Beware throwaway comments; that way overanalysis lies. This was a challenge.
Taking the 2006 neighbourhoods population into account, the human centre of Toronto is at 43.717955°N, 79.389828°W …
… pretty close to the one I’ve already worked out by ward.
Scraping the neighbourhood populations was hard. For the 140 neighbourhoods, the data is stored in a pdf with the URL like http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/cns_profiles/2006/pdf1/cpa124.pdf (in this case, 124; Kennedy Park, represent!). The population number is stored in a table on page 2 of each pdf. I used pdf2xml to convert the files into something parseable.
Of course, the tables weren’t exactly in the same place in every file, so I took a sample of 10% of the files, and worked out the X & Y coordinates of the population box. pdf2xml spits out elements like
<TOKEN sid="p2_s427" id="p2_w417" font-name="arialmt" serif="yes" fixed-width="yes" bold="no" italic="no" font-size="7.47183" font-color="#000000" rotation="0" angle="0" x="299.739" y="122.117" base="129.634" width="22.7692" height="9.94501">17,050</TOKEN>
Yes, I should have used an XML parser, but a Small Matter of Perl got me 126 out of the 140 matching. The rest I keyed in by hand …
Table after the jump.
| Number | Name | Xcentre | Ycentre | 2006 Population |
| 1 | West Humber-Clairville | 613067.2 | 4841295.6 | 32265 |
| 2 | Mount Olive-Silverstone-Jamestown | 613725.7 | 4844721.5 | 32130 |
| 3 | Thistletown-Beaumond Heights | 615641.4 | 4843779.3 | 9925 |
| 4 | Rexdale-Kipling | 615471.6 | 4842182.1 | 10725 |
| 5 | Elms-Old Rexdale | 616864.3 | 4841958.3 | 9440 |
| 6 | Kingsview Village-The Westway | 616999.2 | 4839463.2 | 21395 |
| 7 | Willowridge-Martingrove-Richview | 616516.0 | 4837747.0 | 20920 |
| 8 | Humber Heights-Westmount | 619059.2 | 4838748.7 | 10525 |
| 9 | Edenbridge-Humber Valley | 619098.9 | 4836376.3 | 14450 |
| 10 | Princess-Rosethorn | 617325.9 | 4835809.9 | 10965 |
| 11 | Eringate-Centennial-West Deane | 614449.9 | 4834865.0 | 18535 |
| 12 | Markland Woods | 615060.8 | 4832163.6 | 10240 |
| 13 | Etobicoke West Mall | 615395.0 | 4833444.7 | 10680 |
| 14 | Islington-City Centre West | 617492.4 | 4832195.1 | 32815 |
| 15 | Kingsway South | 620093.1 | 4834465.3 | 8790 |
| 16 | Stonegate-Queensway | 620891.7 | 4832475.1 | 23815 |
| 17 | Mimico | 620987.8 | 4830289.4 | 24965 |
| 18 | New Toronto | 620215.5 | 4828586.2 | 10655 |
| 19 | Long Branch | 618378.3 | 4827638.3 | 9625 |
| 20 | Alderwood | 617690.7 | 4829026.6 | 11655 |
| 21 | Humber Summit | 616210.2 | 4846106.4 | 12770 |
| 22 | Humbermede | 617342.3 | 4844401.6 | 14780 |
| 23 | Pelmo Park-Humberlea | 618536.2 | 4841544.1 | 8725 |
| 24 | Black Creek | 618949.6 | 4846816.3 | 21715 |
| 25 | Glenfield-Jane Heights | 619677.1 | 4844696.7 | 30880 |
| 26 | Downsview-Roding-CFB | 621554.7 | 4843348.4 | 32010 |
| 27 | York University Heights | 621618.2 | 4846959.8 | 26140 |
| 28 | Rustic | 620984.3 | 4840928.7 | 10040 |
| 29 | Maple Leaf | 622372.2 | 4841392.4 | 10270 |
| 30 | Brookhaven-Amesbury | 622004.2 | 4839805.6 | 17325 |
| 31 | Yorkdale-Glen Park | 624270.0 | 4841324.8 | 14825 |
| 32 | Englemount-Lawrence | 625844.9 | 4841986.9 | 21125 |
