Perth--Wellington

Perth--Wellington stretches across the agricultural heartland of southwestern Ontario, anchored by the City of Stratford and extending northward through Perth County and into the upper reaches of Wellington County. The riding takes in towns such as St. Marys, Listowel, Milverton, and Palmerston, along with the townships of Mapleton, Minto, and Wellington North. Stratford's cultural prominence --- home to the internationally renowned Stratford Festival since 1953 --- gives the riding a distinctive blend of rural tradition and artistic vitality.

Candidates

John Nater (Conservative) --- The incumbent MP, Nater grew up on a pig farm in Logan Township (now West Perth) and holds a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University and a Master of Public Administration from Queen's University. He served on West Perth municipal council and worked as a policy analyst at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat before winning the seat in 2015.

Pirie Mitchell (Liberal) --- Mitchell spent his early career as a special education teacher in elementary and secondary schools before becoming a minister with the United Church of Canada, leading congregations in St. Marys, Stratford, and Palmerston. His campaign focused on affordability and a proposal to give graduates a two-year grace period before student loan repayment begins.

Geoff Krauter (NDP) --- A social activist and NDP member for seventeen years at the time of the election, Krauter had previously served as a campaign manager for the NDP in Markham in both provincial and federal races. He was also a dedicated volunteer with the Canadian Cancer Society and the March of Dimes.

Collan Simmons (Green Party) --- Simmons served as chief of anesthesia at Stratford General Hospital and held an adjunct professorship at Western University. His campaign emphasized the urgency of climate action alongside commitments to universal pharmacare.

Roger Fuhr (People's Party) and Irma DeVries (Christian Heritage Party) also contested the riding.

About the Riding

Agriculture defines Perth--Wellington's economy. Perth County is one of Ontario's top-producing agricultural regions, with thousands of farms generating significant cash receipts from dairy, hog, poultry, and mixed-crop operations. The processing sector extends the agricultural value chain, with facilities in Listowel and surrounding communities. Stratford's economy rests on twin foundations: a legacy manufacturing sector that includes auto-parts suppliers and food processors, and the Stratford Festival, which attracts hundreds of thousands of patrons each season and supports thousands of jobs across the hospitality, retail, and service industries. A growing digital media sector, supported by the University of Waterloo's Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business, has added a technology dimension to the local economy. St. Marys, known as "Stonetown" for its distinctive limestone buildings, sits at the confluence of the Thames River's branches. Heading into the 2019 campaign, rural broadband access remained a pressing concern for farming communities, as did the future of supply management in the context of trade agreements such as the USMCA. Infrastructure investment for small municipalities and the economic sustainability of rural Ontario communities were also prominent local issues.