Prime Minister Mark Carney called a federal election this weekend, sending Canadians to the polls in just more than a month’s time.
In the north, the election will see considerable shakeup, with multiple incumbents deciding not to run and a rewriting of the federal riding map removing a northern seat in Ottawa.
So far, all six northeastern Ontario ridings have Conservative and Liberal candidates, with New Democrats and People’s Party candidates in five of the six.
Currently, there are no Green Party candidates in the region. The candidate nomination deadline is April 7.
New for the April 28 election, the Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing riding is no more, while three neighbouring ridings have been expanded.
New northern riding
That includes the new Kapuskasing-Timmins-Mushkegowuk riding, where the seat is open after incumbent MP Charlie Angus announced he is not running again.
Gaetan Malette is running for the Conservatives, with Steve Black carrying the Liberal banner and Nicole Fortier Levesque representing the NDP.
Nipissing-Timiskaming will also elect a new MP, after Anthony Rota decided not to take part in his seventh federal election.
Replacing Rota as the Liberal candidate is Pauline Rochefort. The Conservatives are touting Garry Keller, while Valerie Kennedy hopes to turn the riding New Democrat orange.
The People’s Party candidate is John Janssen.
Parry Sound-Muskoka
In the Parry Sound-Muskoka riding, incumbent Scott Atchison is running again for the Conservative Party, Geordie Sabbagh is waiving the Liberal flag, and the PPC is turning to Isabel Pereira.
In the expanded riding of Sault Ste. Marie-Algoma, incumbent Terry Sheehan is running for the Liberal Party, aiming for a Conservative victory is Hugh Stevenson, Laura Mayer is the New Democrat’s candidate and Arnold Heino is on the ballot for the People’s Party.
In Sudbury, incumbent Liberal Viviane Lapointe is hoping to keep her seat. Nadia Verrelli is the New Democratic Party’s candidate, the Conservatives have chosen Ian Symington and the People’s Party is going with Nicholas Bonderoff.
Expanded riding
Just outside the Sudbury is another expanded riding -- Sudbury-East-Manitoulin-Nickel Belt. Liberal incumbent Marc Serre is once again on the ballot. The Conservative Party candidate is Jim Belanger. Andreane Chenier is carrying the NDP banner, while the People’s Party candidate is Abdel Bettah.
Stay tuned to CTV News in the coming weeks for more election updates, and information on local candidates.
