Waterloo

Waterloo is a riding centred on the City of Waterloo in southwestern Ontario, home to two major post-secondary institutions -- the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University -- that give the riding a distinctive character shaped by innovation, technology, and a large student population. Liberal incumbent Bardish Chagger held off a Conservative challenge to retain the seat in 2025, one of the party's few holds in the broader Kitchener-Waterloo region.

Candidates

Bardish Chagger (Liberal) -- First elected in 2015, Chagger made history as the first woman to serve as Government House Leader and later served as Minister of Diversity, Inclusion, and Youth. A lifelong Waterloo resident, she has been a prominent voice on small business support and youth engagement throughout her parliamentary career.

Waseem Botros (Conservative) -- A Mississauga-based real estate agent and engineer, Botros was appointed by the party as its candidate in Waterloo, bypassing local nomination hopefuls. His appointment drew criticism from two local Conservative aspirants who said they had been organizing for months before being passed over for someone with no ties to the community.

Heline Chow (NDP) -- A first-time candidate, Chow holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Waterloo and previously worked as an engineer with Environment and Climate Change Canada. She played a key role in campus unionization efforts for teaching and research assistants during her graduate studies and founded the Graduate Women in Engineering Committee.

Simon Guthrie (Green Party) -- A longtime Waterloo resident since 1993, Guthrie studied physics and spent much of his career in the region's technology sector. He previously ran for Kitchener City Council in 2022 and campaigned on free university tuition and a guaranteed livable income.

Douglas Ross (People's Party - PPC) -- The People's Party candidate in Waterloo.

About the Riding

Waterloo's identity is inseparable from its universities and its thriving technology corridor. The University of Waterloo's co-operative education program has helped spawn a dense ecosystem of startups, research labs, and established tech firms that have earned the region comparisons to Silicon Valley. This innovation economy attracts students and skilled workers from around the world, making the riding one of the most educated and ethnically diverse in the province.

Housing affordability emerged as the dominant issue in the 2025 campaign, as the influx of students and tech workers pushed rents and home prices sharply higher in what was once considered an affordable alternative to Toronto. University funding was another prominent concern, with candidates debating how best to support institutions that are central to the local economy. The controversy over the Conservative Party's decision to appoint an out-of-town candidate rather than hold a local nomination also became a notable feature of the race.