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CBC
04-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Meet the 4 new MPs in Waterloo region and Guelph
Social Sharing Four new Members of Parliament were elected in Monday's federal election to represent ridings in Waterloo region and Guelph. In Guelph, Liberal Dominique O'Rourke won the seat left vacant by outgoing MP Lloyd Longfield. Conservatives Connie Cody in Cambridge, Matt Strauss in Kitchener South-Hespeler and Kelly DeRidder in Kitchener Centre all ousted sitting MPs to win their seats. CBC News spoke to each of them about their wins and what their goals are as they head to Ottawa to represent the people in their ridings. Connie Cody, Cambridge Cody ran for the Conservatives in the 2021 election and has also run for city council. She has held roles on the city's environmental and accessibility committees and has volunteered in the community, including in schools and at the Legion. She beat Liberal incumbent Bryan May by 1,457 votes. May had held the seat in Cambridge since 2015, Cody says a big reason she believes she won was because "people here in our community were looking for hope and looking for change." Top issues Cody said she heard from voters included housing, safety and cost of living. "Affordability is one of the things that I've heard the most. I've been going door-to-door," she said. "Housing, of course, all falls under affordability and we've got to make sure that we have safer streets, safer communities and people are deserving of being able to own their own homes." She says her focus was on getting out to hear from people during the campaign. "I was born and raised here. It's a part of my heart and soul and it's home to me. And whether I won or lost, I want to make sure that I serve the community the best that I can," she said. Kelly DeRidder, Kitchener Centre DeRidder, the Conservative candidate, won a very close race in Kitchener Centre, beating Green incumbent Mike Morrice and Liberal candidate Brian Adeba. The votes were: DeRidder — 20,234. Morrice — 19,859. Adeba — 17,292. The race was so close that the candidates didn't know the final numbers of who won until late Tuesday afternoon. In an interview with CBC K-W's The Morning Edition, DeRidder said the win felt "surreal" but also that "it feels great. I'm honoured." DeRidder said affordability was a top issue she heard from people in Kitchener Centre along with people concerned about drugs in the city. "I want to represent every single person in this riding, no matter how anyone voted. And so I think that resonated with a lot of people," she said. "I had some great and sometimes hard conversations with non-supporters at the door as well and my goal, my focus is Kitchener Centre as a riding and serving the community especially." On Monday night, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre did not win his seat in Parliament, although it was announced Friday he plans to run in a yet-to-be-called byelection in the Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, where the elected candidate, Damien Kurek, has said he would step down. DeRidder said he was concerned about what it would mean for the party if Poilievre wasn't in the House of Commons. "it's definitely a different landscape that I was expecting to walk into as a Member of Parliament here in Kitchener Centre. So different leadership I was expecting. It's a different environment," DeRidder said in the interview Wednesday morning. "I'm just going to do the best I can with the situation that we have and still push forward what will best serve our community and hopefully work with all parties in Parliament to best serve in the way we can under this landscape." Matt Strauss, Kitchener-South Hespeler Strauss, the Conservative candidate, said he was "overwhelmed with gratitude" for the people who helped get him elected. He beat Liberal incumbent Valerie Bradford, who had served as MP for the riding since 2021, by 1,028 votes. "The job was to go around and talk to as many people as possible and hear as many stories as I could and then sort of collate those stories into a consistent narrative about our community and what needs to be done," Strauss told CBC News. "I'm so happy to have had that opportunity and I'm still thinking about how we're going to push those concerns and those priorities forward." Strauss has been a physician in the area for the last 13 years and was the chief of the ICU at the Guelph General Hospital for many years. He also the former acting medical officer of health for the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit. Strauss' tenure in that role was controversial as he spoke out against COVID-19 mandates. The Ontario Liberals called for Strauss' appointment to the role to be vetoed because, health critic John Fraser said at the time, Strauss opposed "life-saving public health measures." The Ontario government did not veto Strauss' appointment. Days later, some members of Haldimand-Norfolk's board of health said they were looking for ways to overturn Strauss being hired as the acting medical officer over comments he made online on Twitter (now X), including on Aug. 3, 2020 when he wrote that he'd rather give his