Kevin Smith for Kingston City Council, Kingscourt-Rideau District. Election day is Monday, October 26.
I'm for the little guy, the person who has been through hell and back. Kevin Smith, Kingstonist candidate profile, September 2026
Kevin has been homeless. He believes every city council in the country should have at least one member who knows what that is actually like, and he wants to be that person in Kingston.
The moment that turned the idea into a campaign was the Montreal Street fire in the apartments above Suits Nightclub. Kevin was involved, and he felt the City's response to the people displaced could have been a lot better. Somebody who'd been on the wrong end of that response needed a seat at the table.
He has sat on the City of Kingston's Housing and Homelessness Advisory Committee since 2024, and previously worked in the office of Mark Gerretsen, MP for Kingston and the Islands. He knows how City Hall works, and he knows how it feels from the outside.
The things people in Kingscourt-Rideau actually bring up at the door. Not a wish list, a to-do list.
Damaged roads and dark streets are the number one complaint in the district. Basic infrastructure that works is the job, and Kevin will push for repairs in Kingscourt-Rideau to be scheduled and done, not studied.
Kevin brings two years on the Housing and Homelessness Advisory Committee plus his own lived experience. He will fight for real supports for people sleeping rough and dealing with addiction, and for a City that responds properly when residents lose their homes.
For a lot of the district, the bus is the only way to work, school and appointments. Kevin will push for routes and frequency that reflect how people in north Kingston actually get around.
Low income and food insecurity hit Kingscourt-Rideau harder than most of the city. Kevin will back the community groups already doing this work and make sure City programs reach the people who need them.
Crime and safety come up constantly. Kevin wants better lighting, real neighbourhood presence and a council that treats the north end's concerns as seriously as anyone else's.
Kevin Smith came to Kingston in 2021 and made it home. He comes from a family he describes as too big to count, and he's the kind of person who shows up: for the Kingston Canadian Film Festival, for the Kingston Fall Fair, for the Housing and Homelessness Advisory Committee, and for neighbours who need a hand.
He's not a career politician. He's someone who has been through hard things, got back up, and decided the north end deserves a councillor who won't forget what that felt like.
A campaign should be at least a little bit fun. Tap a clip to play it with sound.
Kingston elects its Mayor, District Councillors and school board trustees on October 26, 2026. If you live in Kingscourt-Rideau, Kevin's name will be on your ballot for District Councillor.
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days until election day
Monday, October 26, 2026
Campaigns in Kingscourt-Rideau are won on porches and at kitchen tables. Here's how to help.
Show the street you're with Kevin. Send your address and we'll get one planted.
Request a signKnock doors, drop literature, drive on election day, or bring the coffee. Every hour counts.
Join the teamCampaign updates, event dates, and probably some dog photos.
InstagramReach Kevin directly at 1997smithkevin@gmail.com.