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Doug Ford

Doug Ford Jan 19 2026

Premier touts support provided to northern communities

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The Premier insists the province’s small communities are being recognized by his government.

Doug Ford addressed municipal leaders attending the Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference in Toronto on Monday, outlining funding and programs that benefit small, rural and northern communities.

Ford adds that no government has invested more in the north than his.

“We think it’s the greatest area to prosper and thrive and grow and attract businesses, no matter if it’s the lumber, no matter if it’s our energy that we’re building or the Ring of Fire and everything else in between,” says Ford.

Ford noted specific investments in roads, housing, and transit.

This includes spending $30 billion over the next 10 years to repair and expand roads, highways and bridges, especially in rural areas.

He says it is necessary to improve safety.

“It’s been very disturbing to hear all the accidents up north,” says Ford.

“I get the calls right to my cell phone, and we’re doing everything we can to twin roads, to put two in one roads, to make it safer, making sure that the roads get plowed and salted as quickly as possible because there’ve been tragedies over the holidays and no one wants that.”

Ford also noted the $70 billion to improve transit services, with $25 million earmarked for small communities.

The province is also making $400 million available to small, rural and northern communities to develop or upgrade infrastructure to add to new housing projects.

Ford Carney DEC 18

Ontario signs agreement with federal government to speed up Ring of Fire development

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Projects in Ontario will no longer require assessments from both the province and the federal government.

A new agreement is promising to eliminate duplicative processes in situations where a project might have, for example, required an environmental assessment at both the provincial and federal levels.

The agreement was announced by Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney in a joint press conference in Ottawa on Thursday.

Prime Minister Carney says the agreement will allow approvals to be more flexible and efficient, “while maintaining both federal and provincial standards.”

Premier Doug Ford is framing the agreement as the final piece of the province’s new “One Project, One Process” framework, adding “One Decision” as an addition to the new concept.

“It’s time for Canada to build big things again,” Ford says.

The premier also characterizes the new agreement as the last step in unlocking the Ring of Fire for development, having now made agreements with the Aroland, Webequie, and Marten Falls First Nations.

The Ring of Fire is a region to the northeast of Thunder Bay, rich in critical minerals that are needed in modern technologies such as computers and electric vehicles.

The Premier states that opening the Ring of Fire to development could grow the Ontario economy by $22 billion and create 70,000 jobs.

Critically, the Premier is promising that with this agreement in place, shovels could be in the ground in the Ring of Fire in June.

The premier’s agreement with Carney could also see developments sped up in other parts of the province for projects such as roads and bridges.

The news is being greeted positively by the Northern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA): “Reducing duplication between federal and provincial processes is a common-sense step that provides certainty, improves timelines, and helps move nation-building projects forward,” says NOMA president Rick Dumas. “The Ring of Fire represents a generational opportunity for Northern Ontario, Ontario, and Canada—and this agreement helps unlock that potential.”

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Doug Ford Calls on U.S. Ambassador to apologize after tirade over anti-tariff ad

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford is urging U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra to apologize after reports surfaced of a profanity-laced tirade directed at Ontario’s trade representative, David Paterson, during a high-profile business event in Ottawa.

The incident occurred  at the Canadian American Business Council’s annual gala, an event typically meant to celebrate the Canada-U.S. relationship.

Multiple witnesses say Hoekstra confronted Paterson over a recent Ontario government ad campaign that aired in the U.S., criticizing tariffs and featuring audio from a 1987 speech by former President Ronald Reagan.

The ad, which ran during the first two games of the World Series, reportedly infuriated U.S. President Donald Trump, who responded by halting trade talks with Canada and threatening to impose an additional 10 per cent tariff on Canadian goods.

Ford defended the ad, calling it a necessary move to spark conversation and push back against what he described as repeated attacks on Ontario’s economy. “What do they expect me to do? Sit back and roll over?”

