TIMISKAMING-COCHRANE - From municipal operations to minor hockey, Rick Ellsmere’s experience in public service is shaping his campaign for Queen’s Park.
Ellsmere is the Liberal candidate in Timiskaming-Cochrane for the Ontario election. He is one of five candidates vying for the seat.
He is a resident of the Englehart area and juggles multiple roles in his community.
Ellsmere works as a public works operator for the Municipality of Charlton and Dack and the Township of Chamberlain. He serves as the president of the Englehart Minor Hockey Association and coaches U9 and U7 hockey teams, which his children play on.
He is also a volunteer firefighter and a trained aerial spotter with the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA), contributing to search-and-rescue operations.
Ellsmere running for office has been a long time coming.
“It's something I've been contemplating for almost 30 years, but the time never seemed right. But this time around, it seemed right,” he said.
Health care is the top priority for Ellsmere.
“I would love to ensure that our northern communities have equitable access to health care, including hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and health care workers,” he said.
“The party has a plan to bring in doctors and have a doctor for everybody within four years, and it's very achievable. It's not pie-in-the-sky dreaming.”
He also highlighted the need to expand telehealth and telemedicine services to support remote and underserved communities and to address gaps in the Northern Ontario travel grant to ensure residents can access care in a timely manner.
Education is another focus.
He noted that many students in Northern Ontario face long commutes to school and he wants to prevent further school closures. He also supports expanding Indigenous education within schools by incorporating Indigenous history, culture, and languages, as well as involving Indigenous elders and knowledge keepers.
“I am Métis myself. My ancestry is back to two families, one from Fort Garry in Manitoba and one from Red River,” he said.
“I also have two great-grandmothers who were Indigenous. One was Ojibwe, one was Iroquois.”
Transportation and infrastructure are also among his priorities.
“Being on the volunteer fire department, I've seen my share in my lifetime of accidents, so I'd love to see some improvement there,” he said.
“Four lanes all the way through on Highway 11 — something needs to be done.”
The state of infrastructure in Northern Ontario is also a key concern, particularly in his region, where he said road repairs have been delayed for years.
He also pointed to his experience assisting with the state of emergency declared in Charlton and Dack in April 2024, which was caused by extensive flooding and infrastructure failures.
“We saw failures of 20, 30, 40-year-old culverts just from the diluted rain,” he said.
“I understand that municipalities need help to cover infrastructure costs, not just keep downloading onto the municipalities and bragging you're not raising taxes.”
Despite entering the race later than other candidates, Ellsemere said he is ready for the challenge.
“I'm late to the game, but I'm here. I'm looking forward to trying to represent the riding and want to do the best for the people. It's for the people. It's not for my glory,” he said.
The other candidates in the riding are PC Tory Delaurier, New Blue Stephen MacLeod, Green Kris Rivard and NDP incumbent John Vanthof.
Election day is on Feb. 27.
