Bay of Quinte

Bay of Quinte underwent significant political turnover during the 2022-2025 term. Longtime PC MPP Todd Smith, who had represented the area since 2011 and served as Minister of Energy, was shuffled to the education portfolio in June 2024. Within weeks, Smith announced his resignation from the legislature to take a private-sector position as vice-president of marketing and business development at Candu Energy. A September 2024 byelection to replace him was won by Tyler Allsopp, a Belleville city councillor and small business owner, who then had to defend the seat just five months later in the February 2025 snap election.

The riding covers the City of Belleville, Quinte West including CFB Trenton, and Prince Edward County, blending urban, rural, military, and tourism-dependent communities along the shores of Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte.

Candidates

Tyler Allsopp (Progressive Conservative) — First appointed to Belleville city council in 2021 and elected with the highest vote total in 2022, Allsopp served as chair of the city's Police Services Board. A St. Lawrence College graduate with a background in business marketing, he spent nearly twelve years as owner-operator of Doug's Bicycle in Belleville and was recognized as Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2017 Quinte Business Achievement Awards. He won the September 2024 byelection and served as parliamentary assistant for long-term care.

David O'Neil (Liberal) — A Quinte West councillor, accountant, and real estate professional, O'Neil is a lifelong Quinte resident born and raised in Trenton. His late father, Hugh O'Neil, served as the area's MPP for twenty years. O'Neil campaigned on health care, education, and affordable housing, noting that 28,000 people in the riding lacked access to primary care.

Amanda Robertson (NDP) — A school board trustee representing Belleville and Thurlow on the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, where she served as vice-chair. Robertson was also treasurer of the John Howard Society of Belleville and a coach with the Belleville Spirits basketball organization. She had previously run as the NDP candidate in the 2024 byelection.

Minor candidates included Lori Borthwick (Green Party), Anthony Zambito (New Blue Party), and Nick Maddison (Ontario Party).

Local Issues

Health care infrastructure was a defining concern in the riding throughout the term. Residents across the Quinte region reported difficulty accessing family physicians, with O'Neil noting that 28,000 people in the riding and 2.5 million across Ontario lacked primary care. Staffing pressures at Quinte Health, which operates hospitals in Belleville, Trenton, and Picton, reflected the broader provincial challenge of recruiting and retaining health care workers in smaller communities outside the Greater Toronto Area.

Housing affordability had intensified as an issue since the early 2020s, driven in part by an influx of buyers from the GTA seeking more affordable communities in eastern Ontario. The resulting increase in home prices and rents put pressure on longtime residents, young families, and seniors in a region where incomes had not kept pace. Debates around housing supply, rental availability, and the balance between growth and community character featured prominently across all-candidates meetings.

The riding's economic base encompasses CFB Trenton, one of the largest Canadian Forces installations in the country, alongside Prince Edward County's thriving wine, culinary, and tourism industries. Economic recovery from pandemic-era disruptions continued during the term, with the hospitality sector stabilizing but facing ongoing labour shortages. The intersection of housing costs, health care access, and workforce availability underscored how rapid change was reshaping the region's traditionally more affordable communities.