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CBC
28-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Aislinn Clancy projected to win in Kitchener Centre
Green candidate Aislinn Clancy is projected to win in Kitchener Centre. With 43 of 61 polls reporting, Clancy has 18,642 votes with the PC's Rob Elliott in second place with 9,207 votes. Clancy will retain her seat. She previously won the byelection in November 2023. The candidates in Kitchener Centre were (in alphabetical order by last name): Sebastian Butnar-Stoica, Ontario Party. Aislinn Clancy, Green (incumbent). Rob Elliott, Progressive Conservatives. Colleen James, Liberal. Christopher Nuhn, Independent. Paul Simoes, New Blue Party. Brooklin Wallis, NDP. Sebastian Butnar-Stoica, the Ontario Party candidate, is a vehicle service technician. The Ontario Party's motto is "freedom, family and faith" and the party was started by former Conservative MP Derek Sloan. Aislinn Clancy, the Green candidate, is the most recent MPP for Kitchener Centre. Prior to winning the November 2023 byelection, she served as a Kitchener city councillor after winning a seat in the October 2022 municipal election. Before that, she was a social worker in the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. Rob Elliott, the PC candidate, also ran as the PC candidate in the 2023 byelection. His bio on the website for the company Counsel Public Affairs, a consulting firm, says he has 15 years of experience working in government and public affairs. Colleen James, the Liberal candidate, is currently a Region of Waterloo councillor who has taken leave for the duration of the campaign. Prior to that, James founded Divonify Inc., a consulting firm for equity and inclusion. Christopher Nuhn is running in the election as an independent candidate, meaning he has no party affiliation. He says on his Facebook page that his "agenda is Kitchener first, party politics last." Paul Simoes, the New Blue Party, ran in the November 2023 byelection. He runs a martial arts business. Brooklin Wallis, the NDP candidate, ran in the October 2022 municipal election in Kitchener. A transgender activist, Wallis is a board member at Spectrum, Waterloo Region's Rainbow Community Space. Riding history The riding has existed since 1999 and was created from the ridings of Kitchener and Kitchener-Wilmot. The first Member of Provincial Parliament to serve the riding was Progressive Conservative Wayne Wettlaufer, who held the seat in Kitchener from 1995 to 1999, then Kitchener Centre from 1999 to 2003. In 2003, Wettlaufer lost his bid for re-election to Liberal John Milloy. Milloy served as the riding's MPP, and served in several cabinet positions, until 2014, when he did not seek re-election. In 2014, TV broadcaster Daiene Vernile ran for the Liberals and won. The NDP's Laura Mae Lindo defeated Vernile in 2018 and served until July 2023, when she stepped down from the role. A byelection was held in November 2023, which was won by Green candidate Aislinn Clancy.
CBC
26-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
How Wellington-Halton Hills candidates plan to tackle affordability and the health-care crisis
Affordability is a top issue for Wellington-Halton Hills voters. Here's what candidates say they'll do 7 hours ago Duration 3:55 After participating in a panel discussion on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition, Wellington-Halton Hills candidates were asked to lay out their government's plans to address the high cost of living in their riding. The three candidates who took part in the panel were NDP's Simone Kent, Liberal Alex Hilson and Bronwynne Wilton from the Green Party. Ontario PC candidate Joseph Racinsky declined to participate in the panel. There are seven candidates in total in this riding. The other candidates are: Jason Medland of the Ontario Party, Ron Patava of the Consensus Party and Stephen Kitras of the New Blue Party. Social Sharing Affordability and health care were among the top two issues addressed by Wellington-Halton Hills candidates as part of a panel discussion on CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition on Wednesday. Three candidates from major parties joined host Craig Norris for the panel discussion. CBC K-W invited the candidates from the four parties with MPPs currently sitting at Queen's Park. There are seven candidates in Wellington-Halton Hills: Alex Hilson, Liberal. Simone Kent, NDP. Stephen Kitras, New Blue Party. Jason Medland, Ontario Party. Ron Patava, Consensus Ontario. Joseph Racinsky, Progressive Conservatives. Bronwynne Wilton, Green. Three candidates — Hilson, Kent and Wilton — attended the panel. CBC reached out to Joseph Racinsky to extend an invitation to participate, but did not receive a response. More information about candidates from non-major parties can be found below. Affordability Voters in Wellington-Halton Hills wrote affordability –in both housing and everyday