Voters in Kenora-Rainy River think of mental health, economic transition ahead of spring election

There's more water than land in "sunset country," the provincial Kenora—Rainy River riding that surrounds the Lake of the Woods and covers most of Treaty 3 territory, reaching eastward to Ignace, Ont.

The economy that relied on forestry for a century is pivoting to grow other industries like tourism, agriculture, and small business, while mining is once again on the rise. The municipalities are service centres for dozens of First Nations that dot the lake and river shores, whose communities and members are taking an increasing role in political and economic affairs.

In 2018, voters in Kenora—Rainy River elected their former federal member, Progressive Conservative (PC) candidate Greg Rickford in 2018, which put an end to two decades of NDP representation. 

In addition to Rickford, here's who else is running in this spring's election, according to Elections Ontario: 

As economies diversify, the electorate shares the most poignant political priorities, but local interests are growing more distinct between communities. 

Kenora, the region's main city near the Manitoba border, has the region's strongest urban tourism industry, contributing over $40 million annually. But a creeping decline in affordable housing has contributed to a visible increase in homelessness, as well as mental health and addictions issues.

A number of low-income, multi-residential building fires since 2005 partly contributed to the shortage, along with rising rents and a low number of new builds. There are more people on waiting lists for social housing in the city than existing units and municipal leaders say policing costs are becoming unsustainable.

Liz Visser and her partner are a couple in their 40s without children who rent an apartment downtown. She says the holes where buildings used to be has brought drinking and drug use into more public areas, making it even more "undignified" than she can remember it being when she was couch-surfing a decade ago after leaving an abusive relationship.

"We're seeing intergenerational trauma being played out on the streets. The systems in place that serve to oppress people, we're seeing that and it affects Indigenous people the most," she says, citing the latest point-in-time count that revealed 90 per cent of unhoused respondents in the city identified as Indigenous.

Fifty new units are under construction this spring but Visser says real success will require more compassion than available services can provide.

"I want to see infrastructure here. I want to see housing. I want to see buildings," she said. "I want to see more health programs. I want to see a safe injection site where people can go and be safe, where they're going to get support and maybe get some more avenues they can go to, [but] we're continuing with the same recipe. It just gets a new name every time," Visser said.

"I'm looking out my window right now and I'm just seeing people in pain, just in pain. You hear it and it's 24/7."

When Wauzhushk Onigum First Nation held a plebiscite on whether it should build a drinking water system that connects to neighbouring Kenora, Will Landon's family voted against it. The project went through but he says he'd rather be on a boil-water advisory than worry about being dependent on non-Indigenous political systems.

The single father, who works for a disaster relief company, doesn't vote in Canadian or Ontario elections. This time won't be any different, but he says it's getting more complicated.