Windsor West

Windsor West covers the western and southern portions of the City of Windsor, directly across the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan. The riding's boundaries are drawn from the American border southeast along Langlois Avenue, east along Tecumseh Road East, and southeast along Pillette Road to the southern city limit—taking in the downtown core, the University of Windsor campus, the historic neighbourhood of Old Sandwich Town, and the residential areas stretching south toward the city's edge. The riding is situated at the southernmost point of mainland Canada, where the Detroit River connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie.

Candidates

Brian Masse (NDP) — Born in 1968 in Windsor, Masse graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology in 1991. During the 1990s he worked as a job developer for the Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities and a program coordinator for the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County. He was elected to Windsor City Council for Ward 2 in 1997 and won the federal seat in a 2002 by-election, making him one of the longest-serving NDP members of Parliament. He was seeking his seventh consecutive term.

Sandra Pupatello (Liberal) — Pupatello represented Windsor West in the Ontario legislature from 1995 to 2011, holding cabinet portfolios including education and economic development. She also served as chair of Hydro One from 2014 to 2015 and later led the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Windsor.

Anthony Orlando (Conservative) — Orlando has lived in Windsor West for close to thirty years. He owns Orlando Brothers Construction and has also worked as an LCBO store manager. An active community member, he has coached minor sports and was making his first run for elected office.

Matthew Giancola (PPC) — Giancola stood as the People's Party of Canada candidate in Windsor West.

About the Riding

Windsor West is one of Ontario's most enduring NDP strongholds, a distinction rooted in the riding's working-class character and deep ties to the automotive industry. The Canadian Auto Workers union—now Unifor—has been a dominant force in Windsor's political and economic life for generations, and the NDP's support base in the riding draws heavily from unionized manufacturing workers and their families.

The riding's diversity is notable. The 2021 census recorded an ethnic composition of 54.9 percent white, 12.1 percent Arab, 10.0 percent South Asian, 6.2 percent Black, and 4.4 percent Chinese. English is the first language for 60.3 percent of residents, with Arabic at 8.4 percent, Mandarin at 2.4 percent, and Italian at 2.1 percent among other languages. Muslims account for 16.0 percent of the population, reflecting the large Lebanese, Iraqi, and Syrian communities that have settled in the riding over several decades.

Windsor West ranks thirteenth highest in poverty rates among Canada's 338 federal ridings, and roughly one-third of its children live below the poverty line. The riding is home to the University of Windsor, whose campus and surrounding student housing occupy much of the western portion, as well as Old Sandwich Town—first settled in 1749 as a French agricultural community, making it the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in Canada west of Montreal. The neighbourhood contains some of Ontario's oldest surviving structures. Despite these assets, the riding has struggled with high unemployment rates that track the fortunes of the automotive sector, and access to affordable housing and social services remains a pressing concern for many residents.