| 33 | Clanton Park | 625098.1 | 4844376.4 | 13735 |
| 34 | Bathurst Manor | 624257.8 | 4846910.1 | 14945 |
| 35 | Westminster-Branson | 624527.4 | 4848473.4 | 24395 |
| 36 | Newtonbrook West | 626196.2 | 4849277.9 | 20485 |
| 37 | Willowdale West | 626518.7 | 4847651.0 | 12520 |
| 38 | Lansing-Westgate | 626815.0 | 4845775.4 | 14440 |
| 39 | Bedford Park-Nortown | 627213.5 | 4843260.5 | 21960 |
| 40 | St.Andrew-Windfields | 630470.7 | 4846071.6 | 17555 |
| 41 | Bridle Path-Sunnybrook-York Mills | 630548.0 | 4843265.2 | 8210 |
| 42 | Banbury-Don Mills | 632877.2 | 4844050.5 | 25435 |
| 43 | Victoria Village | 635702.5 | 4843094.1 | 17050 |
| 44 | Flemingdon Park | 634298.9 | 4841667.8 | 21290 |
| 45 | Parkwoods-Donalda | 634415.2 | 4846011.0 | 33835 |
| 46 | Pleasant View | 633945.9 | 4849571.3 | 16615 |
| 47 | Don Valley Village | 632453.2 | 4849113.8 | 26640 |
| 48 | Hillcrest Village | 632315.2 | 4851300.2 | 18330 |
| 49 | Bayview Woods-Steeles | 630139.3 | 4850572.8 | 13295 |
| 50 | Newtonbrook East | 628234.8 | 4849952.1 | 15565 |
| 51 | Willowdale East | 628635.6 | 4847639.4 | 41060 |
| 52 | Bayview Village | 630587.9 | 4848305.7 | 15370 |
| 53 | Henry Farm | 633490.5 | 4847782.6 | 11290 |
| 54 | O’Connor-Parkview | 635964.7 | 4840673.8 | 17745 |
| 55 | Thorncliffe Park | 632920.8 | 4840731.9 | 17945 |
| 56 | Leaside-Bennington | 631624.1 | 4840239.4 | 15980 |
| 57 | Broadview North | 632505.9 | 4838623.6 | 11590 |
| 58 | Old East York | 634099.4 | 4839530.0 | 9025 |
| 59 | Danforth Village – East York | 634463.4 | 4838733.7 | 16500 |
| 60 | Woodbine-Lumsden | 636080.2 | 4839262.4 | 8050 |
| 61 | Crescent Town | 637319.9 | 4839413.6 | 15210 |
| 62 | East End-Danforth | 637060.3 | 4838203.6 | 20100 |
| 63 | The Beaches | 637061.4 | 4836738.2 | 20420 |
| 64 | Woodbine Corridor | 635779.3 | 4837348.8 | 11550 |
| 65 | Greenwood-Coxwell | 635069.9 | 4836873.8 | 14700 |
| 66 | Danforth Village – Toronto | 634592.0 | 4838129.1 | 9575 |
| 67 | Playter Estates-Danforth | 632592.3 | 4837612.2 | 7685 |
| 68 | North Riverdale | 632898.2 | 4836759.5 | 12430 |
| 69 | Blake-Jones | 634005.9 | 4837244.0 | 7765 |
| 70 | South Riverdale | 634190.5 | 4834481.3 | 24430 |
| 71 | Cabbagetown-South St.James Town | 631711.3 | 4836254.4 | 11120 |
| 72 | Regent Park | 632178.3 | 4835411.7 | 10385 |
| 73 | Moss Park | 631641.5 | 4835016.0 | 15480 |
| 74 | North St.James Town | 630971.0 | 4836457.7 | 17110 |
| 75 | Church-Yonge Corridor | 630688.8 | 4835346.4 | 24370 |
| 76 | Bay Street Corridor | 630149.9 | 4835096.5 | 15320 |
| 77 | Waterfront Communities-The Island | 630654.2 | 4832628.7 | 26025 |
| 78 | Kensington-Chinatown | 629226.6 | 4834635.7 | 17090 |
| 79 | University | 628893.3 | 4835623.5 | 5905 |
| 80 | Palmerston-Little Italy | 627513.4 | 4835226.5 | 13775 |
| 81 | Trinity-Bellwoods | 627778.0 | 4834233.7 | 16605 |
| 82 | Niagara | 628038.5 | 4832768.6 | 14575 |
| 83 | Dufferin Grove | 625994.8 | 4834785.4 | 11805 |
| 84 | Little Portugal | 626576.7 | 4833919.4 | 12120 |
| 85 | South Parkdale | 625869.0 | 4832698.5 | 21005 |
| 86 | Roncesvalles | 625556.5 | 4833742.3 | 14650 |
| 87 | High Park-Swansea | 623552.0 | 4833589.6 | 19980 |
