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RIDING PROFILE: PETERBOROUGH-KAWARTHA

ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN AS PEOPLE GET READY TO HEAD TO THE POLLS, SO HERE ARE SOME OF THE KEY DETAILS IN ADVANCE

Peterborough is set to be another battleground in the upcoming provincial election, as voters will choose who will become the area's MPP and the premier of Ontario.

But why is the riding important, and who are the candidates running?

THE RIDING: According to the 2021 census, the City of Peterborough has a population of 83,651 people, while the total including the county is 147,681.

Peterborough's population tends to scale older than the rest of the province, with about one fifth of residents being seniors.

In federal elections, Peterborough normally selects the candidate from the winning party. The municipality has been a bellwether riding since 1965, with a few exceptions, notably the last federal election, where the country elected a Liberal minority but locally the Conservative candidate won.

THE CANDIDATES: DAVE SMITH

The incumbent candidate for the Progressive Conservative party and MPP for Peterborough-Kawartha since 2018, who worked in educational software development before being elected.

GREG DEMPSEY

A human rights lawyer and candidate for the Liberal party, who has worked as a diplomat abroad, and volunteered in previous elections.

JEN DECK

A teacher, as well as the past president of OSSTF teacher's union and current president of the Kawartha Pine Ridge Elementary Occasional Teacher Local, who is also running as the NDP candidate.

ROBERT GIBSON

The Green Party candidate as well as a janitor, an activist who has also served on Oshawa's Environmental Advisory Committee.

TOM MARAZZO

A former Canadian military member, who became a spokesperson for the Freedom Convoy protests, running for the Ontario Party.

REBECCA QUINNELL

The New Blue Ontario candidate has been a registered practical nurse for more than 17 years. After losing her job as a result of a vaccine mandate, she has been on a mission to educate, promote and make people aware of bodily autonomy and informed consent, among others, according to the party's website.

Dylan Smith

A pension administrative assistant running for the None of the Above Party, which was formed in 2014 after organizers were upset with the options on the ballot.

Housing continues to be one of the most important issues in the Peterborough riding, with escalating home prices and

THE ISSUES:

stagnating incomes making housing increasingly difficult to afford.

The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Association of Realtors says the average home price as of March 2022 was $864,208, up 17 per cent from the same time the year prior.

As developers are eager to meet the need for housing, questions have also been raised about what regulations should be in place to protect the envi

ronment.

The opioid crisis is also on top of voters' minds, with the region recently getting its first consumption and treatment site after four years of promises from the province.

COVID-19 has become another election issue, with parties taking different stances on how best to recover economically from the pandemic, as well as what is the best response to any future waves.

PROVINCIAL ELECTION

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2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

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