Challengers looking to take Timiskaming-Cochrane seat away from NDP’s John Vanthof

CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca's Eric Taschner gives us a look at the provincial candidates in the Timiskaming-Cochrane riding ahead of the Feb. 27 election.

The Ontario election campaign is in full swing in the riding of Timiskaming-Cochrane, where challengers are looking to unseat NDP incumbent John Vanthof, who has held the riding since 2011.

Five candidates are running to represent the riding, which has a population of just more than 67,000 between Timmins and North Bay.

CTV News Northern Ontario asked each candidate the same five questions about their policy and platform relating to: improving access to health care, general affordability, U.S. President Donald Trump and his tariff threat, housing and mental health, addictions and homelessness.

When asked about health care, Vanthof said the NDP is focused on physician recruitment, since, he said, 2.5 million people in the province don’t have doctors.

“We have promised and committed to put in the funding to hire the doctors that we need … including 350 in northern Ontario,” he said.

“The Conservative government has also made the same claim or similar claim, but they’ve had seven years.”

On housing, Vanthof said the province must get back into the business of building supportive housing.

“There are people who work full time, or have two jobs, like a couple who can’t afford housing,” he said.

“We have for the first time … significant homeless populations. The Ford government has said basically that the private sector is responsible for housing. What we’re saying, with Our Homes Ontario plan, there are sections of the housing market that the government has to step in and help with finance and help build housing. So, for non-market housing, rent-gear-to-income stuff like that.”

‘Team Canada’ approach

When asked how the NDP would deal with Trump, he said a Team Canada approach is needed.

“Premier Ford called this election for Premier Ford because the most dangerous time with any (U.S. president) is within the first 100 days when they want to make their biggest impact,” Vanthof said.

“We need to have a Team Canada approach and all the premiers working together with the federal government and with business leaders and with unions, and we all sing from the same song sheet and, you know, all be proud Canadians. I think the fact that the premier called an election actually distracts from the fight as opposed to helps us fight.”

Vanthof said current mental health and addiction challenges relate to homeless issues.

“We need to make sure they have the people who are homeless have the resources. We are the first ones to commit to doubling ODSP because that’s part of the problem. People who can’t work, who have a disability, they need a source of income. That source of income is far below the poverty. Homeless people in rural Ontario looked at it as a big city issue. It’s not right. It’s actually the homelessness that’s increasing faster in northern Ontario and faster in rural Ontario than anywhere else. Quite frankly, we need to put in the funding and deal with it like the crisis it is.”

Affordability crisis

He said his party’s platform aims to help with general affordability with things like groceries and the price at the pumps.

“We’ve proposed a monthly grocery rebate, depending on how much your income is,” Vanthof said.

“Right now, there are people who, quite frankly, cannot pay for healthy food ... We will provide a monthly grocery rebate, but at the same time, look at where costs are being inflated in the grocery business. Specifically, groceries are the one thing that everybody needs, right? We want to bring back rent control as well. But groceries are the one (item) that everybody needs.”

Challenging Vanthof this time around for the Green Party is West Nipissing Councillor Kris Rivard. He was the Green’s candidate three years ago, finishing fourth. His campaign revolves around affordable housing.

“One thing that I really like in our platform is how we want to get back in the business of building affordable homes -- 90 per cent of our deeply affordable, geared-to-income housing that was built by the province were built before 1997, which means our province is kind of let this slide,” Rivard said.

Access to rural health care

He notes that the Green Party would start “putting people before politics.”

“We believe in properly funding our health-care system and especially, improving access to rural health care for rural communities and people living in the rural areas of the province. We would like to increase the number of doctors and nurse practitioners, specifically for northern Ontario. I am fighting for the provincial government to help our smaller communities and smaller hospitals with incentives in order to attract family physicians, nurse practitioners and any health care professionals.”

When it comes to Trump, Rivard called for a united approach with the federal government.

“We strongly believe that we have to work across party lines to fight these tariffs and to remain united as one province and as one country,” he said.

“We need to support our small businesses, our agricultural industry, our mining industry, our forestry industry, our manufacturing industries.”

Rivard said his party’s policy on mental health, addictions and homelessness is tied back to affordable housing.

Mental health, addiction

“By increasing support for mental health and addictions and by going back to that housing affordability crisis, if we’re not building enough homes to get people a safe place to call home, more and more people will end up falling through the cracks and find themselves homeless,” he said.

“The province has to get back on track and start building more affordable, geared-to-income homes in order to help people get back on their feet and have a safe place to call home.”

Finally, when tasked with presenting his policy on everyday affordability, Rivard said that’s been a big concern he’s heard when he goes door-to-door.

“One way that we can do this and lower the cost of living, or maybe give back to our residents in Ontario, would be to not engage in this wasteful expenditure, such as turning Ontario Place into a private spa for over $2 billion, or these election gimmicks for $3 billion so everyone can get a $200 check near election time.”

Carrying the Liberal banner is Rick Ellsmere, public works operator for the Municipality of Charlton and Dack and the Township of Chamberlain. Ellsmere said more can be done to end hallway healthcare in the province.

Access to family doctor

“Within four years, everyone has access to a doctor,” he said.

“(Liberal Leader) Bonnie (Crombie’s) got a plan and that includes nursing, as well. Her other plan is (to end) hallway medicine and start putting the money back into the hospitals and get them doing what they need to do.”

Ellsmere said affordable housing needs to be a top priority.

“One of the biggest plans we have is to cut out some hidden taxes, and they’re saying it can be up to $170,000 within them for new builds,” he said.

“Our plan is to eliminate as much of those taxes as you can, including slashing GST, depending on what tax covers. We’ve got to get new development going and get housing going.”

He said Crombie wants to create a funding program to help businesses that would be hit hard by Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods, should they be implemented.

“So we’re going to do that. Basically, she just said she will work with our companies to actually be effective and try not to lay off people.”

Ellsmere said the ongoing mental health, addictions and homelessness crisis has not been “really made part of the platform,” but wants to learn more about the issue so he can look at ways to tackle the issue head-on.

“We have touched on it a little bit, but we’re more working within providing homes for everybody when it comes to homelessness and addictions.”

When asked how the Liberals would make life more affordable for Ontarians, he said he still needs to read up on that party policy.

“I don’t want to speak out of turn,” he said.

“But I do believe that she (Bonnie) will work to try to reduce costs to all Ontarians if she gets in.”

Flip the seat

Iroquois Falls Mayor Tory Delaurier said he aims to flip the seat from orange to blue for the Progressive Conservatives. Despite numerous attempts to reach him and the Conservative party to arrange an interview, CTV News did not hear back before airtime and publishing deadline.

The fifth and final candidate is Stephen MacLeod of the New Blue Party of Ontario.

Election day is Feb. 27.