Nipissing

Nipissing is centred on the city of North Bay, which serves as a regional hub for northeastern Ontario. Vic Fedeli had represented the riding since 2011, rising to become one of the most senior Progressive Conservatives in the legislature. He served as interim party leader, Minister of Finance, and then Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, a portfolio he held throughout the 2022 to 2025 term. He also served as Chair of Cabinet. With deep roots in the community as a former mayor of North Bay, Fedeli entered the 2025 race seeking a fifth term.

Candidates

Vic Fedeli (Progressive Conservative) — Fedeli was born and raised in North Bay, studied visual communications at Conestoga College and business at Nipissing University, and founded Fedeli Advertising in 1978. He served as mayor of North Bay from 2003 to 2010, during which time he donated his entire annual salary to charity. As Minister of Economic Development he oversaw major investment attraction, including electric vehicle battery manufacturing facilities in Windsor and St. Thomas.

Loren Mick (NDP) — Mick is a lifelong Mattawa resident who has been elected to the Mattawa town council twice. He is pursuing a master's degree in counselling psychology and has worked as a chef in his family's restaurant and as a dietary aide at the local nursing home. He chairs the Mattawa Library Board and serves as vice-chair of the North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority Board.

Liam McGarry (Liberal) — McGarry holds a degree in kinesiology and has volunteered with children with disabilities, in schools, and in political campaigns. His campaign priorities included more family doctors, housing, affordability, and education investment.

Minor candidates included Colton Chaput (Green Party), Michelle Lashbrook (Libertarian), and Scott Mooney (Ontario Party).

Local Issues

The Cassellholme long-term care redevelopment remained a significant local project during the term. Ground was broken in March 2022 on the 65-million-dollar redevelopment to replace North Bay's aging long-term care home, expanding the bed count from 240 to 264 and incorporating an Indigenous Unit and a Designated Specialized Unit with updated infectious disease protocols. The project faced cost pressures and debates over municipal cost-sharing among the nine partner municipalities, with the NDP pressing the province to cover a greater share of the expense.

The Ring of Fire mineral development in the James Bay lowlands continued to be a major economic development file. Fedeli championed the project as part of his economic development portfolio, including the construction of all-season road access in partnership with Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations. However, progress remained slow, with legal challenges from other First Nations communities and debates over free, prior, and informed consent creating uncertainty about timelines. The province's Bill 5, which allowed the designation of special economic zones with streamlined regulatory processes, drew both support from development proponents and criticism from Indigenous leaders.

Northern infrastructure needs, including broadband internet expansion for underserved communities and highway safety improvements along the Trans-Canada corridor, featured in every candidate's platform. The February 2025 Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities debate, hosted in North Bay, brought provincial party leaders together to address these concerns directly, placing the riding briefly in the provincial spotlight.