Voter prep: What Kitchener Centre voters need to know in this provincial election

Dan Pickle, who lives in Kitchener Centre, says the environment is an important issue in this election but housing affordability is at the top of his mind.

"I can't afford to buy a house," Pickle said.

At the start of the pandemic, he was looking at homes, but as prices rose quickly, home ownership became out of reach for him.

"Family and friends have home ownership already," he said. "For the larger group, I would say the environment is our overall, broadly number one issue," as it will impact every facet of life.

"I think we need to give it some thought before it's too late," he said.

In a survey on CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's website asking people about their top issues in this provincial election, helping people who are homeless, people with addictions, improved social services and poverty reduction were among the issues mentioned the most.

Survey respondents also said health care, long-term care, education and two-way, all-day GO trains were top priorities.

5 candidates

There are five candidates running in the Kitchener Centre riding in this provincial election. They are, alphabetically by last name:

• Peter Beimers, New Blue Party.
• Laura Mae Lindo, Ontario New Democratic Party.
• Wayne Mak, Green Party of Ontario.
• Jim Schmidt, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.
• Kelly Steiss, Ontario Liberal Party.

Laura Mae Lindo is the incumbent in this riding. She was first elected in 2018.

During a panel interview with CBC Kitchener-Waterloo, candidates were asked what they wanted voters to know about them.

Peter Beimers, New Blue Party

On the New Blue Party website, Beimers says he's a married father of four. He grew up in Cambridge and attended the Reformed Bible College in Michigan, then Calvin Theological Seminary.

After that, he returned to Cambridge where he worked at a steel shop, then fora moving company in Guelph. He's also worked as a truck driver and briefly as a pastor at a church in Wellandport.

"When we can, my wife and I like to watch TV together with our evening coffee. Every week we look forward to worshiping with our church family at Trinity Bible Chapel," his biography says.

Laura Mae Lindo, New Democratic Party

Lindo said it's important people understand her love for the musician Prince.

"You would think that that's not important, but it is because Prince was an innovator and he was creative and because of his creativity and his innovation, he was such a leader within the music industry," she said.

She said actually she modelled her advocacy work over the last four years on Prince.

"We've got to be creative in the way that we look at these policy platforms. We have to be innovative in the way that we try to apply them," she said.

"And then we have to do some rabble rousing within the parties to make sure that what it is that we're standing for is actually having a positive impact in community."

Wayne Mak, Green Party

Mak said he works in the tech industry and moved to the area for school in 2008. He's a member of a pinball league in Waterloo and sings in choirs.

"I'm just a person who wants to look at the best practices from around the world, see how we can apply it here, and how can we do this sustainably over the long term. Because really, I just want a better Ontario than we've left it."

"I really want to see governments thinking in generations, not years," he said

Jim Schmidt, Progressive Conservative Party

Schmidt declined an invitation to the panel discussion as well as the offer of a one-on-one interview.

In an emailed statement, he said he is "very involved in our community, including as a father, small business owner, job creator and volunteer hockey coach."

He said if elected, "I will bring a proven track record and a strong commitment to improving the quality of representation for Kitchener Centre."

He highlighted the Progressive Conservative platform promises of helping people building homes and "getting it done by putting more money in your pocket." That includes lowering the gas tax, dropping tolls on Highways 412 and 418, increasing the minimum wage and giving tax relief to people that receive the low-income individuals and families (LIFT) tax credit.

Kelly Steiss, Ontario Liberal Party.

Steiss said she's worked for the City of Kitchener for 20 years. Her first role was helping people with disabilities access services and programs and now she works with community centres.

"It was important for me, working in community centers, to make sure that the needs, the programs and services are meeting the needs of neighborhoods," she said.

"Part of that is about listening. Part of that is understanding the voices that aren't there and then making sure that you take action."

She volunteers with a number of groups including the Rotary Club, Immigration Partnership, Independent Living Waterloo Region and Focus for Ethnic Women."That's what I bring to the table I bring passion and excitement about serving community, but also about taking action," she said.

Riding history

The riding has existed since 1999 and was created from the ridings of Kitchener and Kitchener-Wilmot.

The first Member of Provincial Parliament to serve the riding was Progressive Conservative Wayne Wettlaufer, who held the seat in Kitchener from 1995 to 1999, then Kitchener Centre from 1999 to 2003.

In 2003, Wettlaufer lost his bid for re-election to Liberal John Milloy. Milloy served as the riding's MPP, and served in several cabinet positions, until 2014, when he did not seek re-election. In 2014, TV broadcaster Daiene Vernile ran for the Liberals and won.

Lindo defeated Vernile in 2018.

Read more about Kitchener-Centre: