Hamilton

Riding profile: Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas

A profile of the candidates in the Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas riding.
The Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas riding, which was created in 2012. This election will be this riding's first.

Riding description: 

Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas's population of 109,575 people is slightly more female than male, and the median age of electors is 42, Statistics Canada data shows. There are slightly more married people than singles. The majority of voters are white, speak English and live in single-family homes.

Riding history: 

HWAD was created in 2012 after a review of federal election boundaries. It draws in parts of Hamilton Centre (an NDP stronghold), Hamilton Mountain (currently NDP) and Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale (Conservative federally, Liberal provincially). The Oct. 19 election is its first time in action.

Candidates:

Alex Johnstone — NDP

Johnstone has worked at the YWCA and is a co-host on the local cable TV current affairs show The Opinionators. She is a Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board trustee, serving as vice chair until earlier this fall. Johnstone has also run for the NDP provincially.

Peter Ormond — Green 

A perennial Green Party candidate in Hamilton, Ormond is an engineer who currently serves as energy manager with Horizon Utilities. He also has his own company, ECO5. Ormond is also a playwright who had a play in the last Hamilton Fringe Festival.

Vincent Samuel — Conservative

Samuel retired as a major in the Pakistan Army before immigrating to Canada in 1990. He has worked in health services, including senior management positions at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Sunnybrook and Women's Hospital and Toronto East General Hospital. He also founded a charity called Love Thy Neighbour.

Filomena Tassi — Liberal

Tassi was a corporate lawyer for six years before becoming a chaplain at Bishop Tonnos Secondary School. She also served as a Catholic school board trustee and volunteered with numerous boards and agencies.

Stories:

Links to their web pages:

Alex Johnstone

Peter Ormond

Vincent Samuel

Filomena Tassi

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