Nipissing--Timiskaming

Nipissing--Timiskaming is a vast northern Ontario riding stretching more than 16,000 square kilometres along the Quebec border, from Powassan in the south to Englehart in the north. The riding's population centres are the city of North Bay, the largest community with roughly 52,000 residents, and Temiskaming Shores on the northern shore of Lake Temiskaming. Smaller towns including Cobalt, Englehart, Latchford, Mattawa, Callander, and East Ferris are scattered across a landscape of boreal forest, lakes, and Canadian Shield rock. Long a bellwether in Canadian politics, the riding has swung between parties over the decades, reflecting the independent streak of its northern Ontario electorate.

Candidates

Pauline Rochefort (Liberal) is the Mayor of the Municipality of East Ferris, serving her second term after more than a decade on municipal council. Her family settled in the Astorville area in the late 1800s. Rochefort brings over 30 years of experience in economic development, finance, and business strategy. Her national career began as Economic Development Officer for the Grand Council Treaty #9, and she later played a key role in expanding the branch network of the Business Development Bank of Canada. During the softwood lumber dispute that ended with the 2006 Canada-US agreement, she served as President of the Canadian Wood Council, championing the Canadian wood industry. She was acclaimed as the Liberal candidate.

Garry Keller (Conservative) spent 20 years on Parliament Hill, working for former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Rona Ambrose as Chief of Staff in Opposition, and John Baird as Chief of Staff at Foreign Affairs. He is a vice-president at StrategyCorp, a Toronto-based consulting firm. A regular political commentator on CTV News Channel, TVO's The Agenda, and international outlets including the BBC and Al Jazeera, Keller's connection to the riding came through his wife, Anna Piekarski, a Powassan native. He won a contested nomination, defeating two other candidates.

Valerie Kennedy (NDP) has over 40 years of experience as a leader and labour advocate in northern Ontario. She spent her career with Ontario Northland, serving as a union leader for UNIFOR Rail until her retirement in 2022. She currently works with the Englehart Public Library and fills in as an education assistant and occasional teacher with the North Eastern Catholic District School Board.

John Janssen (People's Party) and Louise Poitras (Green Party) also stood as candidates in the riding.

About the Riding

North Bay anchors the riding's economy and services. The city is home to Canadore College, Nipissing University, and the North Bay Regional Health Centre, and serves as a regional hub for government services across the northeast. Canadian Forces Base North Bay, which houses NORAD's Canadian operations deep inside a granite bunker, is a significant employer. The city's economy also draws on tourism, with Lake Nipissing attracting anglers and recreational visitors year-round.

The Timiskaming District, in the riding's northern reaches, has a distinct economic character rooted in mining, forestry, and agriculture. The town of Cobalt was the site of one of Canada's great silver rushes in the early twentieth century, and mining heritage remains part of the regional identity. The clay belt around Temiskaming Shores and Englehart supports dairy farming and mixed agriculture, while forestry operations continue in the surrounding boreal landscape.

In 2025, healthcare access was the dominant local issue. Residents across the riding faced long waits for family physicians, and travel distances to specialist care in Sudbury or Ottawa placed a burden on northern families. The future of Ontario Northland rail service, housing affordability in North Bay, and the economic impact of US trade tensions on forestry and mining were recurring campaign themes. The riding's significant francophone population, roughly 14 percent, and its Indigenous communities, including Nipissing First Nation and Temagami First Nation, added layers to the policy conversation around language services and reconciliation.