children COVID-19 than a Happy Meal. That never happened and Strauss resigned from that role in 2023. In 2022, he sued Queen's University in Kingston after he resigned from a position there. Strauss alleged "malicious, aggressive, condescending and defamatory statements" made about him. In May 2024 on X, Elon Musk tweeted he would financially support the lawsuit, however Strauss says he never accepted any money from Musk. The lawsuit remains before the court. Strauss said he heard from many people who were very upset with the current government. "Things have not been going well for the last 10 years. The major things that people talk to me about, I'm a physician, they talked to me a lot about health care," he said. "Many people cried at the door explaining particular episodes of frustration they had with our health-care system. People cried at the door discussing their concerns about the housing crisis." He said he felt like "there was a lot of hurt out there and people want change. So I think that's not good news for incumbents in general." Dominique O'Rourke, Guelph O'Rourke won the open seat in Guelph, which was left vacant because Liberal MP Lloyd Longfield opted not to seek re-election. O'Rourke is a city councillor in Guelph and also runs her own public relations firm. "It's a very humbling experience. It's an honour and I feel a lot of gratitude to the team that worked with me not just since the election, but for the last 18 months," she said on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition on Tuesday morning. "Really what was driving us was to be sure to put Guelph in the best position possible, to push back against the tariffs, to push back against Trump, and really work toward, how do we protect our sovereignty and our economy while still moving forward and also working on affordability." Along with housing, O'Rourke said helping municipalities address climate action is "very critical." O'Rourke says her work as a city councillor will help her jump into the role of MP because she understands what the city needs from the federal government, having chaired the infrastructure development and environment committees. She said the message she heard from people at the doors was that they expect MPs in Ottawa to work together. "It sounds trite, but we are much stronger together. And we need to be thinking about how we move forward in a stronger position. So not thinking necessarily about the politics within the country, but how we position Canada so that it's the strongest it can be," she said. "I want people to know that I heard them at the door and some of the conversations that I valued the most were people who had a different perspective from mine."
CBC
29-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
4 races in Waterloo region remain too close to call
Four races in Waterloo region remained too close to call and will need the mail-in ballots to be counted to confirm who has won. In three of the four ridings, Conservatives were leading which would result in flipping those seats from being held by Liberals and a Green MP. In Cambridge, Conservative candidate Connie Cody was leading with 1,577 votes more than Liberal incumbent Bryan May. May has been the MP for the riding since 2015. In Kitchener Centre, it's a much closer race. Conservative candidate Kelly DeRidder had a 423 vote lead over Green incumbent Mike Morrice. This race was very close for the top three candidates for much of the night. On Tuesday morning, DeRidder had 20,013 votes, Morrice had 19,590 and Liberal Brian Adeba had 17,021 votes. The race in Kitchener-Conestoga ping-ponged throughout the night as results were reported between the Liberal incumbent Tim Louis and Conservative candidate Doug Treleaven. As of Tuesday morning, Louis held a 371 vote lead over Treleaven. This is very much a two-candidate race as NDP candidate Maya Bozorgzad was in third with 1,803, trailing Louis by 27,785 votes. In Kitchener South-Hespeler, Conservative Matt Strauss had 28,555 votes, which is 1,148 over Liberal incumbent Valerie Bradford's 27,407 votes. In this riding, it appeared to be a two-person race with NDP candidate Lorne Bruce was third with 1,791 votes. Nationally, the Liberals led by Mark Carney won the election; however, many races across the country remained too close to call as of Tuesday morning so it was unclear if the Liberals would have a minority or a majority government. Elections Canada said mail-in ballot counting would begin at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Local incumbents win, new MP in Guelph The first local race to be called on Monday night was Waterloo MP Bardish Chagger, who has served as a Liberal MP since 2015. Conservative incumbents Michael Chong in Wellington-Halton Hills North and John Nater in Perth-Wellington both also won their seats early in the evening. In Guelph, Liberal Dominique O'Rourke won the seat, which had been left vacant by Liberal MP Lloyd Longfield, who opted not to run again in this election. O'Rourke is a sitting city councillor who will now need to resign her seat. Council will declare her seat vacant, then decide how to fill it, either by a byelection or going through the process of appointing someone.
