Sault Ste. Marie MPP Chris Scott was ousted from the Ontario Progressive Conservative caucus earlier today after being arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife.
Court documents show Scott, 35, was arrested by Toronto Police yesterday in connection with incidents that occurred on Sept. 19 in Sault Ste. Marie.
The charges, sworn by a Sault Ste. Marie special constable, allege Scott committed an assault using a high chair as “a weapon.” He also faces a second charge of assault.
None of the allegations have been tested in court and Scott is considered innocent until proven guilty.
Scott was in custody in Toronto when he appeared in bail court in Sault Ste. Marie by phone this morning. He was charged under his full name, Christopher van Scott.
A publication ban prevents the disclosure of much of the information presented during today's bail hearing, but the details contained in the charge sheet are public information.
Scott was released on $5,000 bail, with conditions.
He was ordered to not be in contact with or within 100 metres of the alleged victim and he is prohibited from possessing weapons.
Scott must reside either at a Toronto-based address or his Sault Ste. Marie home, but only if the alleged victim is not present.
When asked by Justice of the Peace Sarah Jane Keesmaat if he understood the conditions, Scott said "yes."
He was represented in bail court by Toronto-based criminal defence lawyer Michael Lacy.
Lacy did not respond to a call for comment.
Scott will return to court on Oct. 22.
The Toronto Police Service confirmed they arrested Scott on an out-of-town arrest warrant.
"As this is a Sault Ste. Marie investigation, we will not be commenting further," a spokesperson said via email.
Ontario's New Democratic Party is calling on Scott to resign.
"Following media reports of Sault Ste. Marie MPP Chris Scott being under criminal investigation for assault, the Ontario NDP is calling for MPP Scott’s immediate resignation," the NDP said in a news release.
SooToday has reached out to Scott but has not heard from him. Reached by The Sault Star, he called the charges “baseless” and said he plans to say more in time.
Premier Doug Ford's office informed the media this morning that the rookie Sault Ste. Marie MPP is no longer a member of the governing caucus.
At a press conference in Russell, Ont., this morning, Premier Doug Ford said he’d only just been informed about Scott on his way to the event.
"Chris will be no longer sitting with our caucus and, if I can ask you, you can ask Chris Scott the reason why. I would go to the Sault Police," Ford said.
"I was informed literally in the parking lot as we were going through here. Go to the Sault Ste. Marie Police. I don’t want to interfere in a police investigation.”
Sault Police issued the following statement:
"On September 21, 2025, the Toronto Police Service arrested 35-year-old Chris Van Scott, also known as Chris Scott, following an investigation by detectives with the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service.
"To protect the privacy of the victim(s), no further details regarding the incident or the charges will be released by the SSMPS," the statement said.
While Scott has been ejected from the Progressive Conservative caucus, that does not remove him from his seat, and he remains an MPP.
He bested the NDP’s Lisa Vezeau-Allen by 114 votes in the 2025 provincial election — the tightest race the riding has seen since 1905.
Reached by email today, Vezeau-Allen offered no comment.
He was parliamentary assistant to the minister of energy and mines, Stephen Lecce.
Originally from Kemptville, Ont., Scott worked for former Sault PC MPP Ross Romano and in Ford’s premier’s office before he ran for politics.
A media announcement planned for this afternoon with Scott at the Thrive Child Development Centre was cancelled.
Scott's parliamentary website is currently down and a cell phone previously linked to him has been disconnected.
—With files from The Trillium