Kingston and the Islands

Kingston and the Islands centres on the historic city of Kingston at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, where the St. Lawrence River and the Cataraqui River converge. The riding also takes in the Township of Frontenac Islands, including Wolfe Island, Howe Island, and Amherst Island. Kingston served as the first capital of the Province of Canada in 1841, and its limestone architecture and waterfront heritage give the city a distinct character among Ontario communities.

Candidates

Mark Gerretsen (Liberal) — The son of former Ontario MPP and cabinet minister John Gerretsen, Mark Gerretsen holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Queen's University. He served on Kingston City Council beginning in 2006 and was elected Mayor of Kingston in 2010, serving until 2014. First elected to Parliament in 2015 after predecessor Ted Hsu chose not to run again, Gerretsen sought a second term as the incumbent.

Barrington Walker (NDP) — An associate professor in Queen's University's history department, Walker had lived in Kingston since 2002 and specialized in the study of Canadian history, race, and immigration. A first-time candidate, Walker entered the race after years of studying and teaching about political issues at Queen's.

Ruslan Yakoviychuk (Conservative) — Born in western Ukraine, Yakoviychuk emigrated to Portugal at age twenty-three and lived there for seven years before coming to Kingston in 2005. After arriving, he established a construction business in the city, growing it into a successful enterprise. He was a first-time political candidate.

Candice Christmas (Green Party) — A doctoral candidate studying health policy and equity, Christmas held a bachelor's degree in psychology and philosophy, a second bachelor's in history, and a master's in health geography from Queen's University. Originally from Montreal, she had made Kingston her home.

Andy Brooke ran for the People's Party.

About the Riding

Kingston's economy revolves around three major institutional employers. Queen's University is the city's largest employer and shapes the character of downtown neighbourhoods. Kingston Health Sciences Centre, formed from the merger of Kingston General Hospital and Hotel Dieu Hospital, is another major employer. Canadian Forces Base Kingston and the Royal Military College of Canada together account for thousands of military and civilian positions. The Correctional Service of Canada also maintains a significant presence, though the Kingston Penitentiary closed in 2013 after nearly two centuries of operation.

The riding's island communities add a rural and seasonal dimension. Wolfe Island, the largest of the Thousand Islands, is accessible by a free government ferry from downtown Kingston, while Amherst Island and Howe Island rely on smaller ferry services. These communities faced concerns about ferry reliability, limited infrastructure, and the effects of fluctuating water levels on shoreline properties.

With its large student population from Queen's and St. Lawrence College, Kingston and the Islands tends to favour issues related to education, healthcare, and institutional employment. Housing affordability was a growing concern by 2019, driven by rising real estate prices in a city with a constrained land base. The riding's waterfront heritage and proximity to the Thousand Islands also supported a significant tourism sector.