Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston

Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston spans a vast stretch of eastern Ontario's rural interior, from the towns of Carleton Place, Perth, and Smiths Falls in Lanark County through the lake-dotted Canadian Shield of Frontenac County to the northern fringes of the City of Kingston above Highway 401. Created through redistribution for the 2015 election, the riding absorbed northern Kingston territory that had previously been part of Kingston and the Islands.

Candidates

Scott Reid (Conservative) — First elected to Parliament in 2000, Reid held a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in Russian history from Carleton University. Before entering politics, he served as chief constitutional advisor to Reform Party leader Preston Manning and taught history at the University of Western Sydney in Australia. He authored two books on Canadian federalism, Lament for a Notion and Canada Remapped, and served as a member of the Giant Tiger Stores board of directors. In Parliament, he sat on the Procedure and House Affairs Committee.

Phil Archambault (Liberal) — Archambault moved to Kingston in 2010 to work with the Community Care Access Centre and later at Providence Care Hospital. He became involved with the local Liberal riding association and worked on campaigns for provincial and federal Liberal candidates before winning the nomination in October 2014.

John Fenik (NDP) — Fenik ran as the NDP candidate in this largely rural and traditionally Conservative-leaning riding.

Anita Payne (Green Party) — Payne represented the Green Party in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston.

About the Riding

The riding's geography ranges from the agricultural flatlands of Lanark County to the rugged Canadian Shield terrain of North Frontenac, where lakes, forests, and cottage country define the landscape. Lanark County bills itself as the Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario, and the region's economy rests on agriculture, small-scale manufacturing, tourism, and seasonal recreation. The Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, runs through the riding, connecting a chain of lakes and rivers between Kingston and Ottawa. Perth and Smiths Falls serve as the primary commercial centres for the surrounding rural population. The Mississippi River and Rideau River systems are central to the region's geography. Local issues in the 2011–2015 period included rural broadband access, the future of health care services in small communities, and economic development in towns grappling with the decline of traditional manufacturing.