Barrie—Innisfil

Andrea Khanjin entered the 2025 election as one of the Ford government's most prominent cabinet voices, having been appointed Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks in September 2023. Khanjin, first elected in 2018, took on parental leave in late 2024, with her duties temporarily assumed by Todd McCarthy, before returning to campaign for a third term. The Liberals ran Dane Lee, while the NDP put forward Andrew Harrigan, a child protection worker and union leader.

Barrie—Innisfil covers the southern portion of the City of Barrie and the lakefront Town of Innisfil, a corridor experiencing intense suburban growth along Highway 400 between Toronto and cottage country.

Candidates

Andrea Khanjin (Progressive Conservative) — Appointed Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks in September 2023 after previously serving as parliamentary assistant in the same ministry. Khanjin took parental leave in late 2024 before returning to seek a third term, campaigning on health care and the government's infrastructure record.

Dane Lee (Liberal) — The Liberal candidate in Barrie—Innisfil, Lee sought to challenge Khanjin in a riding that had been solidly Conservative.

Andrew Harrigan (NDP) — A child protection worker with the York Region Children's Aid Society and president of OPSEU Local 304, Harrigan brought experience investigating and assessing allegations of child abuse. He previously ran for Innisfil town council in 2022 and campaigned on affordability and public services.

Stephen Ciesielski (Green Party) — The Green candidate in the riding.

Minor candidates included Sam Mangiapane (New Blue Party) and Anna Yuryeva (Ontario Moderate Party).

Local Issues

Health care was identified as the top concern among Barrie—Innisfil voters heading into the 2025 election. Staffing shortages at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre and the difficulty of finding a family physician in a rapidly growing community remained acute problems. The broader provincial challenge of recruiting and retaining health care workers in suburban centres outside Toronto was acutely felt in the Barrie corridor, where population growth had outpaced service capacity.

Housing affordability and homelessness escalated as intertwined crises during the 2022-2025 term. As of April 2024, the County of Simcoe was aware of more than 1,200 homeless individuals, with approximately 600 in Barrie. The city grappled with visible encampments and a shortage of supportive housing and shelter spaces. Average rents continued to climb, deepening the gap for lower-income residents and first-time buyers in a market inflated by proximity to Toronto.

Transportation remained a persistent challenge for commuters along the Highway 400 corridor. While GO Transit service to Barrie had expanded, residents sought more frequent and reliable connections to the Greater Toronto Area. The rising cost of living added urgency to calls for viable alternatives to car-dependent commuting, and debates about local employment centred on the predominance of lower-paying positions and the need for higher-quality jobs within the Barrie—Innisfil area.