expenses– as a top election issue when responding to CBC K-W's voter survey. Candidates were asked what their parties would do to ease the financial burden on Ontarians. Kent said her government plans to introduce a monthly grocery credit based on household size and income. She said they would also establish a consumer watchdog for grocery stores. She said that would "ensure fair pricing and have a requirement that retailers must post any price increases over two per cent." She said her party would reestablish rent control and close any loopholes for units built after 2018, which she said would keep costs from climbing and eliminate renovictions and other tactics some landlords use to push people out of their homes. In addition, Kent said her NDPs plan to deliver $10-a-day childcare and create 53,000 new public or non-profit childcare spaces, and double OW and ODSP payments. Wilton said her government wants to eliminate the land transfer tax for first-time homebuyers as well as development charges on homes under 2,000 sq. ft. "And we'll make sure we keep municipalities whole by creating an infrastructure support fund that will go along with that program," she said. She said the Greens have a plan to cut taxes for low and middle income individuals making under $65,000 and households making under $100,000. She said she would work toward strict anti-gouging and collusion laws "to stop grocery corporations from gouging people and their grocery bills." She said her government would also work toward doubling OW and ODSP. Hilson said his party is proposing a tax cut for people making under $75,000, as well as cutting the HST on home hydro and heating. "That's going to put about $1,150 back in people's pockets," he said. For housing, Hilson said his party has similar plans. His Liberals want to cut the land transfer tax on first-time homebuyers, seniors downsizing, and non-profit builders, as well as cut development charges. He said his party plans to implement rent control measures on units built after 2018. Hilson said he would work toward doubling ODSP payments and cutting interest on OSAP loans for students. Health Care Wellington-Halton Hills voters said health care was something they wanted to see local candidates address in Thursday's election. Candidates were asked what they think the barriers to health care are their riding, and what they need to do to break them down. Wilton said Ontarians living in rural areas, like much of Wellington-Halton Hills, are losing their family doctors at a much higher rate than urban centres. She said her government plans to recruit 33,500 more doctors, in part through medical school positions and more residency opportunities for international medical graduates. Wilton said her party would increase the number of health-care teams. "So we have more nurse practitioners and nurses coming into our communities and working together," she said. As a solution to reduced hours in emergency rooms in rural areas, Wilton said she would look at building more walk-in clinics. "If you're in a rural hospital and you get there in an emergency and find it's closed, you're in a 911 situation." Hilson proposed his party's plan to connect every Ontarian to a family doctor in the next four years. "We're also proposing Ontario health teams for wrap around care to get people out of hospitals," he said, adding that could help address recurring health problems in some individuals. "We're talking about removing the administrative burden using technology better but also stop punishing doctors and patients when they go to walk-in clinics," said Hilson. He said his party's plan costs $3.1 billion, "That's about the same cost that we saw provincially as those $200 checks." Kent said her party is committed to expanding primary care by hiring 3,500 more doctors, as well as making it easier for internationally-trained doctors to practice in Ontario. "We're going to grow the workforce by cutting red tape for the 13,000 internationally trained doctors that we already have, and increasing residency," she said. She said her government wants to take the administrative work from the plates of doctors and so they can see more patients each day, as well as reduce wait times by establishing a centralized system for specialist referrals. Kent said her party wants to eliminate the health-care system's reliance on private nursing agencies by providing "fair wages and working conditions for health-care workers." Candidates from non-major parties While only candidates running for parties with seats at the Ontario Legislature were invited to participate in the candidate panel, Wellington-Halton Hills also has three other candidates: Kitras of the New Blue Party, Medland of the Ontario Party, and Patava from Consensus Ontario. CBC News reached out to the Ontario Party and Consensus Ontario to try to make contact with their Wellington-Halton Hills candidates, but did not receive a response. In