Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock

Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock is one of Ontario's largest federal ridings by area, covering nearly 8,700 square kilometres of lake-dotted Canadian Shield and rolling farmland northeast of Toronto. It includes the City of Kawartha Lakes, all of Haliburton County, the Municipality of Trent Lakes, the Township of North Kawartha, and the Township of Brock. Major population centres include Lindsay, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, Minden, Haliburton, and Cannington.

Candidates

Barry Devolin (Conservative) — The incumbent MP, first elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2006 and 2008. Born in Peterborough in 1963, Devolin grew up in Haliburton. He studied political science at Carleton University and earned a master's degree in political science from Stony Brook University in New York. Before entering Parliament, he held a series of senior political staff positions, including chief of staff to Ontario Minister Tim Hudak, special assistant for education to Ontario Premier Mike Harris, and director of research and question period strategist for the Reform Party of Canada under Preston Manning. In the House of Commons, he served as Assistant Deputy Speaker.

Lyn Edwards (NDP) — Edwards ran as the NDP candidate in the riding, seeking to build on the party's growing national momentum.

Laura Redman (Liberal) — Redman was a managing editor at a local newspaper who took an unpaid leave of absence to run as the Liberal candidate.

Susanne Lauten (Green Party) also stood for election.

About the Riding

Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock is quintessential Ontario cottage country. The Kawartha Lakes chain and the lakes of Haliburton County—including Balsam, Sturgeon, Kashagawigamog, and Halls Lake—are the defining geographic feature, making the area a major seasonal destination for boating, fishing, and recreation. The City of Kawartha Lakes is marketed as the houseboat capital of Ontario. The population swells significantly in summer months as cottagers and tourists arrive, and the seasonal economy is a crucial driver of local employment in hospitality, recreation, retail, and construction.

Lindsay, with a population of approximately 22,000, is the riding's largest town and its commercial and service centre. Haliburton County, to the north, is more rugged and sparsely populated, with an economy historically rooted in forestry and the cottage industry. The riding had a population of approximately 114,000 and skewed older than the provincial average, with a large and growing retiree population attracted by the area's natural setting and lower cost of living.

Agriculture remains important in the southern and western portions of the riding, particularly around Brock Township and the flatter land near Lindsay. The riding is predominantly English-speaking, with about eight percent of residents born outside Canada, primarily from the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States. Health care access, rural infrastructure, broadband connectivity, and the seasonal nature of the local economy were persistent local concerns. Highway 35 and Highway 7 provide the main road links south to the Greater Toronto Area and east to Peterborough.