Elgin—Middlesex—London

Elgin—Middlesex—London spans a large swath of southwestern Ontario, stretching from the southern suburbs of London to the Lake Erie shoreline. The riding takes in all of Elgin County—including the city of St. Thomas, the town of Aylmer, and the communities of Port Stanley, Port Burwell, West Lorne, and Dutton—plus parts of Middlesex County, including Thames Centre, and the southern portion of the City of London. With a population of approximately 107,000, the district is a mix of small-city, small-town, and agricultural communities whose economy blends manufacturing, farming, and services.

St. Thomas (population approximately 42,000) is the riding's largest urban centre. It has a long industrial history tied to the railways—the city was once a major rail junction—and more recently to automotive manufacturing, anchored by a Magna International auto parts plant and a Sterling Trucks assembly operation. Aylmer, to the southeast, is a small town known for its agricultural heritage. The riding's southern edge touches the north shore of Lake Erie, where Port Stanley and Port Burwell serve as seasonal tourist destinations and small commercial fishing harbours.

Candidates

Karen Vecchio (Conservative) Raised on a turkey and hog farm in Sparta, Ontario, Vecchio owned and operated the Coffee Grind, a coffee shop in London, before taking a management role at the New Sarum Diner in Central Elgin. In 2004, she began working for the riding's then-MP, Joe Preston, eventually becoming his executive assistant. First elected in 2015, she served in several shadow cabinet roles, including Shadow Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Deputy House Leader for the Official Opposition, and Chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. She sought her third consecutive term in 2021.

Afeez Ajibowu (Liberal) An immigrant from Nigeria who previously lived in the United Kingdom, Ajibowu holds a Bachelor's degree in biochemistry, a Master's degree in Information Systems from the University of Huddersfield, postgraduate degrees in project management and business administration, and executive certifications from Harvard Business School and Ryerson University. He leads the IT Projects and Training unit for the Thames Valley District School Board. He was a 2018 recipient of the "I am London" award, given for demonstrated commitment to community engagement.

Katelyn Cody (NDP) A graduate of the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Arts and a minor in Indigenous Studies, Cody grew up in Strathroy, Ontario. She was active in volunteer projects with Kairos and the United Church of Canada, travelled internationally to learn about inequality and environmental issues, and served as the London Middlesex representative for Daughters of the Vote. She was a member of Youth Parliament from the age of 14.

Chelsea Hillier (PPC) Born and raised in Perth, Ontario, Hillier graduated from Carleton University with honours in English literature and holds a postgraduate certificate in teaching English as a second language from Algonquin College. She spent 20 years working in Canadian politics at all levels, from grassroots organizing and canvassing to speechwriting and office administration.

About the Riding

Agriculture is foundational to Elgin—Middlesex—London's identity and economy. Elgin County's fertile soils and temperate climate—moderated by proximity to Lake Erie—support a wide range of farming operations including cash crops, dairy, tobacco (historically), and greenhouse horticulture. Thames Centre, in Middlesex County, is home to some of southern Ontario's most productive farmland. The Elgin and Middlesex Federations of Agriculture hosted a virtual all-candidates meeting during the 2021 campaign, reflecting the sector's importance to local voters.

The riding has a long Conservative tradition, and the party has held the seat or its predecessor ridings for most of the past several decades. The 2021 contest saw a notable performance by the People's Party of Canada, which captured nearly 12% of the vote—one of the higher PPC results in Ontario—reflecting sentiment in parts of the riding around pandemic mandates and government spending.

Health care access was a prominent concern heading into the 2021 election. The riding's rural and small-town communities faced doctor shortages and long wait times for specialist services. Affordable housing was also emerging as an issue in St. Thomas and the London suburbs, where migration from the Toronto area was pushing up property values and rents. Port Stanley and Port Burwell, meanwhile, balance their identities as tourist destinations with the realities of seasonal economies and the environmental challenges of managing Lake Erie's water quality, including algae blooms linked to agricultural runoff.