Peterborough—Kawartha

Peterborough—Kawartha is a bellwether riding centred on the city of Peterborough, home to Trent University and Fleming College, and extending into the surrounding Kawartha Lakes region. Progressive Conservative Dave Smith had held the seat since 2018 and was seeking a third term in a riding that has historically swung between parties. The riding’s mix of students, retirees, young families, and rural residents gives it a political diversity that has made it one of Ontario’s most closely watched constituencies in recent elections. During the 2022–2025 term, Peterborough continued to grapple with an escalating homelessness and opioid crisis that placed enormous strain on local social services and emergency health care.

Candidates

Dave Smith (Progressive Conservative) — Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Trent University and an MBA from the University of Fredericton. Before entering politics in 2018, he worked as a manager of product development at Cardinal Software. He sought a third consecutive term representing the riding.

Adam Hopkins (Liberal) — Hopkins is a member of Delaware Nation at Moraviantown who moved to Peterborough in 2003 to attend Trent University. He serves as senior vice-president, academic, at the First Nations Technical Institute, bringing over 17 years of experience in post-secondary education. His campaign focused on health care, education, and support for Indigenous institutes.

Jen Deck (NDP) — Deck is an elementary school teacher with more than 20 years of classroom experience and serves as president and chief negotiator for the Kawartha Pine Ridge ETFO Occasional Teachers’ Local. She has lived in Peterborough since 1992, when she arrived to study biology and women’s studies at Trent University. This was her second time running as the NDP candidate in the riding.

Lucas Graham (Green Party) — Graham is a Trent University graduate with a degree in business administration and the founder of Countdown Creative, an independent marketing and web design agency. He helped found Volunteer Peterborough and serves as communications chair for the Basic Income Peterborough Network.

Andrew Roudny ran for the New Blue Party, and Brian Martindale for the Ontario Party.

Local Issues

Homelessness and the opioid crisis were the most urgent issues in Peterborough—Kawartha during the 2022–2025 term. Data showed that Peterborough’s rates of opioid-related emergency room visits and deaths were roughly double the provincial average, with approximately one drug poisoning death every five days in the health unit’s jurisdiction. The supervised consumption and treatment services site at the former Greyhound station on Simcoe Street recorded thousands of visits and managed dozens of overdose interventions. The intersection of addiction, mental health, and housing insecurity continued to strain local shelters, hospitals, and social services, and the issue featured prominently in campaign debates.

Affordable housing was closely tied to the homelessness challenge. With low vacancy rates and rising rents, competition for available units among seniors, students, and individuals experiencing homelessness intensified. MPP Smith did not attend a candidates’ debate on housing and homelessness held in February 2025, a decision that drew public scrutiny. Health-care access was also a persistent concern, with residents focused on family doctor shortages, long-term care capacity, and the broader impacts of staffing challenges across the system. Education funding and the state of public schools were raised by teaching professionals and parents alike, particularly around class sizes and support for students with special needs.