We have reached out to local candidates and asked them a series of questions that are on the mind of voters across the riding. Topics range from what they’re hearing at the door, positions on the trade war, cost of living pressures and more.
Here’s what they had to say, in their own words.
Valerie Kennedy
The New Democratic Party
Tell us about yourself
Valerie’s vision includes promoting affordable housing, enhancing mental health resources, and ensuring fair tax policies that benefit all Canadians. Valerie is particularly passionate about environmental sustainability, emphasizing the urgent need for climate action and improved resource management. Protecting our children from trafficking with immediate incarceration for offenders. As she embarks on her political journey, Valerie Kennedy is dedicated to making a tangible difference in the lives of her constituents, ensuring every voice is heard and every concern is addressed. Her blend of experience, community involvement, and unwavering commitment to progressive values positions her as a formidable candidate for the NDP in Nipissing-Timiskaming.
What are you hearing when door-knocking?
Housing, Groceries, Health Care, Strategic voting with the fear of the PC’s getting in.
Many people suffering with disabilities and seniors unable to buy groceries and rent.
Our horrible Highway 11 and 17 leaving North Bay North.
The fatalities on our highways and truck drivers with unregulated licenses.
Passenger trains specifically the Northlander from Cochrane to Toronto.
Students are concerned about not having a home to rent with student debt and are definitely concerned about the environment.
What would you do about cost of living pressures in your riding?
To shield Canadians from the worst effects of Trump’s trade war, the NDP is committing to push for:
• Capping grocery prices on essential items while cracking down on price gouging by corporate giants
• Using every dollar collected from retaliatory tariffs to directly support impacted workers in industries like steel, auto-manufacturing and aluminum
• Removing GST from essentials like home heating and from Canadian-made vehicles, saving families hundreds annually while boosting domestic industries
Why should someone vote for you?
“Valerie is a great choice for the people of Nipissing-Timiskaming – she’s smart, driven and ready to bring attention to Northern issues,” said NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.
MP CHARLIE ANGUS says: “I am thrilled that Valerie Kennedy will be the NDP candidate in Nipissing-Timiskaming. I have worked with Val for years on worker rights, defending the railway, and fighting for our northern communities. She is fearless.”
“Valerie, was involved in every aspect of our union. She was an advocate and leader for her members. She was on the grievance, arbitration and bargaining committees. She was aware of the negative impacts this privatization would have on the region served by ONR. I endorse Valerie Kennedy as the NDP candidate for the Federal election.” – Brian Kelly, Former President, Unifor Local 103 (Ontario Northland – Dyno Nobel)
What is your position on tariffs and the trade war?
NDP will push for investment with our Build Canadian, Buy Canadian plan – a national public infrastructure and procurement strategy to:
• Use 100% Canadian steel and wood products in all federally funded projects
• Ban US companies from federal procurement contracts
• Prioritize Canadian unionized firms in public project bidding
• Increase Canadian content requirements for all federally funded projects
• Support clean energy projects in the North
Apply our Build Canadian, Buy Canadian plan to regional transit projects and to boost investments in the North.
We will also push for a massive building plan focused on shovel-ready infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, schools, transit and health facilities – using Canadian materials like steel and creating unionized jobs.
New Democrats will push to protect essential Canadian industries like public hydro
What are potential solutions to housing affordability and homelessness?
The homelessness crisis in northern Ontario is a serious concern. Youth and 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians are disproportionally impacted by homelessness and must be a part of the housing conversation in the North. Seniors, especially single seniors, who have lived in rural and remote northern communities all their life are being forced out of their communities because of a lack of suitable core housing and affordable rents.
We need to build more housing, faster. We need to bring provinces and cities to the table to do it. And we need to protect affordability while we get it done. We’re fighting to deliver real solutions that keep Northerners in the communities they want to live in, because we’re fighting for people, not the wealthy who profit while you get priced out.
• Building millions of new homes, including non-market and affordable housing
• Introducing stronger rent protections to stop renovictions and price gouging
• Creating good jobs and faster construction with Canadian-made materials
Are there any final thoughts on any topic that you would like to share?
A family doctor for everyone
The NDP will work to bring health care closer to home for Northerners. We understand that addressing health care requires a whole team approach. We will push for more family doctors and nurses in every community, to close the funding and infrastructure gaps for health care services in small rural northern communities, and ensure that Canada’s first independent medical university, NOSM, has the funding it needs.
We will implement a Health Care Workforce Strategy to strengthen our health care system against Americanization. As a first step, we’re going to make sure that every Canadian has access to a family doctor by 2030.
The NDP will push to:
• Train and equip more doctors from northern and rural communities to serve in their hometowns, including delivering fair wages for doctors committed to these communities.
