Kingston and the Islands

This southeastern Ontario riding lies along the St. Lawrence River and includes the city of Kingston. It also contains part of the County of Frontenac and Howe, Frontenac and Wolfe Islands.

The riding includes Queen's University, Royal Military College and Kingston Penitentiary.

Primary employment sectors are health and social services, education, public adminiostration and retail trade. The average family income is $83,188 and the unemployment rate is seven per cent. More than three per cent of the population is francophone, according to the 2006 census.

Kingston and the Islands was created from Kingston and Prince Edward-Lennox ridings in 1966. The riding of Kingston existed from 1867 to 1924 and again from 1952 to 1966. In the 2004 redistribution, part of the riding of Hastings-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington was added in the northeast corner.

Population: 119,069 (2006 census; an increase of 2.8% since 2001)

Political History

In 2006, Liberal Peter Milliken received 45 per cent of the vote and beat Conservative Lou Grimshaw, who had 26 per cent. The win was Milliken's sixth in the riding.

In 2004, Milliken defeated Tory Blair MacLean for a second time. Milliken was elected Speaker of the House of Commons in 2001.

Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, won in this riding from Confederation to 1878 and again in 1887 and 1891. In 1878, after his government won the election but he lost in his own riding, Macdonald was elected in the British Columbia riding of Victoria.

Conservative cabinet minister Flora MacDonald was MP in this riding from 1972 to 1988. She was minister of external affairs under Joe Clark and minister of employment and minister of communications under Brian Mulroney. Liberal Edgar J. Benson, a revenue minister, finance minister, defence minister and president of the Treasury Board, was the MP from 1962 to 1972.

• 1968 - LIB
• 1972-84 inclusive - PC
• 1988 - 2006 inclusive - LIB