Oshawa

Oshawa is a federal riding covering the southern portion of the city of Oshawa, south of Taunton Road, in Durham Region east of Toronto. A city of roughly 175,000, Oshawa has been synonymous with the Canadian automotive industry since a local carriage maker began building automobiles more than a century ago, eventually becoming the heart of General Motors Canada's operations. The riding has swung between the Conservatives and NDP over the years, reflecting the city's mix of blue-collar industrial workers and suburban homeowners.

Candidates

Rhonda Kirkland (Conservative) is a certified educational therapist with over 20 years of experience working with children and adults facing learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and dyslexia. A lifelong Oshawa resident and community volunteer, Kirkland won the Conservative nomination after longtime MP Colin Carrie, who had held the seat since 2004, did not seek re-election. This was her first run for elected office.

Isaac Ransom (Liberal) was acclaimed as the Liberal candidate for Oshawa. During the campaign, he focused on stabilizing markets, leveraging existing trade agreements to reach new markets, and supporting the Liberal plan to build 500,000 homes annually through prefab housing and development charge reform.

Sara Labelle (NDP) is a medical laboratory technologist at Lakeridge Health who has lived in Oshawa for over 20 years. A labour advocate, she has served on the executive boards of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), and sits on the board of the Ontario Health Coalition. Before settling in Oshawa, she was raised in New Brunswick and spent a decade living in Brazil.

Katherine Mathewson (Green Party) also stood as a candidate in the riding.

About the Riding

Oshawa's identity remains deeply connected to the automotive industry, even as the sector's local footprint has shrunk dramatically. At its peak, General Motors employed roughly 28,000 workers at its Oshawa complex. GM shut down production entirely in 2019, a devastating blow to the city, but announced a partial reopening the following year. By 2025, the plant employed approximately 3,100 unionized workers, a fraction of its former workforce but still a symbol of the city's manufacturing heritage. The uncertainty surrounding electric vehicle mandates, supply chain disruptions, and the US trade dispute kept automotive policy at the centre of the riding's political conversation.

Beyond the auto sector, Oshawa has worked to diversify its economy. Ontario Tech University and Durham College, both located in the city's north end, have grown into significant educational institutions. Lakeridge Health's Oshawa hospital is the region's largest healthcare facility. The city's downtown has seen incremental revitalization efforts, though vacant storefronts and the aftereffects of deindustrialization remain visible.

In 2025, affordability was the overriding concern for Oshawa voters. Housing prices, once a fraction of Toronto levels, climbed sharply as GTA commuters moved east along the 401 corridor. The cost of groceries, utilities, and rising interest rates on mortgage renewals squeezed working families. Healthcare access, particularly the shortage of family physicians and emergency room wait times, was a persistent local frustration. The riding's working-class character and sensitivity to manufacturing job losses made the US tariff threat and the future of the auto industry especially potent campaign issues.