CBC
26-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Voting Monday? Here's what you need to know in Waterloo region, Guelph and Wellington County
Social Sharing Voters go to the polls in the federal election on Monday. Polling stations are located throughout Waterloo region, Guelph and Wellington County. Polls will be open 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. People still waiting in line at 9:30 p.m. will still be able to vote. Elections Canada notes there are three options for voting: Show your driver's licence or any other card issued by the Canadian government with your photo, name and current address. Show two pieces of ID that have your name and at least one must have your current address. That could include a voter information card and a bank statement or a utility bill or student card. A full list of accepted ID is available on the Elections Canada website. Expired ID can be used as proof of identity if it has your name and as a proof of residence. If you don't have ID, you can declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you vouch for you at a polling station. The person vouching for you must be able to prove their identity and address. A person can vouch for only one person (except in long-term care facilities). Polling locations can be found by typing your postal code into the Elections Canada website. People can also contact local candidates for help to find their polling locations and some candidates will also offer transportation help if necessary. Get to know your riding CBC K-W has been covering the issues important to voters during the election campaign. Below, learn more about your riding, candidates and read related stories. Jump to your riding: Cambridge. Kitchener Centre. Kitchener-Conestoga. Kitchener South-Hespeler. Waterloo. Gueph. Perth-Wellington. Wellington-Halton Hills. Cambridge There are five candidates running in this election in Cambridge. They are (in alphabetical order by last name): Lux Burgess, Green Party of Canada. Connie Cody, Conservative Party of Canada. Manuel Couto, Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada. José de Lima, New Democratic Party. Bryan May, Liberal Party of Canada (incumbent). WATCH | Cambridge voters are concerned about jobs and the local economy. Here's where federal candidates stand on the issue: Cambridge voters are concerned about jobs and the local economy. Here's where federal candidates stand on the issue 9 days ago Duration 2:50 After participating in a panel discussion on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition, Cambridge candidates were asked what they would say to residents in their riding who are worried about the impact of the trade war on their local economy and job security. The three candidates who took part in the panel were Lux Burgess of the Green Party, NDP's José de Lima and Liberal Bryan May. Conservative candidate Connie Cody declined to participate in the panel. There are five candidates in total in this riding, including Manuel Couto of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada. Cambridge became its own riding in 1979. This year, parts of Brant County previously part of the riding have been removed as part of a redistribution. Over the years, Cambridge has bounced between being a Conservative and Liberal seat. Before May won the seat in 2015, the seat was held by Conservative Gary Goodyear between 2004 and 2015. In 2021, May won by getting 2,210 votes more than Cody. Kitchener Centre The seven candidates running in Kitchener Centre in this federal election. They are (in alphabetical order by last name): Brian Adeba, Liberal Party of Canada. Kelly DeRidder, Conservative Party of Canada. Margaretha Dyck, United Party. Mike Morrice, Green Party of Canada (incumbent). Ellen Papenburg, Animal Protection Party. Wasai Rahimi, People's Party of Canada. Heather Zaleski, New Democratic Party. WATCH | Kitchener Centre voters are concerned about homelessness. Here's where federal candidates stand on the issue: Kitchener Centre voters are concerned about homelessness. Here's where federal candidates stand on the issue 4 days ago Duration 2:37 After participating in a panel discussion on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition, Kitchener Centre candidates were asked what they would do about the homelessness crisis in their riding, which includes the encampment at the corner of Victoria and Weber streets. The two candidates who took part in the panel were Liberal Brian Adeba and Mike Morrice of the Green Party. The NDP's Heather Zaleski and Conservative candidate Kelly DeRidder did not respond to a request to participate in the panel. There are seven candidates in total in this riding, including Margaretha Dyck from the United Party of Canada, Ellen Papenburg of the Animal Protection Party of Canada and Wasai Rahimi from the People's Party of Canada. Kitchener Centre has been a riding since 1997 and the first MP was Liberal Karen Redman, who is now chair of the Region of Waterloo. Conservative Stephen Woodworth served for two terms, 2008 to 2015, when Liberal Raj Saini won. Saini kept the seat until he stepped down from running for re-election in 2021 in the midst of allegations made against him by a former assistant. Saini has denied the allegations. Even though he stepped down, his name remained on the ballot and he came in fourth. Morrice won the seat in 2021 with 17,872, which was 5,335 votes more than the second-place