Dunlop Wins Second Term
By John Swartz
Jill Dunlop was elected to a second term as MPP for the Simcoe North Riding. She claimed 49.8% (23,041) of votes cast .
Elizabeth Van Houtte was next with 8,208 votes and Aaron Cayden Hiltz was only 138 vote behind in third.
The Green Party’s Krystal Brooks did remarkably well ending in 4th place getting 4,071 votes, or 8.8%. She ran a year ago in the federal election placing 5th with 1,903 votes. This was despite the lowest voter turnout across the province for a provincial election (43.5%) in history.
In last year’s federal election there were 101,343 registered voters and that number will be similar to this election. Using that for reference, approximately 54.5% of eligible voters went to the polls in Simcoe North. The actual turnout was 55,033 voters compared to 2018’s, 53,789.
Taken all together, only 1.9 million eligible voters (of 10.7 million) elected the Conservatives to a second term as the party controlling Ontario’s future.
Dunlop said she and her team knocked on 18,000 doors during this campaign.
“Everyone played a huge part in this team in getting us re-elected,” she said in her victory speech.
“I would also like to congratulate my contenders and their volunteer teams as well. It takes a lot to put their names on the ballot.”
Former MPP Garfield Dunlop was at the campaign party held at Coldwater’s Bonaire Golf Course to celebrate the win with is daughter.
“Wherever she goes people love her and as a father there’s nothing I could be more proud of than the fact that she does so well,” he said. Dunlop also mentioned Jill spent time in the Barrie-Springwater riding helping Orillian and attorney general Doug Downey’s campaign.
“She spent quite a bit of time in Doug Downey’s riding, just in the last week. I’m hoping that will turn out for Doug,” Garfield Dunlop said.
Downey was in a tough fight with Barrie mayor Jeff Lehman. Lehman led the race with margins between 2 votes and 200 until about 10:30 p.m. when the lead switched in Downey’s favour. The final vote was 16,114 to 15,505 in Downey’s favour.
SUNonline/Orillia asked Dunlop about the plan to build a new hospital. Many people in the community do not favour a location outside the central core. Many also believe the provincial government holds the cards on a location determination. However, Dunlop revealed the decision will be made locally.
“The location of where the hospital would be is dependent on the hospital. We’ve been working through this process right now with the administration and we have meetings with, the ministry,” Dunlop said. “At this moment we don’t have location. It’s up in the air where the hospital could be.”
“It’s not being lead by the government as to where that location would be, that would be up to the hospital,” Dunlop said.
(Photos / Video by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia) Main: Jill Dunlop with daughters Karley, Madison and Rachel just after learning election results.
