Kenora—Rainy River is a provincial electoral district (riding) in northwestern Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999. It was created from Kenora, most of Rainy River and part of Lake Nipigon. The boundaries of the new district corresponded with the Kenora—Rainy River federal riding, until it was abolished in 2003. The provincial riding will continue to exist.
A predominantly white, working class, and rural riding, Kenora-Rainy River was formerly a stronghold for the Ontario NDP. Greg Rickford of the Progressive Conservatives was elected its MPP in a dramatic swing to the right in 2018. The riding was previously represented by Sarah Campbell for the NDP and Howard Hampton, former leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party. The riding includes part of Kenora District, and the western three quarters of the Rainy River District.
History
In 1996, Ontario was divided into the same electoral districts as those used for federal electoral purposes. They were redistributed whenever a readjustment took place at the federal level.
In 2005, legislation was passed by the Legislature to divide Ontario into 107 electoral districts, beginning with the next provincial election in 2007. The eleven northern electoral districts, including Kenora—Rainy River, are those defined for federal purposes in 1996, based on the 1991 census (except for a minor boundary adjustment). The 96 southern electoral districts are those defined for federal electoral purposes in 2003, based on the 2001 census. Without this legislation, the number of electoral districts in northern Ontario would have been reduced from eleven to ten.Elections Ontario web site, “New Electoral Boundaries”
Prior to the 2018 provincial election, the Ontario government's Far North Electoral Boundaries Commission proposed dividing Kenora—Rainy River into one riding for the urbanized southern portion of the current district, which will retain the name Kenora—Rainy River, and one riding for the predominantly Indigenous northern portion of the current district, to be named Kiiwetinoong. The creation of Kiiwetinoong and Mushkegowuk—James Bay, another new northern riding, were approved with the passage of the Representation Statute Law Amendment Act, 2017 in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Members
Election results
2014 general election redistributed results Party Vote % New Democratic 9,410 52.73 Progressive Conservative 5,266 29.51 Liberal 2,657 14.89 Green 513 2.87
|align="left" colspan=2|New Democrat hold |align="right"|Swing |align="right"| +1.09
^ Change is from redistributed results
2007 electoral reform referendum
2007 Ontario electoral reform referendumSideVotes%First Past the Post15,49469.9Mixed member proportional6,68430.1Total valid votes 22,178100.0
See also List of Ontario provincial electoral districts Canadian provincial electoral districts
References
Sources Elections Ontario 1999 results 2003 results 2007 results Map of riding for 2018 election