| 88 | High Park North | 623656.1 | 4834979.3 | 20970 |
| 89 | Runnymede-Bloor West Village | 622089.8 | 4835137.9 | 9565 |
| 90 | Junction Area | 623219.1 | 4836121.8 | 13175 |
| 91 | Weston-Pellam Park | 624101.9 | 4836817.1 | 12095 |
| 92 | Corsa Italia-Davenport | 625129.2 | 4837237.3 | 14415 |
| 93 | Dovercourt-Wallace Emerson-Juncti | 625876.2 | 4835922.5 | 34725 |
| 94 | Wychwood | 626901.5 | 4837194.4 | 14200 |
| 95 | Annex | 628646.3 | 4836632.3 | 27480 |
| 96 | Casa Loma | 628295.1 | 4837770.7 | 9810 |
| 97 | Yonge-St.Clair | 629106.1 | 4838455.4 | 11230 |
| 98 | Rosedale-Moore Park | 630586.2 | 4837913.0 | 20605 |
| 99 | Mount Pleasant East | 630114.5 | 4840350.4 | 15215 |
| 100 | Yonge-Eglinton | 628610.7 | 4840310.9 | 10500 |
| 101 | Forest Hill South | 627768.0 | 4839172.9 | 10840 |
| 102 | Forest Hill North | 626633.2 | 4840222.2 | 12295 |
| 103 | Lawrence Park South | 628380.6 | 4841691.3 | 14820 |
| 104 | Mount Pleasant West | 629437.3 | 4840292.6 | 23735 |
| 105 | Lawrence Park North | 628520.3 | 4843119.8 | 13750 |
| 106 | Humewood-Cedarvale | 626696.2 | 4838793.3 | 13915 |
| 107 | Oakwood-Vaughan | 625728.1 | 4838459.5 | 21440 |
| 108 | Briar Hill-Belgravia | 624651.4 | 4839603.0 | 14200 |
| 109 | Caledonia-Fairbanks | 624484.0 | 4838438.2 | 10280 |
| 110 | Keelesdale-Eglinton West | 623188.0 | 4838108.2 | 11225 |
| 111 | Rockcliffe-Smythe | 621354.2 | 4836852.2 | 22380 |
| 112 | Beechborough-Greenbrook | 622536.0 | 4838923.0 | 6530 |
| 113 | Weston | 619585.3 | 4839920.7 | 16470 |
| 114 | Lambton Baby Point | 621257.7 | 4834917.3 | 7780 |
| 115 | Mount Dennis | 620879.9 | 4838325.0 | 12840 |
| 116 | Steeles | 635002.7 | 4852463.5 | 24705 |
| 117 | L’Amoreaux | 635617.5 | 4850563.0 | 45865 |
| 118 | Tam O’Shanter-Sullivan | 636551.0 | 4848844.5 | 27240 |
| 119 | Wexford/Maryvale | 636967.1 | 4845345.4 | 26655 |
| 120 | Clairlea-Birchmount | 638437.1 | 4841491.4 | 19855 |
| 121 | Oakridge | 638602.7 | 4839700.5 | 13370 |
| 122 | Birchcliffe-Cliffside | 639785.7 | 4839420.8 | 21655 |
| 123 | Cliffcrest | 642100.5 | 4842406.3 | 14530 |
| 124 | Kennedy Park | 640101.0 | 4842859.5 | 17035 |
| 125 | Ionview | 639104.3 | 4843921.6 | 13030 |
| 126 | Dorset Park | 638530.2 | 4846563.3 | 24365 |
| 127 | Bendale | 640259.4 | 4846723.4 | 25490 |
| 128 | Agincourt South-Malvern West | 639525.8 | 4849844.6 | 21565 |
| 129 | Agincourt North | 639405.7 | 4851729.0 | 30160 |
| 130 | Milliken | 638702.7 | 4853405.6 | 26265 |
| 131 | Rouge | 645823.3 | 4853606.0 | 43180 |
| 132 | Malvern | 642963.3 | 4851584.7 | 44315 |
| 133 | Centennial Scarborough | 648771.2 | 4849367.1 | 12450 |
| 134 | Highland Creek | 646619.5 | 4850235.5 | 12845 |
| 135 | Morningside | 644258.2 | 4849253.5 | 17205 |
| 136 | West Hill | 646738.8 | 4847660.4 | 25635 |
| 137 | Woburn | 642562.5 | 4847484.6 | 52455 |
| 138 | Eglinton East | 641256.1 | 4844588.7 | 22385 |
| 139 | Scarborough Village | 643564.0 | 4844399.4 | 15585 |
| 140 | Guildwood | 645300.4 | 4845556.0 | 10025 |
The total population I scraped is within 0.1% of the official 2006 population of the city, so I’m good enough.
One reply on “Toronto’s Human Centre, part 2: by neighbourhood”
Duly impressed! Thanks!