Ford said at a news conference Wednesday. He claimed the ad had over a billion impressions and was successful in raising awareness among American lawmakers.

Despite standing by the campaign, Ford acknowledged the ambassador’s reaction was “absolutely unacceptable” and “unbecoming of an ambassador.”

He urged Hoekstra to “bury the hatchet” and personally apologize to Paterson, whom Ford described as “instrumental” in trade negotiations.

“The cheese slipped off the cracker,” Ford said, using a colourful metaphor to describe Hoekstra’s outburst. “I get it, you’re ticked off, but call the guy up because you’re a good guy and Dave’s my champion.”

The U.S. Embassy declined to comment on the incident.

Meanwhile, Ford confirmed the ad has been pulled, but maintained it achieved its goal of starting a dialogue about the impact of tariffs on both sides of the border.

As tensions simmer, Ford said he remains committed to restoring trade talks and emphasized the importance of maintaining strong cross-border relationships.

He and Hoekstra are still expected to appear together at an upcoming American Thanksgiving event in Toronto.

Webequie agreement Oct 29 2025

Ring of Fire road agreement signed

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The provincial government has signed an agreement with Webequie First Nation that will move forward plans for much needed road access to the Ring of Fire mining area.

Webequie is receiving $39.5 million as part of the agreement.

Some of the money will be immediately released.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford says $10.5 million will be for supplies and materials necessary for early work on the all-season Webequie Supply Road.

“It’s worth noting that this community has led the environmental assessment to be submitted to the government of Ontario in early January, set for approval by spring and then right into construction,” says Rickford.

Another $3 million is being committed for Webequie to lead a study into the potential of a secondary access road that would run east to west.

Such a link had been advocated by a coalition that included the municipality of Sioux Lookout and First Nations communities of Lac Seul, Cat Lake, Slate Falls, and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug.

As part of the agreement, the province is providing funding for a new airport terminal, replacing one that was destroyed by fire, along with other improvements at the community’s airport.

Funding is also being earmarked for a new community centre with an arena and mental health and other community supports.

“One-point-five million of this, thanks….one of the negotiators, ensure mental health supports for community members and community well-being activities as they rally their community members for probably one of the biggest economic surges I would think, in their history,” says Rickford.

Webequie Chief Cornelius Wabasse says it is an important agreement for his community.

“It means working with the government, moving forward on our aspirations from the community,” says Wabasse.

“The secondary road is our winter road. It will be developed in a way that will be more usable than what it is now. It will be able to bring more equipment to our community and also bring new things to our community, so it will be more secure and have a good, solid foundation.”

Premier Doug Ford says development of the new supply road will be a game-changer for Ontario and Webequie.

“And with today’s agreement, which includes investments in infrastructure and local priorities in the Webequie community, we’re ready to get shovels in the ground, building the road as soon as the ground thaws next spring,” says Ford.

Doug Ford Sept 2 2025

Ford not worried as Trump revives 51st state rhetoric

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As the President of the United States brings back one of his classic hits, the premier of Ontario is just shaking his head.

President Donald Trump had backed away from his calls for Canada to become the 51st state after Mark Carney became prime minister.

But while addressing a crowd of high-ranking military personnel in Virginia on Tuesday, Trump revived an old favourite and said Canada should join the United States.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he’s focused on improving Ontario.

“This guy’s too much,” Ford said of Trump. “Again, I’m going to ignore him.”

Ford said he’s going to focus on working with the federal government to be more competitive, lower taxes and create an environment for companies to invest in Ontario.

“That’s what we need to do,” he said.

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Election Exactly One Week From Today

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Another labour endorsement for PC leader Doug Ford.

A local union of the United Association of Refrigeration Workers in Brampton announced its support during a visit by Ford to their training facility.

Photo courtesy Ontario PC Party/Facebook

“These folks are supporting us because they know that we’re going to make sure that they have jobs for the future. Many jobs for the future. We’re putting money into the trades or putting 10’s of millions of dollars into the training facilities,” says Ford.

