Family doctors, tariffs and Doug Ford’s early election call dominate first day of campaign

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Ontario has officially entered its 44th election cycle.

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford, Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner and Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie are all hitting the campaign trail Wednesday.

Ford triggered the early election, more than a year ahead of schedule, on Tuesday after weeks of saying he needs a new mandate to navigate U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term.

• EXPLAINER: Why Doug Ford called an early Ontario election

Ford has said Trump’s threat of a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian imports, which could start as early as Feb. 1, will disproportionately impact Ontario and could cost as many as 500,000 jobs, although oppositions leaders say the early vote is not necessary.

Here’s what’s happening on the campaign trail as the election gets underway:

5:30 p.m.

Elections Ontario says it will be working diligently to make sure people across the province are able to cast a ballot, despite Ontario holding its first winter election in more than a century.

Election officials estimate the snap election will cost the province $189 million.

3 p.m.

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner started his day at the media studio at Queen’s Park, saying MPPs should be there at the legislature instead of out campaigning.

He reiterated that message to supporters at a campaign kickoff event later in the day in the riding of Wellington-Halton Hills.

“While today should be a celebration of the launch of a campaign, we shouldn’t be in a campaign right now,” Schreiner said. “We should be working across party lines and across jurisdictional lines to defend Ontario workers, Ontario jobs and Ontario companies from Trump’s tariff threat.”

He added that Ford has “put his own political interests ahead of what’s good for the people of Ontario” but vowed not to let Ford “run from his record” now that there is an election.

He said in contrast to the other parties, all the candidates running for the Greens are responsible to their communities first.

“We have 124 candidates who take their marching orders from the people in their riding, not from a party leader, not from a premier’s office,” Schreiner said.

He attacked Ford for being “obsessed with Toronto” and said his party has a better plan for health care and housing.

He also said that his party will prioritize environmentally sound decisions.

“We’re going to reverse the premier’s attack on nature,” Schreiner said.

He pointed to costly flooding in Toronto this past summer.

“Yet the premier wants to continue to pave over the nature that protects us from unsafe weather events like flooding,” Schreiner said. “It’s wrong. He needs to be held accountable, and we need a new government to actually implement policies that are going to put people before profits.”

1 p.m.

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles kicked off her campaign at a community hub in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood Wednesday morning, saying it is “time for new people and new ideas” and that “it is so time for a change in Ontario.”

She said Doug Ford should not be the one negotiating with Donald Trump and rattled off a list of “bad deals” he made for the province, including the spa and waterpark redevelopment plan for Ontario place.

“Doug Ford got taken to the cleaners by a foreign corporation and thanks to Doug Ford’s negotiating skills, you, me, my family and each and every household in Ontario are going to massively subsidize a mega-spa on the Toronto waterfront for 99 years,” Stiles said.

Stiles said “the promise of Ontario” that brought her here from Newfoundland more than 30 years ago is in danger today.

“People are leaving our province, they are forced out of our communities that they grew up in. Young people are losing hope – I see it every day. Seniors are ending up homeless. It is tough out there,” Stiles said.

She said the “one favour” Ford has done the province is giving people the chance to replace him and that “Doug Ford does not deserve a third term.”

10:30 a.m.

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie kicked off her campaign in Barrie, her focus emblazoned on a podium: “More doctors for you.”

Wearing a hat reading “Real Leaders Fix Healthcare” in a play on Doug Ford’s “Canada is not for sale” hat, Crombie said the real focus of the election should be on health care in the province and said that will be her number one priority.

“We will be hiring 3,100 doctors under our plan so that everyone in Ontario will have access to family medicine,” Crombie said.

She also took aim at Ford for spending money on an early election when it could have been put to other uses.

“You can’t slap a label on a hat and pretend you’re a leader; real leaders fix health care,” Crombie said. “Real leaders work and they are on the job, not galivanting around the province calling unnecessary elections that will cost $175 million.”

She said that money could instead have bought all Barrie residents access to a family doctor.

The Liberals are promising that everyone in Ontario will have access to a family doctor within four years if they are elected.

10:15 a.m.

PC Leader Doug Ford has kicked off his re-election campaign in Windsor, surrounded by workers in yellow and orange vests, the Ambassador Bridge to Detroit behind them.

“I couldn’t imagine a better place to start our campaign than right here in Windsor,” Ford said, Canadian and Ontario flags blowing in the wind.

Ford used his launch to reiterate his message that Canada and Ontario are facing an “unprecedented” challenge.

“In these uncertain times I’m asking the people of Ontario for their trust. I’m asking the people for a strong, stable four-year mandate to do whatever it takes to protect Ontario,” Ford said.

The people of our province, like people across Canada, are facing an unprecedented challenge. President Trump is threatening steep and sweeping tariffs that will devastate Canada’s economy on February 1 and I mean it when I say devastate.”

He said hundreds of thousands of jobs across the province are at risk, including factory workers, service workers, construction workers, retail workers and “everyday hardworking people in offices and factories” across the province.

Ford reiterated that Trump has threatened Canada with economic force, and has “even floated the unthinkable – taking over Canadian territory” and repeated his message that “Canada is not for sale.”

He said responding to the threats will require “unplanned action with long-term consequences” and said that’s why Ontarians need to get a vote.

He also tied his wish for another majority to the province’s security.

“The bigger the mandate I receive from you, the better I’ll be able to protect our province,” Ford said.

9:15 a.m.

Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor, Edith Dumont, and Chief Electoral Officer, Greg Essensa, signed the writs of election at Queen’s Park.

Ford visited Dumont’s office on Tuesday to request the dissolution of parliament and officially start the election process. Dumont accepted the request and called for the election to be held on Feb. 27.