Hazel McCallion throws support behind Doug Ford for Ontario premier
Hazel McCallion, one of the longest serving mayors in Canadian history, has officially thrown her support behind Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford for premier ahead of the Ontario election.
In an endorsement video obtained by CTV News Toronto, the 101 year old calls the PC leader "a people's premier."
"Over the years, I feel I've seen enough politicians and elections come and go," McCallion says while sitting in front of a PC-blue background.
"Real leaders don't show up with problems, they show up with solutions. They don't find excuses to delay and say no. Real leaders say yes."
The statement echoes the PC leader's primary campaign strategy, in which Ford is portrayed as a "yes" man who will "get it done."
The video ends with that very same phrase and Ford's signature election jingle.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
McCallion has been a long-time supporter of Ford's, so the endorsement doesn't come as a surprise.
A few months ago, the then-sitting PC government named the new Hurontario LRT after the former Mississauga mayor. She was also appointed special advisor to the premier back in 2019, although she turned down the role because her schedule couldn't accommodate it.
Last year Ford even stopped by McCallion's home during the pandemic to celebrate her centenary birthday.
With files from CTV News Toronto's Siobhan Morris
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.