NDP Leader Marit Stiles met with London business leaders Tuesday for a closed-door roundtable discussion focused on economic challenges and pressing social issues facing the community. Stiles emphasized the need for a coordinated government response to issues ranging from tariff pressures to the escalating housing and healthcare crises. The meeting, held at the London Chamber of Commerce headquarters was part of Stiles’ ongoing tour across Ontario, with similar community meetings also occurring Tuesday in Sarnia . Stiles reported that while she anticipated hearing concerns about tariff pressures impacting the local economy, these worries were indeed a significant part of the discussion. “It’s really, really important that we have a coordinated response and we need the provincial government to step up,” Stiles stated, highlighting the necessity for provincial leadership. Beyond economic pressures, the NDP leader noted that many concerns raised were universal across communities. “That street crisis that we see in every part of our communities; homelessness, addiction, mental health crisis. They’re really on the front line,” Stiles remarked. She specifically pointed to the demand for more affordable housing, “missing middle” housing options, and improved healthcare services to address these widespread challenges. With London home to three NDP MPPs, Graham Henderson, CEO of the London Chamber of Commerce, underscored the importance of maintaining open communication channels with the official opposition. “It’s really important for us to have a close relationship with our MPP’s to ensure that our voice is heard in the legislature,” Henderson said. Henderson suggested Stiles’ message resonated with a prevalent sentiment among local stakeholders, particularly her call for “a new deal for municipalities.” He added that the core issue being communicated to both provincial and federal governments is the decades-long practice of downloading responsibilities. “The theme is province, federal government have to stop downloading everything. This has been going on for decades and we’re up to here, if not underwater,” Henderson stated.
