Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington

Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington is a vast rural riding in eastern Ontario stretching from the Ottawa Valley to the shores of Lake Ontario. It encompasses all of Lanark County (excluding the Town of Mississippi Mills), Frontenac County (excluding the City of Kingston and the Township of Frontenac Islands), and the County of Lennox and Addington. Major communities include the heritage towns of Perth and Smiths Falls, the town of Napanee, and smaller centres such as Sharbot Lake, Sydenham, and Tamworth.

Candidates

Scott Reid (Conservative) — The incumbent MP, first elected in 2000 in the riding of Lanark—Carleton as one of only two Canadian Alliance members from Ontario, Reid was born in Hull, Quebec, and held a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Master of Arts in Russian history from Carleton University. Before entering politics, he worked as an author, journalist, and lecturer, publishing two books on Canadian federalism and constitutional issues in the early 1990s. He served as a constitutional advisor to Reform Party leader Preston Manning and as the senior researcher for the Reform Party’s parliamentary caucus from 1994 to 1997. Reid lived in Perth with his family and chaired the steering committee of the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism, which organized an international conference in Ottawa in 2010.

Doug Smyth (NDP) carried the NDP banner in the riding.

David Remington (Liberal) ran for the Liberals in a riding that had proven challenging ground for the party.

John Baranyi (Green Party) and Ralph Lee (Independent) also appeared on the ballot.

About the Riding

Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington is one of Ontario’s largest ridings by area, covering a landscape of Canadian Shield granite, mixed forests, and agricultural lowlands. The riding’s western half, anchored by Lanark County, is characterized by the heritage towns of Perth and Smiths Falls along the Rideau Canal corridor. Perth, founded in 1816 as a military settlement, retains its stone-built downtown and serves as the county seat. Smiths Falls, with a population of roughly 9,000, had historically relied on manufacturing, including the Hershey chocolate factory that closed in 2008, leaving a significant economic gap in the community.

The Frontenac County portion of the riding extends across the rugged Shield landscape north of Kingston, encompassing cottage country, provincial parks, and small communities reliant on tourism, forestry, and seasonal recreation. Lennox and Addington County, in the riding’s southeastern corner, includes the town of Greater Napanee along the Bay of Quinte, where the economy blends agriculture, small-scale manufacturing, and public-sector employment.

Tourism is a significant economic driver across the riding, with the Rideau Canal (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Bon Echo Provincial Park, and Frontenac Provincial Park attracting visitors. Agriculture remains important in the lowland areas, with dairy and mixed farming operations. Heading into 2011, local concerns included the economic aftermath of manufacturing closures in Smiths Falls, infrastructure needs for small rural communities, and access to health care and broadband internet across the riding’s dispersed population.