Greg Rickford

David Gregory Rickford PC ECO KC MPP (born September 24, 1967) is a Canadian politician. He is the Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs in the Executive Council of Ontario under Premier Doug Ford. He represents the Kenora—Rainy River riding in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

The Honourable Greg Rickford PC ECO KC MPP
Rickford in 2022
Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation
Incumbent
Assumed office June 29, 2018
Premier	Doug Ford
Preceded by	David Zimmer
Minister of Northern Development
Incumbent
Assumed office June 24, 2022
Premier	Doug Ford
Preceded by	Himself (as Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines)
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Kenora—Rainy River
Incumbent
Assumed office June 7, 2018
Preceded by	Sarah Campbell
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Kenora
In office October 14, 2008 – August 4, 2015
Preceded by	Roger Valley
Succeeded by	Bob Nault
Additional offices held Ontario Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry In office June 18, 2021 – June 24, 2022 Premier Doug Ford Preceded by Himself (as Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines) John Yakabuski (as Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry) Succeeded by Himself (as Minister of Northern Development) Graydon Smith (as Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry) Ontario Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines In office June 29, 2018 – June 18, 2021 Premier Doug Ford Preceded by Glenn Thibeault (Energy) Michael Gravelle (Northern Development & Mines) Succeeded by Todd Smith (Energy) Minister of Natural Resources In office March 19, 2014 – November 4, 2015 Prime Minister Stephen Harper Preceded by Joe Oliver Succeeded by Jim Carr Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario In office July 15, 2013 – November 4, 2015 Prime Minister Stephen Harper Preceded by Tony Clement Succeeded by Position abolished Minister of State for Science and Technology In office July 15, 2013 – March 19, 2014 Prime Minister Stephen Harper Preceded by Gary Goodyear Succeeded by Ed Holder Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs In office January 30, 2011 – July 15, 2013 Prime Minister Stephen Harper Preceded by Position established Succeeded by Mark Strahl
Personal details
Born	David Gregory Rickford (1967-09-24) September 24, 1967 (age 58) Paris, Ontario, Canada
Party	Progressive Conservative
Other political affiliations	Conservative
Alma mater	Mohawk College (Dipl.) University of Victoria (BScNursing) McGill University (JD, BCL) Université Laval (MBA)
Occupation	Nurse, lawyer, politician

Rickford previously served as the federal Minister of Natural Resources and as the Minister of State for Science and Technology in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He was elected to the House of Commons in the 2008 federal election^[1] and represented the electoral district of Kenora as a member of the Conservative Party until his defeat in the 2015 election.

Background

Rickford was born in Paris, Ontario, on September 24, 1967. He worked as a nurse and lawyer in the remote First Nations communities of the Kenora District.^[2]

Federal politics

Rickford was elected to represent the Ontario electoral district of Kenora in the 2008 federal election and re-elected in the 2011 election.

A member of the Conservative Party of Canada, Rickford was the first Conservative MP elected in the Kenora riding and the first right-wing MP to represent the Kenora area since 1921.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Rickford Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages on August 30, 2010.

On January 30, 2011, Rickford was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.^[3]

On July 15, 2013, he was appointed the Minister of State (Science and Technology, and Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario).^[4]

On March 19, 2014, he was appointed to succeed Joe Oliver as Minister of Natural Resources.^[5]

He was defeated in the October 19, 2015 Canadian federal election by Bob Nault. Nault had represented the predecessor riding of Kenora-Rainy River from 1988 until 2004, when he chose not to run in the 2004 Canadian federal election. Rickford was pushed into third place, behind Nault and former Ontario New Democratic Party leader Howard Hampton.

Provincial politics

Rickford re-entered politics on November 18, 2017, when he was acclaimed as the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidate in Kenora—Rainy River for the 2018 election.^[6] The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government in the June 7, election and Rickford was elected in his riding.

On June 29, 2018, Rickford was appointed Ministry of Energy, Mines, Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs in the cabinet of Premier Doug Ford.

Electoral record

v t e 2025 Ontario general election: Kenora—Rainy River
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Greg Rickford	10,541	59.93	+0.36
	New Democratic	Rudy Turtle	3,308	18.81	–1.11
	Liberal	Anthony Leek	3,072	17.46	+6.11
	Green	John Redins	336	1.91	–1.88
	New Blue	Randy Ricci	333	1.89	–0.56
Total valid votes/expense limit			17,590	99.29	+0.73
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots			125	0.71	–0.73
Turnout			17,715	50.37	+10.16
Eligible voters			35,172
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		+0.74
Source: Elections Ontario[7][8]

v t e 2022 Ontario general election: Kenora—Rainy River
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Progressive Conservative	Greg Rickford	9,567	59.57	+11.01	$56,299
	New Democratic	JoAnne Formanek Gustafson	3,199	19.92	−17.41	$14,415
	Liberal	Anthony Leek	1,823	11.35	+0.77	$32,991
	Green	Catherine Kiewning	608	3.79	+0.26	$1,339
	New Blue	Kelvin Boucher-Chicago	393	2.45		$4,074
	Ontario Party	Larry Breiland	276	1.72		$0
	Consensus Ontario	Richard A. Jonasson	98	0.61		$0
	Independent	Mi'Azhikwan	95	0.59		$0
Total valid votes/expense limit			16,059	98.56	-0.48	$66,892
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots			235	1.44	+0.48
Turnout			16,294	40.21	-13.91
Eligible voters			40,231
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		+14.21
Source(s) "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. "Statistical Summary by Electoral District" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023.

2018 Ontario general election: Kenora—Rainy River
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Greg Rickford	9,748	48.57	+23.08
	New Democratic	Glen Archer	7,493	37.33	-18.32
	Liberal	Karen Kejick	2,123	10.58	-5.19
	Green	Ember McKillop	707	3.52	+0.45
Total valid votes			20,071	100.0
Turnout				56.6
Eligible voters			35,457
	Progressive Conservative gain from New Democratic		Swing		+20.54
Source: Elections Ontario[9]

2015 Canadian federal election: Kenora
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Bob Nault	10,898	35.39
	New Democratic	Howard Hampton	10,379	33.71
	Conservative	Greg Rickford	8,760	28.45
	Green	Ember C. McKilop	501	1.63
	Independent	Kelvin Boucher-Chicago	162	0.53
Total valid votes			30,791	100.00

2011 Canadian federal election: Kenora
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Conservative	Greg Rickford	11,567	47.05	+6.59	–
	New Democratic	Tania Cameron	6,855	27.88	+4.65	–
	Liberal	Roger Valley	5,381	21.89	-9.74	–
	Green	Mike Schwindt	636	2.59	-2.09	–
	Independent	Kelvin Chicago-Boucher	147	0.60	–	–
Total valid votes			24,586	100.00
Total rejected ballots			120	0.49	+0.09
Turnout			24,706	60.38	+5.01
Eligible voters			40,917	–	–

2008 Canadian federal election: Kenora
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Conservative	Greg Rickford	9,395	40.46	+9.47	$80,724
	Liberal	Roger Valley	7,344	31.63	-4.89	$63,788
	New Democratic	Tania Cameron	5,394	23.23	-6.72	$59,298
	Green	JoJo Holiday	1,087	4.68	+2.14	$362
Total valid votes/Expense limit			23,220	100.00	$90,484
Total rejected ballots			94	0.40	+0.09
Turnout			23,314	55.37	-8.11
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing		-7.18

Cabinet positions

OntarFord ministry, Province of Ontario (2018–present)

28th Canadian Ministry (2006–2015) – Cabinet of Stephen Harper