Voters in Ottawa and across Ontario head to the polls on Thursday to vote in the provincial election. At the dissolution of the Ontario legislature, the Progressive Conservative Party held four of the eight seats in the city of Ottawa, the Liberal Party held three seats and the New Democrats held one seat. In eastern Ontario, the Progressive Conservatives held four seats, the Liberals and NDP each held one seat and one seat was held by Independent MPP Randy Hillier, who is not seeking re-election. Here’s a look at the candidates in Ottawa and eastern Ontario. Carleton Population: 102,918 (as of 2016 Census) Notes Progressive Conservative Goldie Ghamari won the 2018 election with 51.3 per cent of the vote. The riding of Carleton was created in 2018 from Nepean-Carleton, Carleton-Mississippi Mills and Ottawa South. Kanata-Carleton Population: 110,960 (as of 2016 Census) Notes Progressive Conservative Merrilee Fullerton won the 2018 election with 43 per cent of the vote. Fullerton served as Minister of Long-Term Care before moving to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. The riding of Carleton was created from the ridings of Carleton-Mississippi Mills and Nepean-Carleton for the 2018 election. Nepean Population: 119,110 (as of 2016 Census) Notes Progressive Conservative Lisa MacLeod won the 2018 election with 45 per cent of the vote. MacLeod was first elected in the riding of Nepean-Carleton in 2006, and has won re-election in 2007, 2011, 2014 and 2018. MacLeod served as Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, and then served as Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Cultural Industries. The riding of Nepean was created from the old riding of Nepean-Carleton for the 2018 election. Orléans Population: 128,281 (as of 2016 Census) Notes Liberal Stephen Blais won a byelection in February 2020 to represent the riding of Orléans following the resignation of Marie-France Lalonde. Blais, the former Ottawa councillor, won the riding with 55 per cent of the vote. The Liberals have held the riding of Orléans since 2003. Ottawa Centre Population: 118,038 (as of 2016 Census) Notes NDP Joel Harden won the riding of Ottawa Centre in the 2018 election with 46 per cent of the vote, defeating Liberal incumbent Yasir Naqvi. The riding of Ottawa Centre has been held by either a Liberal or New Democrat since it was formed in 1967. Ottawa South Population: 121,058 (as of 2016 Census) Notes Liberal John Fraser won the 2018 election in Ottawa South with 39.6 per cent of the vote. Fraser has held the riding since winning a byelection in 2013, following the resignation of former Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty. The Liberals have held the riding since 1987, while the Progressive Conservatives represented the riding from 1926 to 1987. Ottawa-Vanier Population: 111,508 (as of 2016 Census) Notes Liberal Lucille Collard has represented the riding since winning a byelection in February 2020, receiving 52 per cent of the vote. Collard replaced Nathalie Des Rosiers as MPP in Ottawa Vanier, who resigned to become the Principal of Massey College at the University of Toronto. The Liberals have represented the riding since 1971. Ottawa West–Nepean Population: 111,837 (as of 2016 Census) Notes Progressive Conservative Jeremy Roberts won the 2018 election, defeating incumbent Bob Chiarelli. Roberts won the riding by 175 votes over NDP candidate Chandra Pasma. The Progressive Conservatives represented the riding from 1993 to 2003 and again from 2018 to 2022. EASTERN ONTARIO Glengarry-Prescott-Russell Population: 109,975 (as of 2016 Census) Notes Amanda Simard won the 2018 election as the Progressive Conservative candidate, receiving 40.9 per cent of the vote. Simard resigned from the Ontario PC Party in 2018 to sit as an independent after speaking out against the government's cuts to French-language services. Simard joined the Liberal Party in 2020. The riding was held by the Liberal Party between 1999 and 2018. Hastings-Lennox and Addington Population: 102,918 (as of 2016 Census) Notes Progressive Conservative Daryl Kramp is not seeking re-election. Kramp won the 2018 election in the newly created riding of Hastings-Lennox and Addington, receiving 50 per cent of the vote. The riding was created from Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington and Prince Edward-Hastings. Kingston and the Islands Population: 117,543 (as of 2016 Census) Notes New Democrat Ian Arthur won the 2018 election with 39 per cent of the vote. Arthur announced in December he would not be seeking re-election. The riding was held by the Liberal Party between 1995 and 2018. Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston Population: 101,630 (as of 2016 Census) Notes Randy Hillier won the riding representing the Progressive Conservatives in the 2018 election, receiving 52 per cent of the vote. Hillier says he will not be seeking re-election after representing the riding since 2007. Hillier served as an Independent after being removed from the PC caucus. Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes Population: 100,546 (as of 2016 Census) Notes Progressive Conservative Steve Clark won the riding of Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes in 2018, receiving 61 per cent of the vote. Clark has served as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing during this term. Clark has represented the riding since 2010, when he won a byelection to replace Bob Runciman. The Progressive Conservatives have represented the riding of Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes and the previous riding of Leeds-Grenville since its inception in 1987. Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke Population: 103,495 (as of 2016 Census) Notes Progressive Conservative John Yakabuski won the 2018 election, receiving 69 per cent of the vote. The long-time Member of Provincial Parliament has represented the riding of Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke since 2003. Yakabuski was appointed the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry by Premier Doug Ford. In 2021, he was moved to the Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier. Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry Population: 103,320 (as of 2016 Census) Notes Progressive Conservative Jim McDonell announced in November that he would not be seeking re-election after holding the seat since 2011. McDonell won the 2018 election with 61.5 per cent of the vote.
