Simcoe North candidates take aim at PC stronghold in upcoming election

Here are the candidates vying to represent the Simcoe North riding.

Several candidates in Simcoe North think they have what it takes to topple an incumbent name synonymous with the riding. Progressive Conservative Jill Dunlop is seeking re-election for her third term in the same riding that her father represented for nearly two decades prior.

“I work hard in my constituency, I work hard at Queen’s Park,” Dunlop told CTV News as she was canvassing in Severn on Monday. “We’ve seen great investments across many different sectors here.”

Dunlop last served as the province’s education minister under the previous Ford government.

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While knocking door-to-door, Dunlop said health care was an issue brought up time and time again.

“We’ve increased the number of medical seats,” she said. “We’ve also created two new medical schools that will be coming online in the future, one specifically at York University that will be training family doctors only, so we will be making a big impact.”

Walter Alvarez-Bardales will represent the Liberals in the riding and said he feels strongly that the party will do better for Ontarians, when it comes to health care.

An import candidate living in Scarborough, the Guatemalan refugee said he’s taken a particular interest in improving the health care system.

“Neglect in health care results in Canadian people dying,” he said. “That’s why I want to fight.”

Alvarez-Bardales spent years in poverty before getting involved with the federal Liberal party.

“I lived it, I can understand when people are talking to me and I know where they’re coming from,” he added.

Christopher Carr is representing the Green Party in the riding and is pushing strongly for electoral reform.

“In the last election, 17 per cent of voters chose the PCs and gave Doug Ford 100 per cent of the power,” he said. “I think that’s a broken system.”

Carr said he’s advocating for as many residents to go out and vote on election day as possible.

“I don’t think the people’s voices are being heard,” he added. “I want people to just come out and vote, hopefully for me, hopefully Green, but just vote.”

The Ontario NDP declined an interview for its candidate in Simcoe North, Jordi Malcolm. The Orillia resident is a student at the University of Ottawa studying history and political science.

Rounding out the ballot are Dave Brunelle representing the New Blue Party and Libertarian William Joslin.

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