ontario election: windsor west boasted one of province's poorest 2022 voter turnouts
here’s what you need to know about windsor west for the...
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the canadian side of the ambassador bridge, north america's busiest commercial border crossing, is in the electoral riding of windsor west.
taylor campbell
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windsor star
here’s what you need to know about windsor west for the feb. 27 ontario election (advance voting feb. 20-22):
windsor west has a population of more than 130,000 and covers 83 square kilometres, according to elections ontario, which uses 2021 census data.
the riding is bound to the south by the city’s border with lasalle and tecumseh and to the north and west by the detroit river. to the east, windsor west is generally bound by langlois avenue but juts out to pillette road between tecumseh road east and the airport.
it encompasses both windsor hospitals, the ambassador bridge, and most of what should become ojibway national urban park.
the riding was created in 1996 when the mike harris pc government changed provincial riding boundaries to match federal ones. the new windsor west included parts of former windsor-sandwich and windsor-walkerville ridings.
elections ontario map showing the electoral boundaries for the provincial riding of windsor west
map courtesy elections ontario
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windsor star
the ndp has held the riding since lisa gretzky’s election in 2014. before her, windsor west was liberal red for 15 years, with sandra pupatello (1999-2011) and teresa piruzza (2011-2014).
in the 2022 provincial election, 32,039 of 95,295 registered voters (33.6 per cent) cast ballots, one of the worst turnouts across ontario. gretzky won with 42 per cent of the vote, followed by pc candidate john leontowicz (35 per cent) and liberal linda mccurdy (13 per cent).
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here are the 2025 candidates. note: matthew giancola (ontario party) is on the ballot but entered the race too late to be included here; the liberals briefly had a candidate who subsequently withdrew.
mark dewdney, none of the above direct democracy party
age: 51
“a big part of why i’m running is because party politicians don’t know what to think — they’re mouthpieces for their top donors.” also running to send the message that people are “tired of government making things more expensive and giving us less every year for it.”
top priorities: diversifying windsor’s economy by attracting medical research and education; reducing red tape and government bureaucracy with automation; amplifying community paramedicine; and “being able to give the disenfranchised a true voice.”
tony francis, progressive conservative party of ontario
age: 61
running to “continue to build on the progress” the doug ford pcs have “achieved to grow our economy, create new jobs, protect livelihoods and keep (us) competitive, not just a week, or a month but for years to come.”
tony francis, progressive conservative party of ontario candidate for windsor west.
contributed photo
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windsor star
top priorities: building ontario’s economy with infrastructure investments; protecting workers in the face of u.s. president donald trump’s tariff threats “by doing whatever is necessary to protect people’s livelihoods in our community,” including “investing tens of billions of dollars to keep people working;” fighting the federal carbon tax and urging ottawa to cut red tape; banning drug consumption sites near schools and daycares and clearing encampments from public parks; and building a new windsor hospital.
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lisa gretzky, ontario new democratic party
age: 54
“i am proud to represent windsor west both here at home and at queen’s park. i have been a fighter for this community by speaking truth to power and bringing important pieces of legislation forward that have directly impacted this region,” including introducing anti-scab labour legislation, the intimate partner violence epidemic act, the more than a visitor act for seniors in long-term care; banning igaming ads, noah and gregory’s law, homelessness task force act, and a motion to help create the ojibway national urban park.
lisa gretzky, ontario new democratic party candidate for windsor west.
contributed photo
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windsor star
top priorities: “as the member of provincial parliament for the last decade, i am hearing more about the cost of living, lack of affordable housing, our decimated public healthcare system, lack of access to family doctors and crumbling school conditions for our kids. we need investments in mental health and addictions supports. the record number of food bank users including seniors and children living in poverty, especially in windsor, is alarming and a clear failure of government.”
joshua griffin, new blue party
age: 44
“i am running because i believe the current fiscal situation in ontario is dire. the current government’s spending and healthcare policies, and cuts to education programs are unacceptable. the ontario conservatives have not provided the change they promised, and the ndp’s track record on fiscal responsibility is concerning. the rising cost of living, increased use of food banks, and growth of tent cities demonstrate the urgent need for change. additionally, the high salaries of hospital ceos amidst a shortage of frontline healthcare staff are deeply troubling.”
joshua griffin, new blue party of ontario candidate for windsor west.
contributed photo
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windsor star
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top priorities: fight for increased staffing and bed space at local hospitals; implement a “fair, across-the-board tax cut;” ensure proper educational assistant staffing at area schools; attract more mental health professionals to windsor west through a targeted ad campaign; and advocate for a standalone medical school in windsor and encourage people to enter family and emergency medicine with a loan forgiveness program.
nick kolasky, green party of ontario
kolasky could not be reached for comment but did send the star a news release about his candidacy in which he states that, after a successful career in manufacturing, he chose to relocate to windsor and has pursued his passion for photography and protecting the environment.
nick kolasky, green party of ontario candidate for windsor west.
contributed photo
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windsor star
“we need more strong, independent voices we can trust to protect ontario’s economy and our environment,” kolasky said. “with the ontario greens, i’m committed to protecting the people and places we love from corporate greed and doug ford’s short-sighted policies.”
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