With his wife Tawnya and daughter Reagan by his side, Prince Edward Hastings MPP Todd Smith announces he is running in the Bay of Quinte Riding in the 2018 provincial election. (Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
Using a County winery as his backdrop Prince Edward Hastings Progressive Conservative MPP Todd Smith announced he will be seeking election in the Bay of Quinte Riding when Ontarians go to the polls in 2018.
In the next provincial election the Prince Edward Hastings riding will not exist. It’s being split into the Bay of Quinte and Hastings-Lennox & Addington ridings as a part of the redistribution process and to follow the federal election boundaries. The new ridings will be formed on Saturday at the association meetings.
Prince Edward Hastings MPP Todd Smith toasts the riding he has served for five years. (Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
In a final toast celebrating the riding, local Tories filled TerraCello Winery in Bloomfield on Thursday night to send off the old riding and bring in the new.
MPP Smith who lives in Quinte West says the decision to choose between his home riding and an area he has enjoyed representing wasn’t an easy one.
Smith said part of his reason for making the decision was the many people in the Quinte West area urged him to run in the Bay of Quinte riding in 2018.
He pointed to all of the time he’s spent in Quinte West and the issues he’s been engaged in such as cutbacks to the Trenton Memorial Hospital. Smith also touched on the relationships he’s built with officials and staff and CFB Trenton.
Aside from all the continued struggles like rising energy costs, cuts to Quinte Healthcare and costly legal battles over wind turbine projects, Smith proudly touted what he and the PC’s consider success stories over the past five years.
Following the announcement Smith joked one of his most difficult political decisions to come will occur on Friday nights when he has to choose between wearing his Wellington Dukes jersey, or sport his Trenton Golden Hawks sweater.
Meanwhile, Tories in Hastings-Lennox & Addington will hold an open nomination to decide who will carry the PC banner in the next provincial election.
“I look forward to seeing the next generation of leadership that Hastings-Lennox & Addington decides to nominate for 2018. This is an opportunity for new voices to come to the table and help change the future of our province,” said Smith.
