Fedeli re-elected in Nipissing

By Richard Coffin
Progressive Conservative incumbent Vic Fedeli has secured a fifth straight term as Nipissing MPP.  

The unofficial results gave him 55% of the ballot, as he finished 9,600 votes ahead of the NDP’s Loren Mick. 

“I’m honoured to be returned as MPP for the fifth time with my biggest win as MPP in all five terms,” says Fedeli.  “Very excited for Nipissing.  We’re going to keep delivery for them every day.”

The Liberal’s Liam McGarry was third followed by Colton Chaput with the Green party in fourth.  

Libertarian Michelle Lashbrook was fifth and Scott Mooney with the Ontario Party was sixth.

Fedeli says the work starts right away.

“[Friday] morning, 7:30, I’ll be off to Toronto for interprovincial trade meetings with my counterparts from across the country and the federal government because we’re in an economic war with Donald Trump,” he says.

Provincially, the Conservatives have won a third straight majority government.  

They lead or are elected in 81 ridings with 99% of the votes counted.

The NDP are next with 26, followed by the Liberals with 14, the Green Party with two and one independent.  

Voter turnout in Nipissing was 49.7 % while it’s 44% provincially.

With incoming U.S. tariffs, incumbent Premier-elect Doug Ford called the election saying the government needed a strong mandate to coincide, and deal with US President Donald Trump’s term south of the border. 

The cost of living and affordability issues were another dominant theme on the campaign trail in Nipissing.

“I heard you loud and clear at the door,” says Fedeli. “We’ll fight to do everything we can to continue to lower your cost of living, like the gas tax.  I will bring this message back to Queen’s Park and say this is what I heard at the door.  I think it’s important to continue to do that.”

North Bay was in the provincial spotlight on Feb. 14.  

The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) hosted the leaders of the four major parties for a debate on northern issues. 

Elections Ontario says just over 5,100 people in Nipissing, or nearly 8% of registered voters in the riding, cast a ballot in the three days of advance polls.