Kitchener Centre

Kitchener Centre is a compact urban riding that covers downtown Kitchener, including Victoria Park, Belmont Village, and neighbourhoods close to the University of Waterloo’s satellite campuses and Conestoga College. NDP incumbent Laura Mae Lindo won the seat in 2018, defeating Liberal MPP Daiene Vernile and becoming Kitchener’s first Black MPP. Lindo established herself as the NDP’s anti-racism critic and chair of the party’s Black Caucus, bringing a distinct voice to the legislature on equity issues.

The riding underwent significant change during the 2018–2022 term. Kitchener’s tech-driven growth brought new condo developments and rising property values, while the downtown core simultaneously grappled with a visible homelessness crisis that intensified during the pandemic.

Candidates

Laura Mae Lindo (NDP) — A scholar with a PhD in Education, Lindo previously served as Director of Diversity and Equity at Wilfrid Laurier University, where she organized the inaugural e(RACE)r Summit on race and racism on Canadian university campuses in 2016. She held degrees from the University of Toronto and York University. At Queen’s Park, she served as the Official Opposition critic for anti-racism and for citizenship and immigration.

Jim Schmidt (Progressive Conservative) — A small business owner with nearly 20 years of experience as a custodial officer with the Waterloo Region District School Board and other boards, Schmidt was nominated as the PC candidate in August 2021.

Kelly Steiss (Liberal) — A management professional with more than 20 years of experience in municipal government serving the residents of Kitchener, Steiss had led staff teams supporting community-facing programs.

Wayne Mak (Green Party) — A University of Waterloo graduate working in the tech industry, Mak had lived in the area since 2008 and campaigned on a vacant home tax and non-profit housing construction.

Also running was Peter Beimers (New Blue Party).

Local Issues

Homelessness and the opioid crisis were the most visible issues in Kitchener Centre heading into the 2022 election. An encampment near the Kitchener train station doubled in size over the course of a single month, becoming a focal point of public debate. The riding was home to Waterloo Region’s only consumption and treatment site, and the community A Better Tent City program provided tiny homes as a transitional housing model. A point-in-time count in late 2021 found more than 1,000 people experiencing homelessness across Waterloo Region.

Housing affordability extended beyond the unhoused population to affect renters and prospective homebuyers throughout the riding. Kitchener’s transformation into a tech hub, driven by the proximity of the University of Waterloo and Communitech, brought new investment and higher-income residents to the downtown core, but this growth pushed housing costs beyond the reach of many existing residents. All candidates addressed the housing crisis during the campaign, proposing solutions ranging from increasing supply to rent controls to vacancy taxes.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students was also a significant concern. Ontario’s extended school closures—longer than in most other provinces—raised alarms about learning loss among children and youth, particularly those from lower-income families. Candidates debated strategies for helping students recover academically and addressing the mental health impacts of prolonged isolation.