Ford says they are also working to get more people into those trades.

Photo courtesy Ontario NDP/Facebook

NDP leader Andrea Horwath is proposing to improve mental health services for post-secondary students.

It’s part of her universal mental health care in the province.

Horwath says there has been a lot of pressure on students.

“The consistency of not only classes and courses, but supports that you need in school to succeed during this disruptive time have been really, really difficult to get. I’m happy to say that our plan would fix that,” says Horwath.

The plan includes increased funding for mental health professionals and programs on campus.

Liberal leader Steven Del Duca accuses Doug Ford of failing to support small business owners.

Del Duca says the PC leader showed that during the pandemic with his bias toward big box stores and large grocery chains.

“And why? Because he’s lost his way. Because he’s only interested in himself, his political fortunes, his reelection chances instead of caring about the people,” says Del Duca.

Del Duca says under a Liberal government, corporate taxes on small businesses would be waived for two years to help them recover.

Green Party leader Mike Schreiner is paying extra attention to the riding of Parry Sound-Muskoka area.

Schreiner feels the Greens have a good shot at winning there.

“Matt Richter, in the 2018 election, finished actually slightly better than I did in the 2014 election in Guelph. We know what happened in Guelph in 2018, and we believe we are well-positioned for that to happen in Parry Sound-Muskoka in 2022,” says Schreiner.

Parry Sound-Muskoka is one of two ridings where the Liberal Party is not running a candidate.

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Leaders Head into the Final Week of Campaign

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PC leader Doug Ford says he’s campaigning like he’s in last place.

The latest polls show Ford with a sizeable lead over the Liberals and NDP.

Ford is not putting solace in those polls.

“I always say the only poll that counts is on Election Day. We always run like we’re in last place. I tell our team run like we’re in last place. Don’t stop door knocking all the way up to June 2,” says Ford.

Ford does make one Election Day prediction.

He believes Liberal leader Steven Del Duca will lose out on his bid to win a seat at Queen’s Park.

Del Duca is quick to disagree.

He says his party is emerging as the only clear alternative to Ford.

He also accuses the PC leader of wanting to privatize public services if given a second mandate.

“He wants to destroy the core public services that are the foundation of everything we stand on in this province. He wants to privatize, so he doesn’t want to come out of the bubble. He doesn’t want to have to admit that he is determined to take a wrecking ball to everything Ontarians hold dear. We’re not going to let him,” says Del Duca.

Del Duca says the biggest fraud during the 2018 election was Ford claiming he was ‘for the people.’

NDP leader Andrea Horwath continues to sell her party as the only one that will fix the things that are broken in Ontario.

Horwath focused on long-term care and the pandemic on Tuesday.

“And now is our chance. Now is our chance to finally fix what’s been going wrong in long-term care. And we are the only, I’m the only premier that will actually do that,” says Horwath.

One of her promises is to reinstate family members’ right to take private long-term care operators to court over the deaths of their loved ones during the pandemic.

Ford removed that right in legislation passed during the pandemic.

Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner is saying, ‘Yes, in my backyard.’

He promises to extend zoning regulations to allow for multi-plex housing units in all residential areas and permit affordable housing projects on former industrial sites.

“We urgently need to take a ‘yes in my backyard’ approach to housing where we creatively make use of existing space and built-up areas to increase the supply of homes,” says Schreiner.

Schreiner also proposes an initiative to address NIMBYism and raise awareness of the importance of middle, mid-rise and community housing developments.

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Labour Movement Split on Leader Support

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NDP leader Andrea Horwath is committed to making her proposal to implement a universal pharmacare program a priority.

Horwath says it will be one of the first things she does if her party forms the next provincial government.

“This plan is something that we will implement immediately upon forming government in a couple of weeks time and provide not only that relief, but that security that you can get the prescriptions that you need,” says Horwath.

