The riding is one of the most ethnically diverse in Canada containing the heart of Toronto's Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Italy and Little Portugal.

The northern section of the riding is the trendy Annex district, while the eastern edge contains part of the University of Toronto and thousands of students.

Orthodox) - 5.3%, Buddhist - 5.2%, Jewish - 4.2%, Muslim - 2.8%, No religious affiliation - 32.9%, Other - 2.4% [3] Visible Minority: Chinese - 18.2%, Black - 4%, South Asian - 3.5%, Southeast Asian - 1.8%, Filipino - 1.7%, Korean - 1.5%, Latin American - 1.5%, Others - 3.3% [3] Immigrant Status: Non-immigrant - 52%, Immigrant - 45%, Non-permanent resident - 3% [3] It consists of the Toronto Islands and the part of the City of Toronto bounded on the south by Toronto Harbour, and on the west, north and east by a line drawn from the harbour north on Spencer Avenue, east along the Gardiner Expressway, north on Dufferin, east on Queen Street West, southeast along the Canadian Pacific Railway line, north along Dovercourt Road, east along Dundas Street West, north along Ossington Avenue, east along the Canadian Pacific Railway situated north of Dupont Street, south along Avenue Road and Queens Park Crescent West, east along College Street and south along Yonge Street to the Harbour.

This area is very strongly NDP and while it has a small population it is a highly activist one[citation needed] that provides many campaign workers for the New Democrats.

In Toronto's 2010 municipal elections, Adam Vaughan was re-elected for a second four-year term; the previous Ward 19 Councillor, Joe Pantalone, stood (unsuccessfully) for mayor.