K-W VOTES | Opioids, housing, environment main issues in Cambridge

Voters in Cambridge have a choice between seven candidates in Monday's federal election, and they'll be mulling a number of issues that are impacting the city, North Dumfries Township and Brant Township.

CBC News Posted: Oct 21, 2019 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: October 21, 2019

Voters in Cambridge will have to choose between seven candidates in Monday's federal election. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)

Residents in Cambridge are mulling a number of issues as they consider their vote in Monday's federal election.

Opioid use has caused concern throughout the community and has manyquestioning the best ways to handle the situation.

Some of the candidates say an important part of the equation is affordable housing. Some have called for more treatment options for people are dependent on drugs ratherthan a supervised consumption site.

There are seven candidates running to be the Member of Parliament for Cambridge.

They include Liberal incumbent Bryan May, who is facing challenges from Conservative Sunny Attwal, NDP's Scott Hamilton, Green Party candidate Michele Braniff, People's Party candidate David Haskell, Manuel Couto of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada and George McMorrow of the Veterans Coalition Party of Canada.

This is the Cambridge riding map for 2019. (Elections Canada)

About the riding

Population: 115,463

Number of voters: 83,514

The riding has changed boundaries a few times, sometimes to include parts of the south part of Kitchener. The last change was in 2015, when the riding of Kitchener South-Hespeler was created.

It currently includes the city of Cambridge, North Dumfries Township and part of Brant Township.

Since its creation in 1979, the riding has mostly been held by Conservatives.

Progressive Conservative Chris Speyer was the first MP for the riding, holding the seat from 1979 to 1988 when he was replaced by Progressive Conservative Pat Sobeski, who held the seat until 1993.

In 1993, Liberal Janko Peric won the riding and held the seat until 2004. That's when Conservative Gary Goodyear won the seat. Goodyear was named to then prime minister Stephen Harper's cabinet in 2008as minister of state for science and technology.

In 2011, Goodyear won the seat with 53.4 per cent of the vote, followed by the NDP candidate who had 27.68 per cent of the vote. May also ran that year, coming in third with 15.05 per cent of the vote.

In 2015, May was elected with 43.17 per cent of the vote, just ahead of Goodyear who had 38.65 per cent. The NDP came in third with 13.87 per cent of the vote and the Greens had 3.23 per cent.