Kingston and the Islands

Kingston and the Islands is a federal electoral district in eastern Ontario anchored by the historic city of Kingston, situated at the junction of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The riding is home to Queen's University, the Royal Military College of Canada, and Canadian Forces Base Kingston, giving it a distinctive character shaped by education, military life, and government services. Liberal Mark Gerretsen won a fourth consecutive term in 2025 in a closely watched contest billed as a battle between Kingston's current and former mayors.

Candidates

Mark Gerretsen (Liberal) * Born and raised in Kingston, Gerretsen earned a degree in Economics from Queen's University. He was first elected to Kingston City Council in 2006, representing the Portsmouth District, and served as Mayor of Kingston from 2010 to 2014. As mayor, he advanced issues including payments in lieu of taxes, infrastructure investment, and the creation of an Age-Friendly Plan for the city. First elected to Parliament in 2015, he has served on the Standing Committee for National Defence and the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development. He serves as Chief Government Whip.

Bryan Paterson (Conservative) Paterson has served as Kingston's mayor since 2014, winning three successive municipal elections with increasing margins of support. He holds a PhD in Economics from Queen's University and has taught as an assistant professor at the Royal Military College of Canada since 2006. He took a leave from his mayoral duties to run for the Conservative nomination, which he won by acclamation. Despite his popularity as mayor, the riding's historically Liberal leanings proved difficult to overcome.

Daria Juudi-Hope (NDP) Juudi-Hope is a registered nurse whose family immigrated to Kingston from the Democratic Republic of the Congo when she was a teenager. With nearly a decade of nursing experience, she campaigned on healthcare improvements, pharmacare, infrastructure renewal, and affordability. She advocated for replacing outdated hospital infrastructure to attract and retain medical staff.

Fintan Hartnett (Green Party) Hartnett returned to Canada after living abroad in Africa and Europe for over fifteen years, pursuing a career as a professional sailor. He grew up in Caledon, Ontario, and owns and operates a maritime training centre at the Kingston Yacht Club. He campaigned on bringing real-world work experience to Parliament.

About the Riding

Kingston's identity is deeply intertwined with its institutions. Queen's University and St. Lawrence College bring a large student population, while the Royal Military College and CFB Kingston anchor a significant military presence. These institutions make the riding's economy less dependent on manufacturing than much of Ontario, though healthcare, tourism, and the public sector are also major employers.

The riding encompasses not only the city of Kingston but also the Thousand Islands region along the St. Lawrence, giving it a mix of urban and rural characteristics. Kingston's limestone architecture and historic waterfront, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Fort Henry and the Rideau Canal, contribute to a vibrant tourism sector.

In 2025, healthcare access, housing affordability, and food insecurity were key voter concerns. The contest between Gerretsen and Paterson attracted significant media attention as a rare matchup between a sitting mayor and a former mayor of the same city. While Paterson brought high name recognition and broad popularity from municipal politics, Gerretsen's incumbency advantage and the riding's strong Liberal tradition carried him to a comfortable fourth victory.