Gary Bennett (politician)

Gary Bennett is a Canadian politician and businessman notable for his service as the mayor of Kingston, Ontario, from 1994 to 2000.[1] In 2022, Bennett ran for the Progressive Conservative party in the provincial election, and placed third with 24.56% of the vote.[2]

Work and education

Bennett graduated from the Loyalist Collegiate and Vocational Institute in 1972. He later went on to earn an Honours BA in Political Science and a Masters in Public Administration from Queen's University at Kingston. Bennett has participated in the riding associations of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, its successor the Conservative Party of Canada, and the provincial Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Local councillor

Bennett began serving on Kingston City Council after being elected as the city councillor for St. Lawrence Ward in 1988. From 1988 to 1994, he served two consecutive terms as the councillor for the St. Lawrence district in the City of Kingston.

During his time on the council, Bennett served on various civic boards within the region. He was also active on the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) serving on the Large Urban Caucus.

Mayor

Bennett was elected to two terms as Mayor of the City of Kingston, serving his first term from 1994 to 1997. As head of the council, he participated in the initiative to create the new City of Kingston through the amalgamation of the former City of Kingston, Kingston Township, and Pittsburgh Township. The area reached a locally negotiated agreement on amalgamation, which was not universally achieved in Ontario. As part of the amalgamation agreement, the local Public Utilities Commission was also assumed by the new City of Kingston. Bennett served as the last mayor of the former City of Kingston.

In 1996, during his first term in office, Bennett spoke at the yearly gravesite ceremony honouring Canada's first prime minister, John A. Macdonald, who is also a Kingston resident. His address was later published by the Kingston Historical Society.[3]

Bennett was elected in 1997 as the first mayor of the newly amalgamated City of Kingston, serving from 1997 to 2000. During his term, the city responded to a locally declared civic emergency, the Ice Storm of 1998. During his term, the city established a yearly capital surcharge on all property tax classes. Bennet also chaired a local United Way campaign.

Bennett was unsuccessful when he ran for re-election in 2000, losing to Isabel Turner. Challenges associated with the new city's first post-amalgamation government were cited as a factor in the election outcome.[4]

Provincial politics

On June 11, 2017, Bennett was nominated to represent the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party in Kingston and the Islands in the 2018 provincial election. He succeeded against three other challengers for the nomination but was defeated in the subsequent provincial election, placing third behind the NDP and Liberal candidates.[5][6]


2022 Ontario general election: Kingston and the Islands
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Ted Hsu 18,360 37.66 +10.14 $75,749
New Democratic Mary Rita Holland 15,186 31.15 −8.00 $130,691
Progressive Conservative 11,973 24.56 −1.52 $62,419
Green Zachary Typhair 1,601 3.28 −3.14 $15,397
Ontario Party Shalea Beckwith 827 1.70   $7,396
New Blue Stephen Skyvington 429 0.88   $7,078
Independent Shelley Joanne Galloway 130 0.27   $0
Communist Sebastian Vaillancourt 123 0.25   $0
Consensus Ontario Laurel Claus Johnson 120 0.25   $0
Total valid votes/expense limit 48,749 99.49   $146,496
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots 249 0.51 −0.40
Turnout 48,998 46.84 −10.45
Eligible voters 104,601
Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing +9.07
Source(s)
  • "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 2025.
2018 Ontario general election: Kingston and the Islands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Ian Arthur 21,788 39.16 +9.73
Liberal Sophie Kiwala 15,312 27.52 −14.54
Progressive Conservative 14,512 26.08 +5.28
Green Robert Kiley 3,574 6.42 −0.81
Libertarian Heather Cunningham 274 0.49
Trillium Andre Imbeault 184 0.33
Total valid votes 55,644 99.09
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 510 0.91
Turnout 56,154 57.29
Eligible voters 98,020
New Democratic gain from Liberal Swing +12.14
Source: Elections Ontario[7]

References

  1. ^ "Board of Directors | Ontario Trillium Foundation". otf.ca. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
  2. ^ MacAlpine, Ian (June 3, 2022). "Gary Bennett not part of Progressive Conservative blue wave". The Kingston Whig Standard.
  3. ^ Historic Kingston Vol. 45 January 1997
  4. ^ Kingston Whig Standard November 14th, 2000
  5. ^ "Former mayor Bennett to represent PCS".
  6. ^ "Gary Bennett not part of Progressive Conservative blue wave". thewhig. Archived from the original on 2022-06-03. Retrieved 2025-02-03.
  7. ^ "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
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