Dufferin—Caledon

Dufferin—Caledon is a large, predominantly rural riding northwest of the Greater Toronto Area, encompassing the county seat of Orangeville, the communities of Bolton, Shelburne, Mono, and numerous smaller villages and townships across Dufferin County and the Town of Caledon. The riding covers approximately 2,293 square kilometres of rolling agricultural land, the Niagara Escarpment, and the headwaters of the Credit and Humber rivers. Sylvia Jones had held the seat since winning the general election in 2007 and was seeking her fifth consecutive mandate. During the 2018 to 2022 term she served as Solicitor General, overseeing the province’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Candidates

Sylvia Jones (Progressive Conservative) — Jones has served as the MPP for Dufferin—Caledon since 2007. She holds a college diploma in radio broadcasting and entered politics after working as an assistant to John Tory during his time as Ontario PC leader. As Solicitor General, she oversaw the province’s anti-human trafficking strategy and the passage of new animal protection legislation. She has lived in Orangeville for over thirty years.

Bob Gordanier (Liberal) — Gordanier is an agricultural industry advocate who served as president of the Beef Farmers of Ontario and as an executive member of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. He previously worked as a police officer in Port Credit and as a firefighter in Brampton.

Laura Campbell (Green Party) — Campbell is a small business owner and environmentalist who holds a Master of Science from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Arts from Western University. She had previously run for the Green Party in the riding in 2018 and focused her campaign on protecting wetlands and green spaces from development.

Tess Prendergast (NDP) — Prendergast is a French teacher and librarian at an Orangeville school. She is active with Scouts Canada and focused her campaign on healthcare and education issues.

Andrea Banyai (New Blue Party), Lily Nguyen (Ontario Party), Erickumar Emmanuel (Ontario Moderate Party), and Kay Sayer (Benefit Party) also ran.

Local Issues

The proposed Highway 413 was the single most divisive issue in the riding. The Ford government revived plans for the highway, which would run approximately 59 kilometres through Vaughan, Caledon, Brampton, and Halton Hills, connecting Highway 400 to the Highway 401/407 interchange area. Supporters, including many in Caledon’s municipal government, argued the highway was essential infrastructure to relieve congestion and support growth. Opponents, including neighbouring municipalities and environmental groups, warned it would pave over portions of the Greenbelt and prime agricultural land, destroy wetlands, and encourage unsustainable suburban sprawl.

Healthcare access was a major concern across the riding. Orangeville’s Headwaters Health Care Centre, the only hospital in Dufferin County, faced capacity pressures from a growing population. Family physician shortages were acute, with many residents unable to find a regular doctor. The pandemic underscored these vulnerabilities and fuelled calls for expanded healthcare infrastructure in the region.

Rapid residential growth in Bolton and Shelburne strained municipal services and raised questions about the pace of development. Bolton, at the southern edge of the riding nearest the GTA, was experiencing significant housing construction, while Shelburne had emerged as one of the fastest-growing small towns in Ontario. Preserving the agricultural character of the riding while accommodating newcomers seeking affordable housing outside the GTA was a recurring theme in local debate.