Digs and promises: Here's what happened on week 1 of the campaign trail
Digs and promises: Here's what happened on week 1 of the campaign trail
Digs and promises: Here's what happened on week 1 of the campaign trail
Cue the rallies, meet-and-greets, handshaking and elbow bumps.
While it may seem like the Ontario election campaigning began months ago, Wednesday marked the first official day on the trail for party leaders. Standing in front of podiums with their catchphrases or slogans on fully display, the four major candidates for premier rejoiced in the fanfare of an election launch—boasting about their accomplishments while slamming their opponents for not doing enough.
The team at CTV News Toronto's Ballot Box broke down what happened on week one of the campaign, focusing on the themes of affordability and building that were presented by each major political party. Here's the breakdown:
The NDP focused on healthcare this week, promising a provincial dental-care plan
The PCs reiterated their pledges to build Highway 413 and remove tolls on two other highways
The Greens made a housing announcement in Waterloo, promising to build 160,000 affordable rental homes
Speaking with Ballot Box, CTV News Toronto's Queen's Park Reporter Siobhan Morris said that voters may be able to expect a few more fun tidbits from the Liberals and the Greens, the two parties that have not yet released a comprehensive election platform.
"It's kind of hard to think, especially for the PCs, because they've committed a plan and a budget, to add in a nugget in the middle of a campaign," she said. "I mean, listen, there's some big holes in that budget, some broad sweeping things that we don't know how much they really cost. But there would be questions, of course, of how you're going to pay for any new measure."
In addition to the news conferences and photo ops, there was a flurry of slogans, jingles and new ads.
"I think in the early part, so far, it's seeing who thinks who is the enemy," Morris said. "There's been some really sharp attacks from both the PCs and the NDP against Steven Del Duca and the role that he had in the former [Liberal] Wynne government."
"If that changes, that will tell you something about what the parties are seeing in their own internal polling, which often is really what guides the campaign."
Ballot Box is your one-stop shop for news from the campaign trail, breaking down the promises, politics and punches thrown during the week. The podcast airs every Friday first on the iHeart radio app before becoming available on other streaming platforms.
Air Canada is planning to reduce its flights in July and August, according to a statement from the company's president, as the airline continues to deal with 'customer service shortfalls.'
Police in Saanich, B.C., say they continue to investigate the possibility that a "third suspect" was involved in a fatal shooting at a bank that left two suspects dead and six officers injured Tuesday.
A woman who was trapped inside a bank during a robbery and fatal shootout with police near Victoria on Tuesday says there is one question still plaguing her a day later: Why didn't the gunmen just leave with the money?
Fallen R&B superstar R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday for using his fame to subject young fans - some just children - to systematic sexual abuse.
Five months ago, the first 'Freedom Convoy' trucks rolled into Ottawa. After the federal government took the unprecedented step of invoking the Emergencies Act to end the protests, a series of inquiries and probes have been initiated. With the nation's capital bracing for more protests over the Canada Day weekend, CTVNews.ca takes a look at where the main commissions and studies stand.
A mother of three children is speaking out after spending a night on the floor of Toronto Pearson Airport with her young kids in a nightmare weekend of travel.
A toddler accidentally left in a vehicle for hours died Tuesday and police said his father was found dead in an apparent suicide at their Virginia home, police said.
Canadians flying out of the Montreal airport might be in for a bit of a shock this summer as the head of the Trudeau airport says airlines will "likely" be asked to cancel some flights — or even destinations altogether.
A social media campaign to help find a compatible stem cell donor for a four-year-old girl in Montreal is putting a spotlight on the lack of diversity in donor lists.
Ahead of the hustle and bustle of festival season in Montreal, Quebec health officials are asking people to stay vigilant amid rising COVID-19 numbers.
A serious collision in Kitchener Tuesday has prompted calls for traffic controls to be installed at the off-ramps of Highway 7/8 onto Ira Needles Boulevard.
Anne-Marie Ready, 50, and Jasmine Ready, 15, died from stab wounds following an incident at a home on Anoka Street Monday night, police said Wednesday afternoon.
Air Canada is planning to reduce its flights in July and August, according to a statement from the company's president, as the airline continues to deal with 'customer service shortfalls.'
A pandemic-inspired trend is encouraging people to pack their bags and jet off to the places they have missed over the past few years — but the owner of WindsorEats says it has him concerned about its negative impact on Windsor-Essex tourism.
The emergence of the new BA.5 COVID-19 variant has seen case counts increase in each of the last two weeks in Simcoe County, with 44 new this week by Monday alone.
An RCMP officer who was among 22 people killed in the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting was remembered Wednesday during a regimental service in Halifax for her "fierce" character and brave actions.
An expert at the University of Calgary says a float in a small Alberta town's annual parade made a mockery of some of the symbols the Sikh religion hold sacred.
The Calgary Police Service confirms a 16-year-old has been charged following an investigation into reports the teen had tried to hire someone to commit a murder for them.
Canadian travellers are having to employ the 'hurry up and wait' practice at airports across the country lately according to new data. According to the Winnipeg Airport Authority (WAA), this impact isn't being felt to the same extent as other airports in the country.
Air Canada is planning to reduce its flights in July and August, according to a statement from the company's president, as the airline continues to deal with 'customer service shortfalls.'
Regena Cameron remembers the shock of seeing cousin Jeanette in a B.C. hospital three years ago, after she was admitted in what a judge later called "an advanced state of neglect." Now, she is speaking out, hoping to prevent further suffering.
Authorities have announced charges against a B.C. RCMP officer who allegedly used his position to pursue "intimate relationships with women," both on and off duty.
A man who insists he's still the leader of an Alberta separatist party says an effort to push him out, amid allegations of theft, is being led by "agents" who have infiltrated the board.
Damien Christopher Starrett was found guilty of killing his one-year-old son Ares Starrett and assaulting another child in a Fort Saskatchewan home on Nov. 23, 2019.
