Ontario Votes 2018: Kingston and the Islands - Action News
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Ontario Votes 2018: Kingston and the Islands

The newly redistributed Kingston and the Islands is Liberal, but the provincial riding hasn't always been red.

Redrawing of riding boundaries shrunk Kingston and the Islands by 40%

Liberal Sophie Kiwala (centre) is defending her seat for the first time since being elected, with Ian Arthur (left) taking a run for the NDP and Gary Bennett (right) representing the Progressive Conservatives. (Submitted)

The provincial riding of Kingston and the Islands has been represented by all three major parties duringits history, but has remained in Liberal hands for the past several elections.

The riding includes part of the City of Kingston, including Queen's University,as well as the township of Frontenac Islands. According to the latest census, people who live in the riding are on par with the rest of the provincewhen it comes to higher education and averageincome.

The riding lost 40 per cent of its territory toLanarkFrontenacKingston, but would have gone to Liberal incumbent SophieKiwalaeven if it had maintained itscurrent boundaries during the 2014 general election.

Who's running?

Kiwalatook Kingston and the Islands last election after John Gerretsen, who had held the seat since 1995, announced he would not run again.

Before Gerretsen's run as MPP, the riding was held by the NDP for a single term. The party took second place in 2014, with nearly 30 per cent of the vote. Ian Arthur, a chef and small business manager in Kingston, is running for the NDPthis election.

It has been several decades since the PCs held the riding, with conservative Keith Norton losing the seat in 1985. The PC candidate in this election, Gary Bennett, is a seasoned municipal politician in Kingston, having served two terms as mayor before being defeated in 2000.

Green Party candidate Robert Kiley is a small business marketer, who is making his third run at the provincial seat. He's also the deputy leader of the Greens.

Also running in Kingston and the Islands areAndre Imbeault with the Trillium Party, Libertarian HeatherCunninghamandNathan Weatherdonwith the None of the Above Direct Democracy Party.