Weekly wrap: What happened on the Ontario election campaign trail?

As provincial party leaders entered their final full week of campaigning, devastation rocked Ontario as a storm tore through the southern and eastern edges of the province.

This led to a change of campaign plans for some leaders. Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca announced he was suspending his campaign to meet first responders, families and businesses in Easter Ontario`s Clarence Rockland. Not long after, PC Leader Doug Ford arrived in Uxbridge, one of the areas worst hit by the storm.

This natural disaster brought the environment back into the fold of election topics with NDP Leader Andrea Horwath focusing on making disaster relief program funding flow quicker to residents after severe weather events. Meanwhile, Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner reminded voters of their plans to reach net zero, while doubling the size of the greenbelt.

On this week's episode of Ballot Box, the team breakdowns down the highlights:

• Both Horwath and Schreiner returned to the campaign trail after testing positive for COVID-19
• An estimated 60 PC candidates did not appear at local debates
• Dozens of MPP investment properties amount to more than $36 million
• A new poll found Ford widened his lead as the Liberals and NDP race for second
• One downtown Toronto riding will have 75 per cent fewer voting polls than 2018

Chief Data Analyst Nick Nanos joins Ballot Box this week to talk about whether party leaders can catch up to the PCs lead and why certain issues are soaring as a priority for voters.

"The trend over the course of the election has been relatively consistent to one extent or another. And I think this is because none of the major parties, the major leaders have made a mistake," Nanos said, adding that the real race appears to be for the position of Official Opposition.

CTV News Toronto has a platform guide of 10 election issues that breaks down where each party stands on everything from discounted transit fares to rebates on licence plate renewal fees.

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 on the iHeart radio app before becoming available on other streaming platforms.