K-W VOTES | Environment, cost of living top issues for Waterloo voters

Waterloo has seen hundreds of people gather in uptown as part of global climate strikes, and the environment is a top issue on the minds of many voters as they head to the polls on Monday.

The candidates have talked about ethics and how they'll help young Canadians who are concerned about their future.

There are five candidates in the riding.

Liberal Bardish Chagger is the incumbent. Running against her are Conservative Jerry Zhang, NDP's Lori Campbell, Kirsten Wright of the Green Party and Erika Traub of the People's Party.

About the riding

Population: 110,134

Number of voters: 81,988

Waterloo is the most historic riding in the region. It was created in 1966 when the ridings of Waterloo North and Waterloo South which includes all of Waterloo region were broken up into smaller ridings.

Between 1993 and 2015, though, the riding was split into Waterloo-Wellington and Kitchener-Waterloo.

The seat is currently held by Liberal Bardish Chagger, who has served in the previous government as the leader of the government. She also is the former minister of small business and tourism.

Chagger won the seat in 2015 over Conservative Peter Braid. Chagger won with 49.7 per cent of the vote.

Braid had held the seat from 2008 to 2015. He won in a very tight race in 2008 over Andrew Telegdithat resulted in a recount.

Telegdi was the MP for the riding from 1997 to 2008.

Prior to Telegdi, Progressive Conservative Walter McLean was the MP from 1979 to 1993. From 1968 to 1979, the seat was held by New Democratic Party MP Max Saltsman.

Before 1968, the riding was part of Waterloo North. It was largely held by Liberals, including the very first MP who was Isaac Erb Bowman and also William Lion Mackenzie King from 1908 to 1911.

But Conservative Joseph Seagram also served as MP between 1896 and 1908 as did William George Weichel, who beat Mackenzie King for the seat and held it from 1911 to 1917. Weichel went on to become mayor of Waterloo.

More coverage of Waterloo

Read more of CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's coverage of the race in Waterloo: