Clarence-Rockland city councillor Trevor Stewart is hoping to become the next member of provincial parliament (MPP) for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell when Ontarians head to the polls in June of 2026.
Trevor Stewart, Clarence-Rockland’s municipal representative for ward 7, announced at the Hammond Golf and Country Club on Saturday, April 20, that he is seeking the Liberal provincial nomination for the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell.
Stewart, who is from Hammond, was surrounded by friends, family, and supporters as he made his announcement, as well as a veritable who’s-who of local politicians including current Liberal MP Francis Drouin, Russell councillor Lisa Deacon, and Don Boudria, the riding’s longest serving MP who help multiple cabinet positions over his more than 20 years in office.
First elected to municipal council in 2022 at the young age of 23, the young councillor has made an impression and now hopes to provide a voice to a region he feels has been ignored by the province.
“As a municipal councillor, I have seen how much our (riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell) growth has been held back by the provincial government,” said Stewart. “This area has been good to my family, and for me, politics is a way of giving back to the community I love.”
When Stewart was 15, a teacher suggested he join a student led program by the Ministry of Education called the Minister’s Student Advisory Council, his first foray into politics and was immediately hooked.
He won his Clarence-Rockland council seat by virtue of persistence because he wanted the road in front of his house paved.
“My parents got to where they are by hard work, and I am trying to do the same,” added Stewart. “I am motivated, enthusiastic, and I know this community. It is time to give this area a voice.”
Stewart said he is not thrilled with the direction the province is headed, or the many controversies surrounding the Ford government, most notably, the Greenbelt scandal.
He said the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell was hit hard during the derecho windstorm in May 2022, and the province “barely provided” any support or help as areas in the region were recovering from the storm’s impact.
Stewart noted that a dedicated group of parents have long spearheaded a campaign, addressing the need for a French public high school in Clarence-Rockland, a region that is Francophone.
It was for these reasons, among others, Stewart decided that now is the time for change.
It was time to give the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell the representation he feels has been missing at the provincial level.
“We can’t even have a conversation with the province, and it is really impacting people in our community,” Stewart.
Should Stewart win come the summer of 2026, he would then have to step down from his Clarence-Rockland council seat.
“There is no conflict of interest at all, I have done my homework, » he said. “I made sure everything was good and clear before I made this decision.”
Stewart is no stranger to door knocking, having ran a campaign for his municipal councillor role, and went door-to-door to see what was top of people’s mind’s before he made his announcement regarding the 2026 provincial election.
“I have this fire in my belly, and I am ready to go out there and really hear what people are saying,” he said. “I want to make sure that we are in the province’s eyesight. That our needs are being met and our voices are being heard.”
Stéphane Sarrazin, a Progressive Conservative, has represented the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell at the provincial level since 2022.