Howarth says her plan will save families an average of $350 each year.

Election polls put the NDP in third place, behind the PCs and Liberals.

Leader Andrea Horwath brushes off the notion that achieves her goal of forming the government, a coalition with the other parties is needed.

“I’m running for premier, and I’m running to have a majority government because people need to have hope that the things that matter most to them can actually be fixed, and that’s what this campaign is all about.”

Horwath continues to campaign on that the fact that her party is in the best position to unseat Doug Ford.”

Liberal leader Steven Del Duca is proposing a top-up of employment insurance benefits for workers taking parental leave.

The federal government allows for an eighteen-month leave, but benefits received are lower when spread over that period.

Del Duca says his plan would add to those benefits.

“This kind of plan, topping up and fully funding an 18-month parental leave program, could put up to $255 back in the pockets of Ontario families each and every single week,” says Del Duca.

Del Duca says he would also work with the feds to help the self-employed, contract and gig workers receive benefits they currently don’t qualify.

Del Duca was also dogged by reporters’ questions about the qualification and qualities of certain candidates the NDP has raised.

The Liberal leader says he’s not playing the political games being played by other party leaders, calling them desperation tactics.

“I’m disappointed to hear that Ms. Horvath and her team want to continue to focus on attacking me and Ontario Liberals instead of trying to take the fight to Doug Ford. Ontario Liberals will remain exclusively focused on making sure that Doug Ford’s first term in office is his last.”

Del Duca’s also sidestepped questions about his political future if he doesn’t form government.

PC leader Doug Ford campaigned in Hamilton to recognize two more trade union endorsements.

“I’m so grateful for the support of these unions and workers across Ontario, and I want our workers to know that I’ll always have your back,” says Ford

He’s received endorsements from five unions in the past week.

Ford says trade unions have given up on the NDP and leader Andrea Horwath, he continues to call anti-building everything.

“She’s anti-building anything, anti-building housing, anti-building highways, anti-building roads. Horvath would rather sit there on a picket line with their signs protesting a build than actually getting it done.”

Horwarth says she’s not concerned with the trade union endorsement of the PC leader Doug Ford.

She doesn’t see Ford being a friend of working people.

“We know whose side Doug Ford is on. We know his cuts hurt people, and we know he is not a friend of working people, hasn’t been, won’t be, pretending to be now, maybe, but that’s not who Doug Ford is,” says Horwath.

Horwarth points to endorsements from the Ontario Federation of Labour and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union that show labour still supports the NDP.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation is throwing its support being Mike Schreiner and the Green Party in the provincial election.

It’s the first time the union has endorsed the Greens.

President Karen Littlewood says Schreiner’s education platform reflects much of what they want to be addressed.

“Mike consulted with us over the education platform, and he’s really encapsulated well. It is about improving the lives of Ontarians. This is not just education, this is communities. This is public services,” says Littlewood.

Littlewood says with 60-thousand plus members, the weight of the endorsement can have a difference at the polls on June 2.

“I’ve worked hard prior to being elected and since being elected to earn your trust, to build a working relationship with you so that we can stand up and fight for better public education,” says Schreiner in recognizing the endorsement.

 

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Labour Headlines Leaders’ Travels

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PC leader Doug Ford is getting some unexpected support from labour.

Four trade unions have come out in support of the Progressive Conservatives in recent days.

In acknowledging the support, Ford was asked about public sector workers and the wage restrictions they are currently under.

“When that lapses, I think the first ones in August, we’re going to sit down, and we’re going to treat them fairly. With the nurses, we gave them a 7.6% on the average increase in the $5000 bonus. I think the world of them. The PSWs, I’ve always said they’re underpaid, overworked,” says Ford.

Ford says he would also address the issue of paid sick days once the worse of the pandemic is behind us.

Photo courtesy Ontario Liberal Party/Facebook

Liberal leader Steven Del Duca wants to explore a four-day workweek if he forms the next provincial government.

