Kitchener-Conestoga: Get to know this riding and its candidates

CBC Kitchener-Waterloo is profiling different local ridings in advance of the federal election, set for Sept. 20, 2021. Read our earlier coverage of the Kitchener Centre, Cambridge and Waterloo ridings.

The Kitchener-Conestoga riding is made up of three townships Wilmot, Wellesley and Woolwich as well as part of the City of Kitchener west of Fischer-Hallman Road.

In alphabetical order of party name, the candidates in Kitchener-Conestoga this election are Carlene Hawley with the Conservative Party, Owen Bradley with the Green Party, Liberal incumbent Tim Louis, NDP candidate Narine Dat Sookram and People's Party candidate Kevin Dupuis.

Learn more about the riding and the candidates running this year.

Who lives in Kitchener-Conestoga?

The riding stretches 949 km squared and is the largest federal riding in the Region of Waterloo. It has a population of 100,709 people, 74,533 of whom are eligible to vote, according to Elections Canada.

People in Kitchener-Conestoga are young, relative to the rest of the province. As of the latest census, the average age in the riding was 37.8 and the median age was 37.5 below the provincial average of 41 and provincial median of 41.3.

The most common mother tongue is English, though other commonly-spoken languages include German, Spanish, Romanian and Serbian.

As of 2016, 15,555 in the riding identified as being part of a visible minority group. Some of the largest groups include the South Asian, Southeast Asian, Black, Chinese and Latin American communities.

The median total income among recipients was $39,763, above the provincial median of $33,539. Similarly, the median total household income was $95,323, above the provincial median of $74,287.

There are 33,470 private households in Kitchener-Conestoga. The average census family size is 3.2 with 3,680 families listed as having five or more people.

Carlene Hawley - Conservative Party of Canada

Political priorities:

• Housing affordability.
• Promoting economic growth.

Carlene Hawley wasn't available for an interview this week but answered questions in an email statement to CBC Kitchener-Waterloo.

Hawley is a mother of four and certified public accountant (CPA) who said she looks forward to bringing her accounting skills to Ottawa.

"My background in business instills in me an understanding of how to manage a bottom line, create jobs and respect taxpayers' dollars," Hawley said on her website.

Hawley said she's concerned about her children's ability to afford a house in their riding one day, and thinks Canada is in the midst of a housing crisis.

"We need to get our public finances under control," she said in an email. "We need to get back to economic growth so that we can afford our cherished social programs, so that we can continue to invest in healthcare, long-term care, and our climate goals."

Owen Bradley - Green Party of Canada

Political priorities:

• Climate change.
• Fiscal and environmental sustainability.
• Election reform.
• Pandemic response.

Owen Bradley is a software developer, former securities trader and advocate for the electrification of transportation. He believes in "practical and goal-oriented" solutions to climate change, "namely the complete retooling of our infrastructure investments," Bradley said.

Bradley said he's also concerned about the "first-past-post" electoral system and has pushed for alternatives.

"I am trying to prove, during the course of this very short election cycle, that constituents have more than two reasonable options to consider during this race," Bradley told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo.

"If they're utterly frustrated with both the Liberals and the Conservatives, I would encourage them to take a look at the platform that we have and in particular, the priorities that I've outlined on my website."

Tim Louis - Liberal Party of Canada

Political priorities:

• "Finishing the fight" against COVID-19.
• Supporting businesses and families in Kitchener-Conestoga.
• Reconciliation and fighting racism.

Incumbent Tim Louis was first elected to Parliament in 2019. As an MP, Louis sat on the standing committees for Agriculture and Agri-Food and Canadian Heritage.

Before that, he was a full-time musician.

"It was a bit of a calling to get in and work to serve people, and it came at a time when people really needed help," Louis told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo.

Louis said he's thankful to people in the riding for sharing their ideas with him during canvassing and debates.

"I get to hear people's ideas about affordability, about protecting their environment, about making sure that our townships are represented," he said. "I'm proud of the work that I've donewe have more work to do, on tolerance and racism and walking the path to reconciliation."

Narine Dat Sookram - New Democratic Party

Political priorities:

• Childcare.
• Affordable housing.
• Creation of meaningful jobs.

Narine Dat Sookram is a job developer and social worker, who told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo his political priorities have been influenced by his work.

"As a social worker ... I keep hearing constantly of the challenges when it comes to affordable housing," said Sookram. While he noted the province has a responsibility to provide affordable housing, he said money flows from the feds.

"We will work with the federal government to make sure that we address the housing issue that we have, especially here in the Region of Waterloo."

In addition to struggling with housing costs, Sookram said many families also lack good options for childcare another political priority for him.

Sookram previously ran for mayor of Kitchener in 2018, though he ultimately did not win.

Kevin Dupuis - People's Party of Canada

Political priorities:

• The economy.
• Opposition to lockdowns.
• Opposition to vaccine mandates and passports.

Kevin Dupuis spent his career in IT, and previously worked with the Kitchener-Conestoga Conservatives before leaving for the People's Party.

Dupuis is also a former trustee with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, though he resigned earlier this year.

Dupuis said his main priority in this election is the economy.

"We've seen an awful lot of our small businesses being devastated and brought to bankruptcy by the lockdowns, and so the People's Party is against the lockdowns," he said.

Dupuis also opposes vaccine mandates and passports, which he said is "just segregating our population."

Vaccination status

Louis, Bradley and Sookramtold CBC Kitchener-Waterloo they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Hawley said she has been vaccinated herself, but added, "Conservatives support the rights of Canadians to make their own health choices and we encourage all Canadians that are able to be vaccinated."

Dupuis didn't directly answer.

"I don't think that society has that right to ask that question," he said.