Bay of Quinte

Bay of Quinte is an eastern Ontario riding that takes in the city of Belleville (population approximately 55,000 in 2021), much of the city of Quinte West, and the entirety of Prince Edward County — an island-like peninsula jutting into Lake Ontario. The riding is bounded roughly by Highway 401 to the north and the lakeshore to the south, with the Bay of Quinte waterway running through its centre. The landscape ranges from Belleville's urban core to Prince Edward County's agricultural land, vineyards, and the sand dunes of Sandbanks Provincial Park.

The riding's population is predominantly Anglophone, with over 90 percent reporting English as a mother tongue. Approximately 4.5 percent of residents identify as Indigenous. Immigrant communities are smaller than in GTA ridings, with the largest groups tracing their origins to the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Candidates

Ryan Williams (Conservative) — A former Belleville city councillor and president of Williams Hotels, a company that owns and operates several local hotels in the Quinte region. Williams is the son of the late John Williams, who served as Mayor of Quinte West from 2008 to 2016.

Neil Ellis (Liberal) — The incumbent MP, first elected in 2015. Ellis previously served two terms as Mayor of Belleville from 2006 to 2014, during which he oversaw the Build Belleville initiative — 22 infrastructure projects valued at $91 million. As an MP, he chaired the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs and later served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Stephanie Bell (NDP) — A Prince Edward County native who had worked in the service industry for a decade and as a gardener promoting organic farming and biodiversity. Bell was a strong advocate for local public transportation, affordable housing, and long-term care improvements. She also ran in the riding in 2019.

Janine LeClerc (PPC) — A small business owner and singer who ran on the People's Party platform.

About the Riding

The single largest economic force in the riding is 8 Wing/CFB Trenton, Canada's largest Air Force base, located in Quinte West. The base employs approximately 2,500 military and civilian personnel, carries an annual payroll exceeding $125 million, and supports roughly 3,300 dependents. Its operating budget of $80 million (excluding salaries) flows through the local economy via contracts, services, and consumer spending. A billion-dollar expansion program was underway at the base, reinforcing its long-term presence in the region.

Beyond the military, the Bay of Quinte region is a manufacturing and logistics hub for eastern Ontario. Sectors include food processing, auto parts, plastics and packaging, and consumer goods, supported by a regional manufacturing workforce of more than 11,000. Belleville's downtown core had undergone revitalization efforts, though vacancy rates on some commercial streets remained a concern.

Prince Edward County had emerged as a tourism and agri-tourism destination, anchored by Sandbanks Provincial Park and a rapidly growing wine industry. Approximately 50 vineyards and close to 30 wineries operated in the county, which held Ontario VQA appellation status. The tourism sector brought seasonal revenue but also generated tensions around short-term rental properties, rising land prices, and the strain on rural roads and services.

Healthcare access was a significant local concern. The region's hospitals — Belleville General and Trenton Memorial — faced capacity pressures, and wait times for specialist care required travel to Kingston or Toronto. Affordable housing was tightening even in a region historically considered more affordable than the GTA, as pandemic-era remote workers and retirees drove up property values.