Conservative candidate. Kitchener-Conestoga There are four candidates running in Kitchener-Conestoga. They are (in alphabetical order by last name): Maya Bozorgzad, New Democratic Party. Kevin Dupuis, People's Party of Canada. Tim Louis, Liberal Party of Canada (incumbent). Doug Treleaven, Conservative Party of Canada. There is no Green candidate in this riding. WATCH | Land expropriation is a top concern for Kitchener-Conestoga voters. Here's where federal candidates stand on the issue: Land expropriation is a top concern for Kitchener-Conestoga voters. Here's where federal candidates stand on the issue 3 days ago Duration 2:32 After participating in a panel discussion on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition, Kitchener-Conestoga candidates were asked where they stand the regional government's plans to purchase farmland in their riding for future industrial purposes. The two candidates who took part in the panel were Liberal Tim Louis and the NDP's Maya Bozorgzad. The Conservative candidate Doug Treleaven was invited, but he did not respond to a request to participate in the panel. There are four candidates in total in this riding, including Kevin Dupuis from the People's Party of Canada. Kitchener-Conestoga has existed as a riding since 2004. The first MP was Liberal Lynn Myers, then Conservative Harold Albrecht was the MP from 2006 to 2019. Louis has been the MP since 2019. The riding has seen very close races in recent elections: In 2021, Louis beat Conservative Carlene Hawley by 577 votes. In 2019, Louis beat Albrecht by 365 votes. In 2015, Albrecht beat Louis by 251 votes. Kitchener South-Hespeler There are six candidates running in Kitchener South-Hespeler. They are (in alphabetical order by last name): Valerie Bradford, Liberal Party of Canada (incumbent). Lorne Bruce, New Democratic Party. Kathleen Dueck, United Party of Canada. Ethan Russell, Green Party of Canada. Matt Strauss, Conservative Party of Canada. Randy Williams, People's Party of Canada. WATCH | Kitchener South-Hespeler voters are worried about jobs amid U.S. tariffs. Here's where federal candidates stand on the issue: Kitchener South-Hespeler voters are worried about jobs amid U.S. tariffs. Here's where federal candidates stand on the issue 2 days ago Duration 4:56 After participating in a panel discussion on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition, Kitchener South-Hespeler candidates were asked what they would do to protect local jobs at factories like the Toyota plant amid U.S. tariffs. The four candidates who took part in the panel were Liberal Valerie Bradford, the NDP's Lorne Bruce, Conservative Matt Strauss and Ethan Russell of the Green Party. There are six candidates in total in this riding, including Kathleen Dueck from the United Party of Canada and Randy Williams from the People's Party of Canada. The riding of Kitchener South-Hespeler was created in 2015. The first MP for the riding was Marwan Tabbara, who started as a Liberal. In 2020 during his second term, Tabbara said he was "stepping back" from the Liberal caucus because he was facing assault charges. He sat as an independent. Bradford won the seat in 2021. Waterloo There are nine candidates running in Waterloo. They are (in alphabetical order by last name): Waseem Botros, Conservative. Bardish Chagger (incumbent), Liberal. Santa Claus Chatham, Rhinocéros Party. Héline Chow, NDP. Simon Guthrie, Green. Jamie Hari, Independent. Val Neekman, Independent. Hans Roach, Independent. Douglas Ross, PPC. WATCH | Affordable housing is a top concern for Waterloo voters. Here's where federal candidates stand on the issue: Affordable housing is a top concern for Waterloo voters. Here's where federal candidates stand on the issue 16 hours ago Duration 3:33 After participating in a panel discussion on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition, Waterloo candidates were asked what the federal government should do to make owning or renting a home in Waterloo more affordable. The three candidates who took part in the panel were Liberal Bardish Chagger, the NDP's Héline Chow and Simon Guthrie of the Green Party. Conservative candidate Waseem Botros did not respond to CBC's invitation to join the panel. There are nine candidates in total in this riding, including Santa Claus Chatham from the Rhinocéros Party, Douglas Ross from the People's Party of Canada and independent candidates Val Neekman, Jamie Hari and Hans Roach. Waterloo has been a riding since 1968. Over the years, it has had MPs who are NDP, Conservative and Liberal. Chagger won in 2021 with more than 10,000 votes over the second-place Conservative candidate. Guelph Guelph will elect a new MP on Monday as Liberal MP Lloyd Longfield opted not to seek re-election. Longfield has held the seat since October 2015. There are eight candidates in Guelph. They are (in alphabetical order by last name): Elaine Baetz, Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada. Janice Folk-Dawson, New Democratic Party. Gurvir Khaira, Conservative Party of Canada. Dominique O'Rourke, Liberal Party of Canada. Jeffrey Swackhammer, People's Party of Canada. Michael Wassilyn, Independent. Yurii Yavorskyi, Canadian Future Party. Anne-Marie Zajdlik, Green Party of Canada. WATCH | The economy and U.S. tariffs are top issues for Guelph voters. Here's where candidates stand on the issue: The economy and U.S. tariffs are top issues for Guelph voters. Here's where candidates stand