Perth—Wellington

Perth—Wellington is a predominantly rural riding in southwestern Ontario centred on Perth County—including the City of Stratford and the Town of St. Marys—and the northern portion of Wellington County, including the Town of Minto and the townships of Mapleton and Wellington North. The riding lies north of London and west of Kitchener-Waterloo, and its landscape is defined by the gently rolling farmland that makes Perth County one of the most agriculturally productive regions in all of Ontario. The riding was created in 2003 from parts of the former Perth—Middlesex, Waterloo—Wellington, and Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey constituencies.

The riding's population was approximately 105,000 in the 2021 census. The demographic profile is predominantly English-speaking, with Scottish, Irish, English, and German among the most commonly reported ancestries. The median age is slightly above the provincial average, reflecting the rural and small-town character of the constituency.

Candidates

John Nater (Conservative) — Born and raised on a family pig farm in Logan Township—now part of the Township of West Perth—Nater holds a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University and a Master of Public Administration from Queen's University. He worked as an executive assistant to MPP Randy Pettapiece, a grievance analyst with the Correctional Service of Canada, and a policy analyst at the Treasury Board of Canada. From 2012 to 2014 he lectured at King's University College. He was elected to West Perth council in 2010 and first won the federal seat in 2015, and was seeking his third term.

Brendan Knight (Liberal) — Born and raised in Sebringville and living in Stratford, Knight holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, where he also worked as a laboratory technician for Aquatic Toxicology Laboratories and Environment Canada. He later served as executive assistant to Ontario MPP Mitzie Hunter. He and his wife, Meaghan, have two children.

Kevin Kruchkywich (NDP) — Kruchkywich is an actor and improviser with twenty-five years of experience performing across Canada. He and his wife, Sara-Jeanne, settled in Stratford nine years before the election. His campaign focused on affordable housing, pharmacare, a living wage, and a green economy.

Wayne Baker (PPC) — Baker was the People's Party of Canada candidate in Perth—Wellington for the 2021 federal election.

About the Riding

Agriculture is the backbone of Perth—Wellington. Perth County alone contains roughly 2,420 farms across more than 533,000 acres, including nearly 600 cattle ranches, 230 hog and pig farms, 161 poultry and egg operations, and dozens of sheep, goat, and other livestock enterprises. Cash crops, dairy, and mixed farming round out a sector that employs a far higher proportion of the local workforce than the provincial average.

Stratford, the riding's largest population centre, is best known for the Stratford Festival—founded in 1953 by Tom Patterson to revitalize the local economy through Shakespearean theatre. The festival has grown into one of Canada's premier cultural institutions, attracting over half a million patrons annually and generating an estimated $134 million in economic activity, $65 million in tax revenue, and roughly 3,000 direct and indirect jobs. Beyond the festival, Stratford has cultivated a culinary tourism reputation and a growing digital media sector anchored by the University of Waterloo's Stratford campus.

Perth—Wellington has been a Conservative stronghold at the federal level. The riding's political character reflects its rural, agricultural base—voters here tend to prioritize farm policy, trade agreements affecting commodity exports, infrastructure investment in small towns, and maintaining the economic viability of rural communities. Healthcare access, physician recruitment in small-town Ontario, and broadband connectivity are recurring concerns in a riding where many residents live well beyond the reach of urban services.