peterborough South. Meanwhile, it lost Trent Lakes and North Kawartha to Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes.

Demographics

''According to the 2021 Canadian census''

Ethnic groups: 86.6% White, 6.3% Indigenous, 2.3% South Asian, 1.1% Black

Languages: 91.6% English

Religions: 52.8% Christian (20.3% Catholic, 9.4% United Church, 6.3% Anglican, 1.7% Presbyterian, 1.4% Pentecostal, 1.3% Baptist, 12.4% Other), 1.1% Muslim, 1.0% Hindu, 43.0% None

Median income: $38,800 (2020)

Average income: $49,640 (2020)

Members of Parliament

This riding has elected the following members of Parliament:

Election results

Peterborough

Peterborough—Kawartha

Peterborough

Note: Conservative vote is compared to the total of the Canadian Alliance vote and Progressive Conservative vote in 2000 election.

Note: Canadian Alliance vote is compared to the Reform vote in 1997 election.

Note: New Party vote is compared to CCF vote in 1958 election.

See also

* List of Canadian electoral districts
* Historical federal electoral districts of Canada

References

*
House of Commons of Canada
historical ridings section

2011 results from Elections Canada

Campaign expense data from Elections Canada

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peterborough-Kawartha (federal electoral district)
Ontario federal electoral districts
Politics of Peterborough, Ontario