Leeds--Grenville--Thousand Islands--Rideau Lakes

Leeds--Grenville--Thousand Islands--Rideau Lakes occupies the corridor between the Rideau Canal and the St. Lawrence River in eastern Ontario, stretching from Kingston's eastern edge to the outskirts of South Dundas County. The riding encompasses the historic city of Brockville, the town of Gananoque, the town of Prescott, and the village of Kemptville, along with the rural townships and lake communities that give the riding its expansive name. The Thousand Islands archipelago, where the St. Lawrence widens into a maze of more than 1,800 islands, anchors a tourism economy that has defined the region for over a century. The Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, threads through the riding's interior.

Candidates

Michael Barrett (Conservative) is the incumbent, first elected in a December 2018 by-election following the death of MP Gord Brown. Born in Arnprior, Ontario, Barrett graduated from Algonquin College, served in the Canadian Armed Forces as a telecommunications lineman reaching the rank of corporal, and later worked as a human resources manager. Before entering federal politics, he served as a municipal councillor in the Township of Edwardsburgh Cardinal. In Ottawa, he has held shadow cabinet roles including Ethics and Accountable Government and Health.

Lorna Jean Edmonds (Liberal) is a university executive and health-care administrator who grew up in Ottawa and at Pike Lake near Westport. She holds a BA from Queen's University, a Master in Health Administration from the University of Ottawa, and a PhD in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia. She served as Vice Provost for Global Affairs and International Studies and Professor at Ohio University, bringing over 30 years of experience in higher education and health-sector leadership.

Paul Lancione (NDP) is a University of Toronto graduate who works in the financial services industry. A long-time local resident, Lancione ran on the NDP's affordability and worker-first platform, citing US tariffs and trade uncertainty as the riding's most pressing federal issue.

Randi Ramdeen (Green Party) ran on a platform focused on environmental protection and sustainable rural development.

Hailey Simpson (People's Party) also stood as a candidate.

About the Riding

Tourism is the riding's most visible economic engine. The Thousand Islands draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually for boating, fishing, and sightseeing, while Brockville's revitalized waterfront, the Brockville Railway Tunnel, and the Aquatarium have bolstered the city's appeal as a heritage tourism destination. Gananoque serves as the gateway to the Thousand Islands, and the Rideau Canal corridor supports recreational boating and cottage tourism from Westport through to Kemptville.

Brockville, the riding's largest community, is also a manufacturing and health-care centre, home to the Brockville General Hospital and several light-industrial employers. Kemptville, in the riding's western reaches, has experienced residential growth as part of the broader commuter belt extending south from Ottawa. Agriculture remains important throughout the rural portions of the riding, with dairy, cattle, and cash-crop operations dotting the landscape.

In 2025, cross-border trade tensions loomed large for a riding that sits directly on the US border. The Thousand Islands International Bridge and the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge connect the riding to New York State, and disruptions to cross-border commerce would affect tourism, trucking, and agricultural exports. Health-care access in rural areas, housing affordability in Brockville and Kemptville, and the reliability of rural broadband internet were persistent local concerns.