on the issue 10 days ago Duration 4:06 After participating in a panel discussion on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition, Guelph federal candidates were asked what they will do to make sure Guelph can weather the economic upheaval in the months and years ahead. The three candidates who took part in the panel were Anne-Marie Zajdlik of the Green Party, NDP's Janice Folk-Dawson and Liberal Dominique O'Rourke. Conservative candidate Gurvir Khaira declined to participate in the panel. There are eight candidates in total in this riding. The other candidates are Elaine Baetz of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada, Jeff Swackhammer from the People's Party of Canada, Yurii Yavorskyi from the Canadian Future Party and Michael Wassilyn, who is running as an Independent. Guelph saw some changes to its boundaries in this election with a redistribution of seats. Some southern parts of the city are now part of the renamed Wellington-Halton Hills North. Perth-Wellington There are four candidates in Perth-Wellington. They are (in alphabetical order by last name): Wayne Baker, People's Party of Canada. Kevin Kruchkywich, New Democratic Party. David Mackey, Liberal Party of Canada. John Nater, Conservative Party of Canada. Perth-Wellington has existed as a riding since 2004. It has been Conservative that entire time, starting with Gary Schellenberger from 2004 to 2015 and then Nater has been the MP since 2015. Nater has served as the shadow minister for Canadian Heritage. He worked for Shellenberger and was also elected to West Perth council in 2010 before seeking the Conservative nomination for the 2015 election when Sehllenberger opted not to run again. Baker ran for the People's Party in the 2021 election. He lives in Arthur and his biography on the party's website says he has a background in real estate and is currently a self-employed small business owner. "Politicians and bureaucrats need to get out of the way, rather than trying to control every aspect of our life. I am committed to a country where we are united in pursuit of common goals, rather than divided in identity politics," Baker says on the website. Kruchkywich ran for the NDP in this riding in 2021 and he has also run for a seat on city council in Stratford. He's an actor who has also worked as a general contractor. "No matter where they stand on the socio-economic spectrum, Kevin has seen a common thread: Canadians are struggling, and many are deeply concerned about the future of the nation," his bio on the NDP website says. Mackey's bio on the Liberal website says he had a career in high-tech management. Now retired, he volunteers on the Stratford Public Library board, the Ontario Library Service board, and the Ontario Library Board Association. He's also a board member of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority. Mackey "seeks to ensure that every individual and family has access to the resources, education, and infrastructure they need to thrive," his bio says. Wellington-Halton Hills North There are five candidates in Wellington-Halton Hills. They are (in alphabetical order by last name): Andrew Bascombe, New Democratic Party. Syl Carle, People's Party of Canada. Sean Carscadden, Liberal Party of Canada. Michael Chong, Conservative Party of Canada (incumbent). Liam Stiles, Green Party of Canada. The riding changed its name this year and some of its boundaries as part of a redistribution of seats. It was previously known as Wellington-Halton Hills. This year, the riding was dissolved into Milton East-Halton Hills South and Wellington-Halton Hills North. The riding now includes a southern portion of Guelph. The riding also completely encompasses Guelph. Wellington-Halton Hills was created in 2004 and Chong has been the MP the entire time. Chong most recently served as the shadow minister for foreign affairs for the Official Opposition. When the Conservatives formed the government under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Chong was the minister of intergovernmental affairs and the minister for sport. In 2016, Chong ran for the leadership of the Conservatives but ultimately lost to Andrew Scheer when the vote was held in May 2017. Bascombe of the NDP lives in Acton and his biography on the party's website says he has worked as a machine operator and is currently a low-rise builder. "Through his work in the union and his engagement in his community, Andrew has demonstrated himself to be a thoughtful listener, a responsive problem-solver, and an open and honest advocate," the bio says. Carle ran for the People's Party of Canada in 2019 and again in 2021. His bio says he "stands for the core values of freedom, personal responsibility, respect, and fairness." Carscadden, the Liberal candidate, served in the Canadian Forces as a helicopter pilot and his biography on the party's website says he served on humanitarian aid missions in Honduras and peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia-Herzegovina. After 20 years, he moved into civilian aviation and is now an air ambulance pilot with Ornge. Stiles of the Greens works is a registered kinesiologist and is the director of the program for active living at a Waterloo long-term care home. He's a new father and his biography on the party's website says he's known to "stay positive and look for solutions even when the outcome is grim, win others over and maintain harmony within a team when conflicts arise."
