Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke

Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke is one of Ontario’s largest ridings by area, encompassing all of Renfrew County and a portion of Nipissing District around Algonquin Provincial Park. Its communities include Pembroke, Petawawa, Renfrew, Arnprior, and Deep River. For the first time in over two decades, longtime Progressive Conservative MPP John Yakabuski was not on the ballot, having announced his retirement after representing the riding since 2003. Yakabuski had followed his father Paul Yakabuski, who served as the area’s MPP for 24 years, making the family’s tenure in the riding a defining feature of its political history. His departure opened the seat for a new generation of candidates in one of Ontario’s most reliably Conservative constituencies.

The riding’s economy continues to be shaped by Garrison Petawawa, Canada’s largest army base, the nuclear research facilities at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories in Chalk River, the forestry sector, and tourism generated by Algonquin Park.

Candidates

Billy Denault (Progressive Conservative) — Denault is a town councillor in Arnprior who has worked in accounting and financial management. His career spans both small businesses and large accounting firms, including MacKillican and Associates and KPMG. He took up the PC banner in the riding following Yakabuski’s retirement.

Oliver Jacob (Liberal) — Jacob was born and raised in Renfrew County. He served as one of the youngest municipal councillors in the history of the Township of McNab/Braeside between 2018 and 2022, where he championed recreation and community engagement. He also serves as chair of the Arnprior Regional Health Board of Directors and as a board director with United Way East Ontario and the Arnprior and District Food Bank.

Marshall Buchanan (NDP) — Buchanan is a registered professional forester and farmer who holds a master of science degree in forestry from the University of Toronto. He serves as president of Local 330 of the National Farmers Union and is a past president of the Ottawa Valley Food Co-operative. He focused his campaign on bridging the urban-rural divide at Queen’s Park.

Kevin Holm ran for the Ontario Party, Anna Maria Dolan for the Green Party, and Mark Dickson for the New Blue Party.

Local Issues

Health-care access in this vast rural riding was the dominant issue during the 2022–2025 term. Ontario experienced a wave of temporary emergency department closures at rural hospitals throughout 2023 and 2024, driven primarily by nursing shortages, and Renfrew County’s small hospitals were vulnerable to these disruptions. Residents in many parts of the riding lived far from major medical centres, making emergency department reliability a matter of life and safety. Physician and nurse recruitment in a region with limited urban amenities remained a persistent challenge, and candidates across party lines acknowledged the crisis.

The nuclear sector at Chalk River generated significant debate during the term. In January 2024, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission approved the construction of a near-surface disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste at the Chalk River Laboratories site, a decision that community groups including Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County challenged through a judicial review. The facility, with a planned operating life of at least 50 years, remained a contentious issue among residents concerned about environmental impacts along the Ottawa River. Rural broadband connectivity, despite ongoing investment, remained inadequate for many households, farms, and businesses across Renfrew County. The riding’s large geographic footprint and dispersed population made universal high-speed internet coverage a persistent infrastructure challenge that all candidates identified as a priority.