Ontario Votes 2025: Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas

• Read all of CBC Hamilton's coverage of the Ontario election here. 

Current incumbent NDP candidate Sandy Shaw toppled a Liberal stronghold — and incumbent — when she was elected in 2018 to represent Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas.

The riding was created in 2017 when borders were redrawn to match population. 

Before that, the Liberals Party's Ted McMeekin had won the riding of Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale every election since 2000. 

Shaw unseated McMeekin in 2018. The Progressive Conservatives placed second in both that election and in 2022. 

Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas stretches from West Fifth Street, near Mohawk College on the Hamilton Mountain past Ancaster in the west, and north to Dundas, including some rural areas as well as urban and suburban parts of the city.

The riding has a population of 120,505, according to Statistics Canada.

Liberal, NDP and Green Party candidates took part in a debate last week. The PC candidate did not attend.

CBC Hamilton sent a survey to major party candidates, or their party representatives. Their responses, edited for length and clarity, are reflected below.

Also running for MPP is Nori Smith with the Electoral Reform Party, Lee Weiss Vassor for the New Blue Party and Spencer Rocchi from None of the Above Direct Democracy Party. 

Guy Bisson, Green

Guy Bisson, 59, is a retired labour lawyer who worked in the public service. 

He says he's running to support infill housing, eliminating the land transfer tax and development charges for first time home buyers and focusing taxpayers' money on health care and education. 

PC Party Leader Doug Ford is "floundering" rather than governing, Bisson says. 

"I believe that the Green Party of Ontario has the most reasonable, effective and achievable plan to reverse this decline and better prepare us for challenges we'll face in the years ahead," he said. 

Julia Brown, Liberal

Julia Brown, 30, works at Mohawk College as a financial assistant. 

The top issues for people in the riding are health care, education and affordability, she said. Brown is among the thousands of other residents who don't have a family doctor. 

"I'm running as part of a team to restore trust in our health-care system and get every person in Ontario a family doctor within four years," she said.

John Demik, PC

John Demik did not fill out CBC Hamilton's survey. His campaign website says he has 37 years of general contracting experience and volunteers on the council of Mount Hope Community Christian Reformed Church.

He pledges to focus on cutting red tape, creating jobs, investing in transit and infrastructure, and investing in community safety initiatives and homelessness prevention programs, his website says.

Sandy Shaw, NDP

Before entering politics, Shaw, 64, was a credit union director for corporate social responsibility. She has also worked with the Hamilton and District Labour Council and the Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton.

At Queen's Park, she says she's been a "strong advocate" for the riding's communities and pressed for real action on health care and long-term care, as well as defending the Greenbelt. 

"I have heard harrowing stories of people stuck in hallways after surgery; seniors unable to afford groceries; tenants being renovicted from the only home they have ever known," Shaw said. "I hear you, and I grieve with you –- we all deserve so much better."

Also running

• Spencer Rocchi, None of the Above Direct Democracy Party: A teacher, Rocchi has run for various parties in different elections, including the Green Party in Nunavut, the Rhinocéros Party in Hamilton West and as in Independent in Montreal. 
• Nori Smith, Electoral Reform Party: Campaign information was not readily available online. 
• Lee Weiss Vassor, New Blue Party: Online information about her campaign is not available.