Community News

RIDING PROFILE: LANARK-FRONTENAC-KINGSTON

ASHLEY KULP akulp@metroland.com – with files from Desmond Devoy

THE RIDING

Lanark-frontenackingston (electoral district 051) is made up of a population of 101,635 and spans an area of 7,063 square kilometres, according to 2016 census data. It encompasses the following 13 municipalities:

• Township of Beckwith

• Town of Carleton Place

• Township of Central Frontenac

• Township of Drummond/north Elmsley

• City of Kingston (portion)

• Township of Lanark Highlands

• Municipality of Mississippi Mills

• Township of Montague

• Township of North Frontenac

• Town of Perth

• Town of Smiths Falls

• Township of South

Frontenac

• Tay Valley Township

THE RACE

Seven candidates with a diverse range of backgrounds have thrown their names into the ring to become the next MPP of Lanark-frontenac-kingston.

The Ontario New Democratic Party candidate Drew Cumpson of Odessa, a quadriplegic, is the first candidate in the province to run for MPP with a visible disability.

Representing the Progressive Conservatives is former health-care CEO and Montague resident, John Jordan. No stranger to the political world, his late father, Leo Jordan, served as Lanark-renfrew MPP from 1990 to 1999.

The New Blue Party candidate is Woodlawn resident Marcin Lewandowski, who has a background in forest management, while longtime Carleton Place lawyer and former municipal councillor, Craig Rogers, will run as an Independent.

South Frontenac's Thomas Mulder, a retired veterinarian, will represent the Ontario Party; and former Mississippi Mills municipal councillor and teacher Amanda Pulker-mok will carry the banner for the Liberals once again. She was the candidate back in the 2018 provincial election.

Rounding out the candidates is former Claringtonarea family physician, Ardoch's Dr. Marlene Spruyt, for the Green Party of Ontario.

THE ISSUES

When asked by our news team what the top issues are in this election, the overwhelming answer was affordability — whether it be related to the housing crisis facing the province or inflationary issues, such as rising costs of groceries and utilities.

Ensuring high-speed internet and cellphone connections for rural residents was another hot topic, as well as additional supports for health care. Political accountability, tax relief for seniors as well as education and infrastructure were other priorities.

BACKGROUND

This riding has been in existence since 2015, created from part of the former Carleton—mississippi Mills, Kingston and the Islands and Lanark-frontenac-lennox and Addington ridings.

Current MPP Randy Hillier has served the riding since its formation, elected under the Progressive Conservatives in 2018. He represented the former riding of Lanark-frontenac-lennox

and Addington from 2007 to 2018.

Hillier was removed from the PC caucus in 2019 and since that time operated as an Independent MPP until the dissolution of Parliament on May 3.

In 2021 he became leader

of the Ontario First Party (now Populist Party of Ontario) and was set to run under it in the 2022 election. Earlier this year, he announced he is retiring from politics.

NEWS

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2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://communitynews.pressreader.com/article/281500754858992

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