Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing

Stretching across more than 100,000 square kilometres of Northern Ontario, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing is one of the largest federal ridings in the country. It reaches from Manitoulin Island — the world's largest freshwater island — in Lake Huron northward through the boreal forest to the communities along the northern rail corridor near Hearst and Kapuskasing.

Candidates

Carol Hughes (NDP) — A Franco-Ontarian who worked as a staff representative for the Canadian Labour Congress and spent more than a decade in Probation and Parole Services before entering politics. Hughes first ran in the riding in 2004, finishing second twice before winning the seat in 2008. Re-elected in 2011 and 2015, she served in Parliament as Assistant Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees of the Whole.

Dave Williamson (Conservative) — The chief administrative officer for the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands, Williamson brought municipal management experience and a background in business to his campaign. He was acclaimed as the Conservative candidate for the riding.

Heather Wilson (Liberal) — An experienced businesswoman from Espanola who had lived in the riding for 25 years. Wilson was making her second run for the Liberals in the constituency, having finished as runner-up behind Hughes in the 2015 election.

Max Chapman (Green Party) — A 20-year-old political studies student at Queen's University who grew up in Little Current on Manitoulin Island. Chapman highlighted the gap between urban and rural services and advocated for a national agriculture program and the restoration of protections for inland waterways.

Dave Delisle (People's Party) — A former Conservative member who ran under Maxime Bernier's People's Party banner, campaigning against the carbon tax. Le Marquis De Marmalade ran for the Parti Rhinoceros Party.

About the Riding

The riding's economy rested on the natural resource industries that had sustained Northern Ontario communities for generations. Forestry operations and sawmills remained significant employers in Kapuskasing, Hearst, and Chapleau, though mill closures and downsizing over the previous two decades had steadily reduced the workforce. Mining provided employment in communities like Elliot Lake — originally built as a uranium town in the 1950s — and near Wawa, while the Ring of Fire chromite deposit farther north held the promise of future development but faced unresolved questions about infrastructure and First Nations consultation. Espanola's economy was tied to its pulp mill, and Manitoulin Island sustained a mixed economy of farming, fishing, and tourism anchored by Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, one of the riding's several First Nations communities. The population skewed significantly older than the provincial average, with roughly a quarter of residents over 65, as young people left for employment in larger centres. Healthcare access was a dominant concern: vast distances between communities meant residents routinely travelled hours to reach hospitals or specialist care, and the recruitment of doctors and nurses to remote northern towns remained a persistent challenge.