Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte

Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte encompasses the northern part of the City of Barrie along with the rural townships of Springwater and Oro-Medonte in Simcoe County. The riding had been held by Progressive Conservative Doug Downey since 2018, when he won the seat after former PC leader Patrick Brown was disqualified during a tumultuous nomination contest. Downey had gone on to serve as Ontario's Attorney General since 2019, making this one of the higher-profile ridings in the province. The 2022 contest drew significant attention when longtime Barrie mayor Jeff Lehman entered the race as the Liberal candidate, setting up a marquee matchup.

Candidates

Doug Downey (Progressive Conservative) — A real estate lawyer who founded the Barrie firm Downey, Tornosky, Lassaline and Timpano, Downey was appointed Attorney General of Ontario in June 2019. He had previously taught law at Georgian College and held leadership roles with the Ontario Bar Association.

Jeff Lehman (Liberal) — The Mayor of Barrie since 2010, Lehman had won his last two mayoral elections with more than 90 percent of the vote. He also served as Chair of Ontario's Big City Mayors caucus. His decision not to seek a fourth term as mayor and instead run provincially signalled the Liberals' ambitions in the Simcoe County region.

Beverley Patchell (NDP) — A resident of the Springwater and Oro-Medonte area for more than 50 years, Patchell had spent a decade working with CUPE as a union business representative, supporting workers in hospitals, nursing homes, child care, school boards, and municipal services.

Elyse Robinson (Green Party), Hayden Hughes (New Blue Party), and Gerry Auger (Ontario Party) also ran.

Local Issues

Housing affordability and supply were top-of-mind issues across the riding. Barrie's rapid growth had driven up home prices and rents significantly, and debates centred on how to build enough new housing while maintaining neighbourhood character. Downey pointed to his government's legislative and regulatory changes aimed at increasing housing supply, while Lehman drew on his experience managing growth as mayor to present an alternative vision.

Health care was the other dominant campaign issue. Residents expressed concern about staffing shortages at local hospitals and clinics, the difficulty of finding family physicians, and the state of long-term care in the region. The pandemic had amplified public frustration with the provincial health care system, and candidates from all parties were pressed on how they would recruit and retain health professionals in the Barrie area.

The contest between Downey and Lehman became one of the closest races in the province. Lehman's name recognition and popularity as mayor made the riding unexpectedly competitive for the Liberals, and the campaign highlighted broader tensions between the Ford government's development agenda and community concerns about the pace and character of growth in Ontario's fast-expanding suburban corridors.