Ontario Election Campaign to Officially Begin May 4

Ontario Premier Doug Ford walks toward Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell's office at Queen's Park in Toronto on May 3, 2022. Dowdeswell has accepted Ford's suggestion to officially start the provincial election period. (The Canadian Press/Frank Gunn)

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell has accepted his advice to dissolve provincial parliament, and the election campaign will officially start on May 4.

The lieutenant governor also called for writs for the election to be issued on May 4 and formally marked June 2 as the election date.

Politicians have been unofficially campaigning for weeks, with two of the three major parties—Progressive Conservative and the NDP—having released their platforms.

On his way in to meet with Dowdeswell, Ford said people will have “a very clear choice” on June 2.

“This election is about one simple thing,” he said. “Either the people of this province are going to choose to go backwards ... or they’re going to choose prosperity, getting things built—bridges, roads, and highways like we’re doing.”

He says the Tories are “creating prosperity'' by building bridges, roads, and highways, and bringing thousands of auto sector jobs back.

On May 3, Leader of the Ontario NDP Andrea Horwath said that her party is the best bet for what she described as “job number one”—defeating Ford’s Progressive Conservatives.

Speaking at an event in Toronto, Horwath noted that her party formed the official Opposition in the legislature in 2018, while the Liberals are just entering the race this time with seven incumbent seats.

Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca said Ford and Horwath “seem to be on the same page,'' with both directing attacks at him, including each party running anti-Del Duca ads last year.

Other smaller parties are also joining the race.

Belinda Karahalios, an MPP previously ousted from the Ontario PC caucus for challenging a pandemic-related emergency powers bill in July 2020, is running under the banner of the New Blue Party, which is led by her husband, Jim Karahalios. The party says it has candidates in 118 of 124 ridings, and it’s committed to fighting COVID-19 mandates and taking a stance against big government and left-wing ideologies.

The Ontario Party, a social conservative party formed in 2018 whose slogan is Freedom, Family, and Faith, is headed by former Conservative MP Derek Sloan, who was expelled in January 2021 by then-Tory leader Erin O’Toole. The party currently has 45 confirmed candidates for the upcoming election, including former Freedom Convoy spokesperson and military veteran Tom Marazzo, who will be running in Peterborough-Kawartha.

Noé Chartier and The Canadian Press contributed to this article.