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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.