Welcome
The OLRNC believes a stronger future for Ontario begins with inclusive representation for rural and northern Ontarians and by electing rural and northern Liberal MPPs as part of a strong, majority Ontario Liberal government.
A Working Commission
As a formal working commission within the Ontario Liberal Party, the OLRNC brings together Liberals from across Ontario’s rural and northern ridings, small towns, farming communities, northern cities and remote regions. Together, we work to ensure the lived experience and priorities of rural and northern Ontarians are reflected in the Ontario Liberal Party’s values, mission, direction, policy agenda, and election platforms.
The objective of the OLRNC is to maintain an active organization of rural and northern members of the Ontario Liberal Party and to speak with a collective voice on behalf of rural and northern Liberals in Ontario, while simultaneously upholding Liberal principles and supporting the Ontario Liberal Party.
To that end, the OLRNC is committed to:
- Promoting the active involvement of rural and northern Ontarians in the democratic process;
- Identifying, recruiting, and supporting individuals from these regions to join the Party and pursue leadership roles within its structures;
- Raising funds to help support rural and northern PLAs, candidates and campaigns through the Rural and Northern Fund;
- Encouraging and facilitating the nomination and election of candidates from rural and northern ridings; and
- Influencing policy development to ensure the unique challenges and perspectives of rural and northern communities are reflected in a deliberate and localized policy lens.
The Rural and Northern Fund
The Rural and Northern Fund (RNF), created by the Commission, is a central donation fund designed to provide practical, ongoing support to rural and northern Provincial Liberal Associations (PLAs) – especially in between elections – while building a stronger foundation for future winning campaigns.
Why Is This Being Created?
For too long, rural and northern ridings have faced unique challenges:
- Smaller volunteer bases
- Limited fundraising capacity
- Difficulty maintaining momentum between elections
- Higher costs due to geography and travel
The RNF is a new approach to addressing these realities by:
- Raising new money specifically for rural and northern Ontario
- Supporting PLAs where capacity is limited
- Ensuring rural and northern ridings are better prepared for future elections
- Attracting and supporting rural and northern candidates for future victory right across Ontario
This is about long-term party building, not just short-term campaigns.
Get Involved
Become an Ontario Liberal
Rural and northern Ontarians deserve more than attention – they deserve a real seat at the table. Joining the Ontario Liberal Party means turning your lived experience into action on healthcare, education, affordability, jobs and the economy, and infrastructure that actually works for you, your family and your community. It’s about fairness – closing the gap between urban and rural – and ensuring decisions aren’t imposed from Queen’s Park, but shaped with real input by you.
If you want practical solutions, stronger local economies, and a government that listens and partners with you, this is where your voice helps lead Ontario forward.
Join an OLRNC Regional Committee
The OLRNC has six Regional Committees led by its Regional Vice Presidents.
Each PLA in the region can send one representative to sit on the Regional Committee. OLP members in good standing from the region can also join and participate.
What do Regional Committees do?
OLRNC’s Regional Committees assist with field support in the region by:
- Gathering information and managing issues, identifying and building stakeholder relationships, and creating a two-way line of communication between PLAs, the OLRNC and OLP.
- Liaising with PLAs on rural/northern issues and policy and supporting the OLP’s policy process.
- Assisting with fundraising for the OLP through the Rural and Northern Fund, and
- Supporting election readiness – identifying potential candidates, providing training and mentorship, etc.
If you would like to participate with your Regional Committee, please send us an email at olrnc@ontarioliberal.ca
Meet Your OLRNC Executive
| President | Roger Martin |
| Executive Vice-President | Ted Crysler |
| Secretary-Treasurer | Devon Monkhouse |
| Vice-President, Policy and Constitutional Affairs | Suzanne Elliott |
| Vice-President, Communications | Anthony Valenti |
| Vice-President, Fundraising | Joshua Bell |
| Vice-President, Francophone Affairs | Jean-Michel Tweed |
| Regional Vice-President, Central East | Ted Darby |
| Regional Vice-President, Central North | Amir Soltaninia |
| Regional Vice-President, East | Campbell Simard |
| Regional Vice-President, North | Tahsin Jaman |
| Regional Vice-President, South Central | Mavis Vet |
| Regional Vice-President, South West | Ashley Fox |
Forming the OLRNC
The Ontario Liberal Rural and Northern Commission (OLRNC) was established through a Constitutional Amendment to the OLP Constitution with overwhelming member support at the 2023 OLP AGM in Hamilton.
History
The OLRNC was created with a simple, yet powerful idea in mind: rural and northern citizens deserve to be heard, valued, and represented in the Ontario Liberal Party.
The OLRNC was born from the work of the Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston Provincial Liberal Association, which brought together Liberal members from across the province to form a committee to explore ways in which the Ontario Liberal Party could better represent rural and northern ridings and improve our Party’s electoral success.
OLRNC Constitution
Click here for the Ontario Liberal Rural and Northern Commission Constitution (as amended September 12, 2025 at the OLRNC AGM in Toronto):
Contact Us!
If you’re looking to get involved with the OLRNC, or you just want to say hi, don’t hesitate to reach out! The OLRNC can be contacted at olrnc@ontarioliberal.ca.