Cambridge voters ponder housing, opioids and MZOs among provincial issues in election

Cambridge — an amalgamated city with urban, suburban and outlying communities with approximately 140,000 residents — faces a number of challenges that could be impacted by the outcome of the provincial election.

The city has seen the need for services to help people experiencing homelessness grow in the past four years and city council has approved projects to address a lack of affordable housing.

The opioid crisis continues to affect the community and city council has approved a consumption and treatment site in Galt.

As well, the use of provincial ministerial zoning orders (MZO) has become a big issue in parts of Cambridge, particularly in the community of Blair where some residents argued against a large warehouse project on lands zoned for that use.

City council had initially approved the use of an MZO for the property, but then did not approve a heritage impact assessment and a transportation impact study, both of which were needed before construction could begin at the Old Mill Road site. 

The following candidates are on the ballot in Cambridge (in alphabetical order by last name):

• Carla Johnson, Green Party of Ontario.
• Belinda Karahalios, New Blue Party of Ontario.
• Marjorie Knight, Ontario New Democratic Party.
• Brian Riddell, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.
• Surekha Shenoy, Ontario Liberal Party.

Incumbent forms new party

Incumbent Belinda Karahalios is heading into this provincial election as the member of a new party.

In 2018, Karahalios was elected to the provincial legislature as a member of the Progressive Conservatives. She was removed from the PC caucus in July 2020 after she voted against against Bill 195, a government motion to extend some COVID-19 emergency orders a month at a time for up to two years without consulting the legislature.

At the time, Karahalios released a statement saying she voted against the bill because it "essentially silences every single Ontario MPP on the most important issue facing our legislature."

Premier Doug Ford said he had no idea Karahalios was going to vote against the Progressive Conservatives, even though he had made a stop in the region a few days prior to the vote.

"I get along great with her. I was with her for two days. Not a word was mentioned to me, which I find ironic," Ford said.

Karahalios has gone on to form a new party, the New Blue Ontario party, with her husband Jim Karahalios. She serves as the party's president.

In an interview in November 2020, Belinda Karahalios told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition that they decided to form a new party because the established political parties were more interested in helping institutions than helping people.

"Really there is no party in the Ontario legislature defending the taxpayer, defending small business, defending places of worship, promoting freedom, promoting democracy or fighting political corruption," she said at the time.

In October 2021, Karahalios called a new rule that all MPPs must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test "disgraceful" and "undemocratic."

In November 2021, Karahalios reported she had tested postive for COVID-19.

In December, Karahalios returned to work in-person at Queen's Park and was told to leave the legislature. That's because Speaker Ted Arnott said there was a rule that unvaccinated MPPs must be out of the chamber for 90 days following a positive test.

Karahalios said she tested negative, so should have been allowed back into Queen's Park. She said on Twitter that her removal was "an affront to democracy."

Riding history

Cambridge has been a riding since 1975. The first Member of the Provincial Parliament for the area was Montgomery 'Monty' Davidson, a member of the NDP, who served until 1981.

William 'Bill' Barlow, a Progressive Conservative, served the riding from 1981 to 1987. He was followed by Mike Farnan, a member of the New Democratic Party, who served as the riding's MPP from 1987 to 1995.

The riding went to the Progressive Conservatives from 1995 to 2014. Gerry Martiniuk was the MPP until 2011 and Rob Leone was the MPP until 2014. 

In 2014, Liberal Kathryn McGarry won the seat and held it for one term. McGarry is currently the city's mayor and has announced she's seeking re-election in the municipal election this upcoming October.