Michelle Foxton Off and Running Before Election Call

Apr 02, 2025

By Jemma Dooreleyers

Almost every seat was taken at the Grace Centre in Sydenham on Saturday March 22nd, where Michelle Foxton, Lanark-Frontenac’s Liberal MP candidate was hosting her second Q&A townhall of the day, the day before the federal election was called.

Foxton, who first ran for MP in 2021, has been a resident of Sydenham ON her entire life. Her first position in elected office, was as the youngest councilor on South Frontenac Township’s council when she was 26-yearsold, during the 1998 ice storm. Currently, she is a realestate
lawyer who serves clients in Kingston and the surrounding area.

This Q&A discussion is part of Foxton’s “Solutions Tour”, a tour taking her to different community spaces throughout the riding to connect with residents of Lanark and Frontenac to ensure she knows what the residents are demanding with this election.
“I am so happy everyone was able to make it today,” said Foxton as she addressed the crowd. “Nothing is more important than coming out and participating in democracy.

The whole point of this tour is to hear from the people in our riding and in our community who know the issues and who want to participate in the solutions.”

Foxton then went on to explain the importance of strength and unity in this election and the need for a strong Canada in order to remain steadfast against the threats facing Canada in the current political climate.

“One of the most important questions you will ask me is ‘why are you running ,” she said. “Well, first of all, I’ve got two young kids who are in university and I see the lack of hope and enthusiasm for their future and that breaks my heart. Our future lies in our young people and I refuse to leave this world with out knowing that I have tried.”

“Second, there has never been a more consequential time than what we are living in right now and the most important thing that seems to be on the horizon is making sure that we survive as a country,” she said. “We are sovereign, independent, proud and an energized country
that is united. We can defeat what is out there if we unite and stand behind the flag. That’s why I’m here. I know that for 25 years we haven’t had a voice in parliament, I will fight with my very last breath to ensure that Frontenac has a voice.”

After her passionate speech about unity and patriotism, Foxton opened the floor for questions.

The questions covered a vast array of issues like Mark Carney’s decision to axe the carbon tax, diversifying the economy so that Canada can move away from the use of fossil fuels, what exactly is going to happen when free trade opens up between provinces on July 1st, how the federal government plans to fortify the North against foreign threats, how the federal government, how will the government ensure investment in affordable housing, can the federal government do anything about the provincial government’s management of the healthcare
and childcare systems, how will the federal government reduce corporate power to protect consumers against predatory practices amid the tariff war, how the incoming government will ensure immigration is properly bolstering the workforce, how the liberals will increase their
demographic reach through voting strategy and finally, a question regarding the trust that people may or may not have in Carney.

While each of these questions could have whole articles dedicated to them, Foxton confidently and passionately answered each question while the audience nodded and applauded along. Throughout each answer Foxton continued to reinforce a promise of unity, strength
and assurement that she will take these questions to the House of Commons if she is elected. The Q&A occurred in the afternoon and was the second event of the day (Foxton had visited Battersea United Church the morning prior) and while she was feeling exhausted from the energy required to speak in front of large groups, Foxton was feeling inspired at the end of the afternoon.

“I am over the moon,” she said. “The amount of public support and enthusiasm and the national unity is inspiring and motivating. We are a sturdy party and we won’t go down with out a fight and we’ve got a lot of people who are rooting for positive change in politics and in the world.”

While Foxton ran in the 2021 federal election, she feels a different energy this election season. “This feels so different because I think a lot of the negativity that has been taking centre stage previously has dissolved in the face of the threats from down south and as Canadians, we have said we’re going to put our differences aside and we’re going to fight like hell for our country.”

Foxton is running against the incumbent Conservative Party MP, Scott Reid. During his terms, Reid has been criticized for being inaccessible to the public and quiet in the House of Commons when it comes to representing the riding. Foxton believes that her rural
upbringing and experience with people in the community will inform her decisions in the House of Commons and ensure that Lanark and Frontenac are heard and recognized.

“I can bring experiences from the heart because I’ve lived in a rural community all of my life, except for when I was away for university. I understand what it’s like to grow up in a rural community, and I understand people who have their heart and soul in their rural community,
who are concerned about people coming in and changing things,” she said. “ I’ve seen many rural struggles from my husband’s students not being able to access internet at Granite Ridge Education Centre, to both of my parents being ill and having to rely on limited home care.”
“I feel those struggles and the only way you can represent the people of a community is if you’ve either listened to their struggles or have been through the same struggles and I have done both.”

“If I head to Ottawa, my goal will be to share rural stories and to help the members of this riding to feel engaged and involved. They have to feel a connection.” To see Foxton in person, she will be hosting two more events on April 5, 2025. The morning event will be at
the Clar-Mill Community Hall in Plevna and the afternoon event will be at the St. James Major Church Hall in Sharbot Lake.

The Canadian Federal Election is on April 28th, 2025. Watch these pages for more election coverage.