Waterloo: Longest-serving local MPP looks to hold onto her seat

The longest-serving local MPP will aim to retain her seat in the riding of Waterloo.

The candidates in Waterloo are (in alphabetical order by last name):

• Suja Biber, New Blue.
• Shefaza Esmail, Green.
• Catherine Fife, NDP (incumbent).
• Peter House, Electoral Reform Party.
• Chris Martin, Ontario Party.
• Clayton Moore, Liberal.
• James Schulz, Libertarian.
• Peter Turkington, Progressive Conservatives.

Suja Biber, the New Blue candidate, is a registered massage therapist in Waterloo.

Shefaza Esmail, the Green candidate, works at Mohawk College in Hamilton where she manages the low carbon readiness program. She has also worked as a lecturer in the school of environment, resources and sustainability at the University of Waterloo. Esmail was the Green candidate in this riding in 2022.

Catherine Fife is the the incumbent and the NDP candidate. She has held the seat since winning a byelection in Sept. 2012. Prior to being elected, she worked at the Toronto District School Board as an educational assistant, community advisor and settlement worker.

Peter House is a candidate for the Electoral Reform Party, a party he formed.

Chris Martin is the Ontario Party candidate. The party's motto is "freedom, family and faith."

Clayton Moore, the Liberal candidate, works for software company BioRender as a senior scientific sales executive. His work focuses on startups and scientific communications.

James Schulz, the Libertarian candidate, has run in previous elections for the same party.

Peter Turkington, the PC candidate, is the director of communications for the Progressive Conservatives. He also started Turkington Public Relations Consulting in 2004.

Riding history

The Waterloo riding, as it exists in this election, was formed in 2018. It was created from the riding of Kitchener-Waterloo, which existed from 1999 to 2018. Before 1999, the riding was known as Waterloo North and was established in 1867.

The first Member of Provincial Parliament in Waterloo North was Liberal Moses Springer.

In the last 50 years, Liberal Edward Good held the seat from 1967 to 1977. He was followed by Liberal Herb Epp, who held the seat from 1977 until he retired in 1990.

In 1990, Progressive Conservative Elizabeth Witmer won the seat and held it until 2012, when she stepped down from politics. 

Fife won the Sept. 2012 byelection to replace Witmer.