RIDING PROFILE: What you need to know about Sudbury

In March, incumbent Liberal MP Paul Lefebvre announced he will not be seeking re-election. Since 1949, the Sudbury riding has sent predominantly Liberals to Parliament Hill, although two NDP members have carried the riding: Bud Germa from 1967-68, and Glenn Thibeault between 2008-2014.

Known as the provincial hub of mining technology and services, approximately 9 per cent of Sudbury's labour force is employed in the mining, forestry and quarrying industry. According to a StatsCan report, approximately 13.7 per cent of the labour force is employed in the health care and social assistance sector.

Candidates in the Sudbury riding include two former professors from Laurentian University, both terminated following the school's insolvency.  

Who's running in Sudbury

Viviane Lapointe

Viviane Lapointe has worked as a communications executive at Sudbury's hospital and with the province's Ministry of Northern Development and Mines. She is currently with Community Living Greater Sudbury.

"When elected MP, my priority will be the future of young families. The [Liberal Party] housing plan gets us there. Our seniors deserve quality health care and affordable housing. Our young families want to prosper and have access to $10 a day childcare. Our middle class must be well-supported. And the Liberal government is the only party that has increased this support since 2015." 

Colette Methé

Colette Methé is a retired high school teacher from Sudbury. In her profile page on the People's Party of Canada Web site, Methé said she holds Canadian values "close to her heart." 

"Mandated vaccines, vaccine passports, faculty and administrators on university campuses that are censoring free discussion, exchange of ideas, debates. Medical doctors who don't agree with lockdowns are silenced. Social media companies are censoring speech that isn't politically correct. If you don't agree with the government today, you have no voice. This scares me. It creates segregation and hatred. This is not the Canada that I am used to, and it certainly is not the Canada that I want." 

Nadia Verrelli

Nadia Verrelli spent seven years as an professor in the political science department at Laurentian University. She also helped organize the annual model Parliament event and actively participated in the university senate.

"This idea of Liberals making sweet promises became all the more clear to me when the whole Laurentian University happened, when 6500 was on strike and we saw that the Liberals didn't show up. I felt that this was the time for me to run. I felt that Sudbury needs a representative that shows up. Sudbury needs a representative that can speak for their community and represent their community. Sudbury is ready for better." 

David Popescu

Perennial candidate David Propescu is running in the Sudbury riding as an indepedent. Known for his extremist, evangelical views, Popescu recently served 30 days in jail for willfully promoting hatred after distributing a DVD saying then-Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne should be put to death because of her sexual orientation. 

"The main problems with society is that we have sinned terribly against our creator. Jesus Christ is almighty God, the father, the creator. And when we sin against him, he becomes the destroyer of his enemies. Jesus said, 'If you love me, keep my commandments.' His definition of hatred is our disobedience to his commandments."

David Robinson

David Robinson is a former economics professor at Laurentian University,  best known for his columns in local media focusing on northern economic issues. This is his fourth time running for the Greens in Sudbury. 

"I want to give people the opportunity to vote for something that they care about, and that is the climate and the future. I don't think that the mainline parties today are offering a real alternative. A vote for me is a vote for action and the Green Party, whether or not I go to Ottawa, because every vote for the Green Party is a vote taken away from the Liberals or the Conservatives or the NDP, and they desperately want those votes so they will steal our policies if you vote for us."

Ian Symington, Conservative Party of Canada

Ian Symington is a family physician in Sudbury, currently working at Health Sciences North and the Copper Cliff Medical Clinic. He has volunteered with the Sudbury and District Girls Hockey Association and with Laurentian Voyageur athletics. 

"I chose to run in this election because as a family doctor, I hear many viewpoints from a diverse mix of people in my daily routine. People's uncertainties are increasing for all of my patients, my family, for all of us. Over the past several years, I've started to question how decisions are made in government and why politicians can't seem to work together to find solutions for us. We seem to be heading toward polarised, American-style politics, and our current prime minister seems to make things worse by playing identity politics and is more concerned about elections than easing tensions to help us all get along."

Historical results from the Sudbury electoral district:

Official Voting Results - General Election (October 19, 2015)