Bay of Quinte Conservative candidate Tyler Allsopp knows he has some substantial footwear to fit into as he steps up to replace MPP Todd Smith.

A Belleville City Councillor for the last five years, Mr. Allsopp admitted to daydreaming about representing the Quinte region at Queen’s Park one day. But with the gregarious, larger-than-life Minister of Energy already firmly in place, those seemed only dreams.

Mr. Smith’s sudden resignation — the former MPP is the new Vice-President of Marketing and Business Development with nuclear giant Candu Energy — has cleared a path.

“Todd and Premier Ford both called and asked if I was interested and it didn’t take long for me to accept. Any opportunity to do more for the community and on a larger scale and bring jobs and resources to the community — I’m all for it.”

The PC Candidate said his tenure at the municipal level has allowed him to understand better how the three branches of government can best interact with one another. He noted doctor and nursing shortages, infrastructure, planning, and zoning issues are connected.

“The Ford government has done a great job since 2018 and I’m looking forward to going to Queen’s Park and improving on the collaboration between the province and the municipalities in the Bay of Quinte.”

When it comes to infrastructure, Mr. Allsopp acknowledged County Road 49 was a major problem for Prince Edward County and its rate payers.

“The province is committed to pledging some funds to that project but in instances like these where it’s a multi-million dollar proposal, it will either need to be broken up into smaller sections or require a three-part agreement between the federal, provincial and municipal governments. We are waiting for the federal government to announce such an infrastructure program — but from the province’s perspective, we are ready to put up our fair share.”

While Mr. Smith was a monumental force in helping bring a new hospital to Picton, the healthcare resources to staff it are a major concern.

Mr. Alsopp pointed to a number of provincial initiatives aimed at stemming the lack of medical healthcare professionals including new doctor, nurse and personal support worker hiring programs, expanded residency spaces and a pair of new schools of medicine. There’s also a grant to cover the tuition of graduates willing to practice family medicine.

He said the lack of a family doctor was the number one concern amongst the residents he was meeting while knocking on doors in the region. 

“At Queen’s Park I will ensure that the municipalities in our region can take full advantage of all the government programs that are available to bring high quality health care closer to home.”