Vancouver East () is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1935. Since 2015, it has been represented by New Democratic Party MP Jenny Kwan.

Vancouver East is known as a New Democratic Party stronghold; the NDP and its Co-operative Commonwealth Federation predecessor have won all but two elections in the riding since its creation in 1933. Both losses (in 1974 and in 1993) have come at the hands of Liberal candidates who failed to retain the seat at the next election. The Conservative Party and its right-leaning predecessors have always fared poorly in the riding, rarely garnering more than 20 percent of the vote.

In the 2006 federal election, the NDP won a higher percentage of the vote in Vancouver East than in any other riding in the country: 56.6 percent. In the 2011 election, the NDP increased its majority win to 62.83 percent.

Geography The district includes the City of Vancouver neighbourhoods of Downtown Eastside, Mount Pleasant, Grandview–Woodland, and Hastings–Sunrise.

Demographics Though Vancouver East is home to a predominantly impoverished underclass populace, it is also home to a prominent industrial and working-class riding. The district is well known for hosting North America's largest Chinatown, in addition to being one of the poorest areas in the Metro Vancouver Regional District, known as the Downtown Eastside. 42 percent of the riding's inhabitants are immigrants and 22 percent are of Chinese ancestry. A high number, 63 percent, of residents are renters. 24 percent of residents over age 25 have a university certificate or degree. Manufacturing, tourism, shipping, accommodation and food service industries are vital to the employment base in this riding. The average family income is over . The unemployment rate is about 7.7 percent.Vancouver East, CBC.ca, 2008.

The ethnically diverse area is home to many of the city's artists and socio-political activists. In recent years, the area has been negatively affected by an influx of hard drugs and the concomitant social consequences associated with their use. + Panethnic groups in Vancouver East (2011−2021)Panethnic group202120162011 European 58,615 58,580 52,315 East Asian 25,600 26,880 27,590 Southeast Asian 9,270 8,975 10,500 Indigenous 5,940 5,880 5,055 South Asian 3,850 2,760 2,310 Latin American 3,330 1,975 1,950 African 2,165 1,685 1,445 Middle Eastern 1,710 1,065 835 Other 3,320 2,115 1,925 Total responses 113,805 109,905 103,920 Total population 118,675 115,724 110,097

History The electoral district was created in 1933 from Vancouver South and Vancouver—Burrard ridings.

Vancouver East was one two electoral districts in British Columbia that saw no changes to its boundaries proposed following the 2012 federal electoral boundaries redistribution.

Historical boundaries

Members of Parliament

Current member of Parliament Its member of Parliament (MP) is Jenny Kwan. Kwan has served in the House of Commons since 2015. Prior to her federal service, she was a member of Vancouver City Council and the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. She is a member of the New Democratic Party.

Election results

See also List of Canadian electoral districts Historical federal electoral districts of Canada

References

Notes

External links Library of Parliament Riding Profile Expenditures – 2004 Expenditures – 2000 Expenditures – 1997 Website of the Parliament of Canada