By Allison Jones and Liam Casey
The leaders of Ontario’s New Democratic, Liberal and Green parties went on the offensive Friday against Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford, who polls suggest is cruising to another majority government, in the first debate of the provincial election campaign.
The debate in North Bay., was held specifically to discuss northern issues. The leaders talked about road safety and infrastructure in the north, as well as the addictions crisis that has hit many northern communities hard, but the three party leaders also saw an opportunity to zero in on housing and Ford’s record across the province.
“Where are the homes that Doug Ford said he was going to build?” NDP Leader Marit Stiles said. “Where are the homes, Doug? Because they’re not in our communities. They’re not in northern communities. They’re not anywhere in Ontario right now. He has not done a dang thing about it. That is the truth.”
Ontario’s housing starts were down 16 per cent in 2024 compared to the previous year, and the province has not met any of its interim targets toward building 1.5 million homes since Ford promised that in the 2022 election.
Last year’s target was 125,000 homes, but Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., data show there were just over 72,000 housing starts in 2024 in Ontario. Government officials previously said that even though interest rates have been coming down, it takes a while for that decrease to have an impact and they still expect to meet the 1.5 million homes target.
When Ford was asked to talk about housing, he said his government had cut red tape and regulations and removed HST from purpose-built rental housing.
But he spent most of his time criticizing the others’ housing records and plans.
He slammed Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie’s record as mayor of Mississauga, but she disputed his statements.
“You told us seven years ago you would end hallway health care. It’s gotten twice as bad. You said you’d cut our taxes, but you didn’t do that either,” Crombie said. “You didn’t get it done, and you said you’d build 1.5 million homes.”
When the moderator turned to Ford to allow him to defend his housing record, he immediately began talking about the fight against possible tariffs from the United States, which he has spoken about frequently on the campaign trail — prompting Stiles to exclaim, “Oh my gosh.”
Roads in the north also took centre stage at the debate, with each leader taking a shot at how they would increase their safety.
Stiles pledged to widen Highways 11, 17 and 69 and Schreiner agreed, saying divided highways will increase safety.
“As premier, I’m going to bring winter road maintenance back in house and back under public government control, provincial control,” Stiles said.
Crombie pledged to provide more sustainable funding to municipalities to be able to spend money on road maintenance and safety initiatives.
Ford defended his government’s record over the last seven years. He pointed to a project expanding Highway 11/17 in northwestern Ontario and a $600-million investment to repair and expand highways. He also committed to twinning Highway 69 between Sudbury and Parry Sound, Ont., the only non-divided portion of that road between Toronto and Sudbury. Some of the land needed for that belongs to two First Nations.
“We’re going to help make sure it’s a two-lane highway on both sides, and they’re 100 per cent behind us,” Ford said of the First Nations.
The leaders also debated how they would deal with addictions, a subject that is among the top priorities for Ontario’s municipalities, but an issue that has not come up much during the campaign.
Opioids killed more than 2,600 Ontarians in 2023, the last full year of data available. Addictions and homelessness often go hand in hand and there are 1,400 encampments across the province.
Ford said he’d give municipalities more tools to clear encampments, though that legislation died when he called the election. He touted new homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hubs the province is opening, as it closes 10 supervised consumption sites.
The new hubs, Ford said, would “get people into detox, get them shelter, give them an opportunity to find employment.”
Crombie, who grew up in a rooming house in Toronto while her father lived with alcohol addiction, pledged more money to build shelters across the province.
“This is a provincial issue, it’s being downloaded to the municipalities,” she said. “It needs to be co-ordinated by the province, and there has to be proper funding behind it.”
Stiles said she’d increase mental health funding significantly and committed to having one mental health professional in every school in the province.
“You know what, the kids are not all right,” Stiles said.