Del Duca says he’s set up a demonstration project.

“To see how a four-day workweek might, in fact, do for workers and their families what they crave, what they want, which is the ability to, once again, have some kind of reasonable work-life balance,” says Del Duca.

Del Duca says he would also reinstate the Basic Income Pilot Project that Ford cancelled immediately after the 2018 election.

Supplied by Green Party of Ontario

Green Party leader Mike Schreiner is trying to build momentum for his party coming out of Monday’s leader’s debate.
Schreiner appealed to young voters during a campaign stop in Toronto.

“I want you to know that in the Ontario Green Party, you have a party that has your back. It is all about empowering youth to have a stronger political voice in this province,” says Schreiner.

Schreiner wants to lower the voting age to 16.

Photo courtesy Ontario NDP Party/Facebook

More school support staff if the NDP forms the next provincial government.

The NDP says it will earmark $4.8 billion over the next three years on school maintenance.

Leader Andrea Horwath says $467 million is directed toward staffing.

“We are going to hire an extra custodian for every single school. We are going to bring more maintenance people online in the schools to ensure that we keep up with the repairs,” says Horwath.

Horwath blames the Liberals and PCs for creating a $16.8 billion backlog in repairs to schools.

She also dismissed questions about her political future, saying she will never give up on fighting for people.

Recent polls have her party trailing the PCs and Liberals.

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Ontario Leaders Debate: Round Two

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Ontario Leaders Debate May 16, 2022 (CPAC)

Less than 20 days until election day as the four major party leaders sparred for a second time.

Doug Ford of the PC’s, Steven Del Duca of the Liberals, Mike Schreiner of the Green Party and Andrea Horwath of the NDP all faced the same four topics in Toronto, with one question asking if they have any political regrets.

Schreiner said Monday night that his mistake was not running in the riding of Guelph in the 2014 Ontario election.

Ford regretted not running before June of 2018 when he was first elected as the member of provincial parliament for the riding of Etobicoke North.

Del Duca pointed to the Liberal Party result in the election four years ago when they won just seven seats.

Horwath did not give a specific example of a regret, noting they are opportunities to learn and to do better next time.

During the debate, Ford told the audience the PC Party is the only one that will cut through excuses. He added a vote for any of the other three parties will mean the return of licence plate fees as well as an increase to the gas tax and other taxes.

Horwath spent her opening statement talking about bringing back care to long term care, and keeping the profits out of it.

Del Duca delivered the message that the Ford PC’s have walked away from their responsibility to lead Ontario and left voters to fend for themselves.

Schreiner stressed it is now or never to address the climate crisis, urging Ontarians to help stop Doug Ford from paving over the future of the province.

During discussions about healthcare, Ford stressed that if a bad decision was made by his government during the COVID-19 pandemic, he apologized and tried to make things better.

Del Duca pointed to a decision by the government in April of 2021 that led to area playgrounds closing and allowing police to make random stops for not following the stay-at-home order.

“For two and a half years, literally 24/7, I was working on this pandemic,” Ford fired back. “It’s easy to sit back from the sidelines when you didn’t have to make the tough decisions that I had to make and criticize. You have the easiest job in the world.”

Ford responded with, “I’m glad that we agree on the skilled trades, even though the trade unions don’t support Ms. Horwath because they don’t believe in her. They also don’t support the Liberals.”

Doug Ford’s attendance record at Question Period was also highlighted by Steven Del Duca.

“More than 82 per cent of the time set aside for him to respond to the opposition parties, he has been absent,” noted Del Duca. “If you don’t show up to work 82 per cent of the time, I suspect that you don’t promoted and chances are you wouldn’t keep your job.”

Ford responded by pointing to the previous Liberal government who sold Hydro One in 2018.

This 90 minute debate was held a week after the gathering in North Bay.

Election Day is Thursday, June 2nd.

Advance polls will open on Thursday, May 19th.

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