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The last time New Democrat Cheri DiNovo and Liberal Sylvia Watson faced off in an election in Parkdale-High Park, the campaign turned into one of the nastiest in Ontario's history.
In the final days of a by-election a year ago, Ms. Watson's team personally attacked Ms. DiNovo, a former United Church minister, saying she held radical views that "expose a value system and moral equivalency that does not reflect our community." The Liberals cited portions of a "previously hidden" sermon Ms. DiNovo had once given in which she supposedly compared the media's treatment of Karla Homolka to the persecution of Jesus Christ.
The tactic backfired and Ms. DiNovo cruised to victory on Sept. 14, 2006, taking 41 per cent of the vote.
Both candidates are back this election and some of the bitterness remains.
"I've seen little signs of nastiness, but no full frontal smear attack yet," Ms. DiNovo said.
"This is a campaign and a woman that tried to destroy my family, my career, my church family ... I've got broad shoulders, bring it on. But when it's your children, my children, and when it's the congregants who don't have broad shoulders, you start to get affected by that and that's when it really hurts."
She added with a smile, "What my husband and I do every morning is we pray for those who wish to harm us and that's what gets me through the day."
Ms. Watson believes voters have moved on from the by-election.
"This is a very different election altogether and what I'm focusing on is moving forward," she said.
When asked whether she would employ the same campaign strategy, Ms. Watson replied, "I think what I've said is that this is about looking forward to what the issues are, looking forward to what voters are interested in, looking forward to what we can deliver for the voters and that's what they're interested in hearing about and that's what I am talking about."
The coolness between the two contenders was obvious at a recent candidates meeting. Forced to sit beside each other at a long table, the two moved their chairs as far away as possible and barely looked at one another.
Ms. Watson, a lawyer and former city councillor, appears to face the biggest challenge.
Once a Liberal stronghold - Gerard Kennedy won the seat with well over 50 per cent of the vote in 1999 and 2003 - Parkdale-High Park has become something of an NDP bastion. In the 2006 federal election, the NDP's Peggy Nash defeated long-time Liberal incumbent Sarmite Bulte.
The riding includes a wide socio-economic mix, ranging from rooming houses on the east side to multimillion-dollar homes on the west side surrounding High Park. The Bloor West area has become one of the hottest housing markets in the city and it is home to Mayor David Miller.
Ms. DiNovo credits the switch to "progressive" voters moving into the constituency who are concerned about education, city services and property taxes. She said residents also welcome her activist role at the legislature, where she has championed a boost in the minimum wage to $10 an hour.
Ms. DiNovo is so confident of victory, she said the Liberals and NDP view the riding as a lock. "I think they figure this is a pretty sure bet for me, quite frankly."
Ms. Watson countered that residents are generally happy with Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty's government. "What I am hearing at the doors is that people are really satisfied with the progress in the last four years," she said.
Ms. Watson is also counting on the presence of Mr. Kennedy, who has lent his support. He resigned the seat in 2006 to run for the federal Liberal leadership. Mr. Kennedy has been nominated to run in the riding in the federal election.
"Lots of people remember Gerard Kennedy and remember that Gerard was the representative," Ms. Watson said.
The Conservatives are also running the same candidate, Dave Hutcheon, as in the by-election.
Mr. Hutcheon, who finished third with 17 per cent of the vote last time, acknowledged that his fortunes are tied largely to how voters perceive PC Leader John Tory.
"Our boat will rise as our leader's does," he said.
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Riding profile
Population: 102,142
Population loss 2001-2006: 4,417 people
Results of 2006 by-election: NDP 41 per cent, Liberals 33 per cent, PC 6.2 per cent
Visible minorities: 26.8 per cent, including 5.2 per cent black, 4.2 per cent Chinese and 5.2 per cent South Asian
Median household income: $44,681
Average value of dwelling: $307,422
Residents who work in the arts, culture, recreation and sport: 8.0 per cent, third highest in province
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