Graydon Smith
Canadian politician
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Graydon Smith MPP is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2022 provincial election. He represents the riding of Parry Sound—Muskoka as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.[1]
Graydon Smith | |
|---|---|
| |
| Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing | |
| Assumed office March 19, 2025 | |
| Premier | Doug Ford |
| Preceded by | Vijay Thanigasalam |
| Minister of Natural Resources[a] | |
| In office June 24, 2022 – March 19, 2025 | |
| Premier | Doug Ford |
| Preceded by | Greg Rickford |
| Succeeded by | Mike Harris Jr. |
| Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Parry Sound—Muskoka | |
| Assumed office June 2, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Norm Miller |
| Mayor of Bracebridge | |
| In office October 25, 2010 – June 2, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Don Coates |
| Succeeded by | Rick Maloney |
| Member of Bracebridge Town Council | |
| In office November 13, 2006 – October 25, 2010 | |
| Constituency | At-large |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Progressive Conservative |
Smith was formerly the mayor of Bracebridge, Ontario.
On June 24, 2022, Smith was appointed Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry by Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell.[2]
On June 6, 2024, it was announced that Smith remained the Minister of Natural Resources but no longer had responsibility for forestry.[3]
After the 2025 Ontario general election, he was appointed as the Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Background
Smith grew up in Port Sydney, Ontario, where his family owned and operated a local business. He along with his father and brother were members of the Kinsmen Club of Bracebridge for many years. Smith was inspired to enter politics through his time with the Kinsmen Club and a Bracebridge councillor who encouraged him to run in 2006.
Smith is married with two children and lives in Bracebridge, Ontario.
Political Career (2006 - present)
Smith began his political career in Bracebridge, Ontario as a District of Muskoka councillor in 2006. After one term as councillor, the Bracebridge mayor at the time and Smith’s mentor, Don Coates decided to retire and encouraged Smith to run for the mayorship in 2010. He won the seat and served as mayor for 12 years.
During his time as mayor, he became a board of director with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario in 2014 and was president 2021. Smith was also a board of director with the Ontario Small Urban Municipalities.
In 2022, former Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Norm Miller announced he was retiring and would not be seeking re-election paving the way for Smith to run as the Progressive Conservative candidate. On June 2, 2022 Smith won the provincial election with about 45%[4] of the votes. On June 24, Smith was appointed Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.
In June 2022, Smith was criminally charged under Ontario's Endangered Species Act. Specifically, he was accused of ordering road construction which destroyed endangered Blanding's Turtle habitats during his tenure as mayor of Bracebridge.[5][6] On October 25, 2022, the charges against Smith were dropped.[7]
Election results
| 2025 Ontario general election: Parry Sound—Muskoka | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Graydon Smith | 21,731 | 46.80 | +1.43 | ||||
| Green | Matt Richter | 19,360 | 41.69 | +1.06 | ||||
| Liberal | David Innes | 2,828 | 6.09 | N/A | ||||
| New Democratic | Jim Ronholm | 1,329 | 2.86 | –4.83 | ||||
| New Blue | Brandon Nicksy | 785 | 1.69 | –0.29 | ||||
| Ontario Party | Helen Kroeker | 403 | 0.87 | –2.83 | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 46,436 | 99.21 | –0.37 | |||||
| Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots | 371 | 0.79 | +0.37 | |||||
| Turnout | 46,807 | 55.37 | +2.28 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 84,534 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | +0.19 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Ontario[8][9] | ||||||||
| 2022 Ontario general election: Parry Sound—Muskoka | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Graydon Smith | 20,216 | 45.37 | −2.70 | $85,536 | |||
| Green | Matt Richter | 18,102 | 40.63 | +20.61 | $95,858 | |||
| New Democratic | Erin Horvath | 3,427 | 7.69 | −14.34 | $14,568 | |||
| Ontario Party | Andrew John Cocks | 1,649 | 3.70 | $8,029 | ||||
| New Blue | Doug Maynard | 883 | 1.98 | $2,616 | ||||
| Independent | Daniel Predie Jr. | 155 | 0.35 | $0 | ||||
| Populist | Brad Waddell | 126 | 0.28 | $3,142 | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 44,558 | 99.58 | +0.29 | $117,992 | ||||
| Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots | 187 | 0.42 | -0.29 | |||||
| Turnout | 44,745 | 53.09 | -6.13 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 82,580 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | −11.65 | ||||||
Source(s)
| ||||||||
| 2018 Bracebridge mayoral election[10] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Graydon Smith | 4,457 | 75.9% |
| Lory-Lynn Giaschi-Pacini | 1,417 | 24.1% |
| 2014 Bracebridge mayoral election[11] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Graydon Smith | 5,171 | 84.0% |
| Phil Kolyn | 986 | 16.0% |
| 2010 Bracebridge mayoral election[12] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Graydon Smith | 2,882 | 46.1% |
| Larry Stroud | 1,954 | 31.2% |
| John Duck | 1,422 | 22.7% |
| 2006 Bracebridge municipal election: At-large (three to be elected)[13] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Scott Young | 2,675 | 17.82% |
| Steven Clement | 2,464 | 16.42% |
| Graydon Smith | 2,428 | 16.18% |
| Barb McMurray | 2,271 | 15.13% |
| Don MacKay | 2,211 | 14.73% |
| John Kelly | 1,247 | 8.31% |
| Tricia Hunter | 1,171 | 7.80% |
| Jim Swanborough | 542 | 3.61% |
Notes
- Known as Minister of Natural Resources & Forestry until 2024, succeeded by Nolan Quinn as Associate Minister Forestry
