NDP candidate for SDSG
Kelsey Catherine Schmitz, federal NDP candidate in the upcoming federal election, is pictured at the Victoria Street Café in Chesterville. Thompson Goddard photo

SDSG – On Sun., Aug. 23 the Stormont Dundas and South Glengarry New Democratic Party chose Kelsey Catherine Schmitz as their candidate in the upcoming federal election. 

Currently living in Cornwall, Schmitz was raised in the South Stormont communities of Newington and Ingleside. She completed a PhD in Education and has worked for the Students on Ice Foundation as well as volunteering as a softball coach in Cornwall.

Schmitz cares about local, regional and global issues including access to employment and access to affordable housing and seeks to ensure the government takes better care of its citizens. She sees running as a candidate in the federal election as a way of giving back to her community.

She continued how it is her intention to spend time getting to know people in the riding by reaching out to people in a way that gives back to the community, with plans to establish floating campaign offices throughout the riding rather than one centralized office.

When asked recently about her electoral campaign, she commented that: “It’s been a great couple of first weeks” and continued how the campaign has been “gaining momentum” with “ a number of new volunteers, event invites” as well as the planning of “two campaign official kickoffs and a few fundraiser events.”

Schmitz mentioned during her recent door to door campaigning, that she is finding “the two big national issues are trust in government and affordability/fear of cuts” continuing how “here in Ontario, the Ford legacy is something that is going to impact a lot of what we talk about, even federally.” With campaign debates in the near future, Schmitz commented that she is “looking forward to the debates,” seeing them as an opportunity for candidates to provide voters with their electoral platforms and to “see what kind of voice our communities will have in an MP.” She mentioned that “it’s very important to ensure that the chosen voice also demonstrates an understanding of the region’s needs, Canada’s needs, and can dig below the surface of the promises and platforms.”