Oakwood was a fairly safe seat for the New Democratic Party for most of its existence, although the Liberals won in 1987 and 1995. Both Liberal MPPs, Chaviva Hošek and Mike Colle, served in the Ontario cabinet at one time or another.
The longest-serving member for Oakwood was Tony Grande, who held the seat from 1975 to 1987. Tony Rizzo, elected in 1990, was forced to sit as an Independent MP for twenty months after it was disclosed that his construction firm had been charged with violating Ontario's labour code in 1989. He returned to caucus in 1992.[1]
The riding had large Italian and Portuguese communities, and there was a significant increase in Caribbean immigrants during the 1980s.[2]
^"New no-fault insurance plan to be ready by January", Toronto Star, 10 September 1992, A14; Catherine Thompson, "Ferguson not a priority with NDP colleagues", Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 17 March 1993, A1.
^John Ferri, "Oakwood issues are sewers, roads not the leaders", Toronto Star, 9 August 1987, A6.
^For a listing of each MPP's Queen's Park curriculum vitae see below:
For Tony Grande's Legislative Assembly information see "Anthony William Grande, MPP". Parliamentary History. Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
For Chaviva Hošek's Legislative Assembly information see "Chaviva Milada Hošek, MPP". Parliamentary History. Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
For Tony Rizzo's Legislative Assembly information see "Tony Rizzo, MPP". Parliamentary History. Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
For Mike Colle's Legislative Assembly information see "Mike Colle, MPP". Parliamentary History. Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
^Canadian Press (1975-09-19). "Results from the 29 ridings in Metro". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto. p. A18.
^Canadian Press (1977-06-10). "How they voted in Metro area". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto. p. A10.