an email to CBC News, Stephen Kitras said his top priority for Wellinton-Halton Hills is address the myriad of issues he says voters are facing: the affordability of housing and every-day goods and a lack of provincial assistance with rural infrastructure. Kitras said his government would work toward building truly affordable homes in collaboration with local developers and municipalities, a type of cooperation that he said has been lacking. "Affordable housing is housing with lower cost parameters and no development charges with rent to own options," he said. "It is an entry into the housing market. Housing ownership is the foundation of upward mobility and the middle class." Kitras also said that his New Blue Party would address the health-care crisis and lack of family doctors which he said is a result of financial mismanagement by 25 years of Liberal and PC governments. He added that he would work toward opening a new hospice location in Wellington-Halton Hills. Kitras said that his candidacy provides voters with an option for a "real" conservative vote. Voting Advance polls closed Saturday and Wellington-Halton Hills saw 7,614 ballots cast over the three-day advance period, accounting for about 7.2 per cent of eligible voters. People can vote at the Wellington-Halton Hills election office located in unit 55 at 280 Guelph St, Georgetown on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
CBC
24-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Ontario Election 2025: Health care and affordability key issues in the riding of Essex
Ontario Votes 2025: Health care, affordability priorities for candidates in Essex 55 years ago Eight candidates are eager for your votes in the riding of Essex, many of them pointing to healthcare and affordability as key election issues. Here's who's running, in alphabetical order: Brigitte Belton - New Blue Party New Blue Party candidate Brigitte Belton is a truck driver living in Wallaceburg. She describes herself as one of the leaders of the self-described Freedom Convoy in southwestern Ontario. "I am a hard worker. I work 70 hours a week currently, and if I need to work more, I will. I believe in an open door policy. You will always have access to me," she said. Tackling affordability is one her top priorities, as is ensuring everyone has a family doctor. She said her party wants to rehire every doctor and nurse that was let go due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates. "People who work hard, who go to work every day are now suffering. They're having a hard time paying bills," she said, adding that effective leadership is needed to address the issues affecting the province. Stephen Higgins - Green Party of Ontario Green Party of Ontario candidate Stephen Higgins is a lifelong Kingsville resident and entrepreneur, currently running PURE Mobile Wash. "I'm going to be a strong independent voice and the Green Party platform allows their candidates to be that strong independent voice that represents the riding at Queens Park and not the party to the riding," he said. "Politics should be done that way." Addressing healthcare — especially mental healthcare — and education are his biggest priorities. "Investing in education is investing in our own future. We are all going to age and we need to have people that are able to solve the problems that we'll be facing when we're older," he said. Travis Jacques - Ontario Party Travis Jacques is running for the Ontario Party, which describes itself as a party defending freedom, family and faith. CBC was unable to reach him for an interview. (Incumbent) Anthony Leardi - PC Party of Ontario Incumbent Anthony Leardi was first elected as MPP for the PC Party in 2022. He is a lawyer and former deputy mayor of the Town of Amherstburg. His campaign manager told CBC he was unable to participate in an interview. In posts to campaign social media, Leardi notes the party's need for a strong mandate in the fight against tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as the endorsements the party has received from unions across the province. He has also posted about protecting Ontario's energy sector. Kevin Linfield - None of the Above Direct Democracy Party Holding the banner for the None of the Above Direct Democracy Party is Kevin Linfield, an aerospace engineer who lives in Essex County. He describes himself as a "concerned voter" who does not like how party politics have been playing out across Ontario and the country for some time. Addressing the housing shortage is his top priority. "I am very concerned that my children will not be able to afford a house in Ontario," he said, explaining that he would be advocating for duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes to be built on regular lots, as well as smaller homes. He acknowledges most people won't choose him this election, but said, "Doesn't matter who you're voting for, whether it's Conservatives, Liberals, Greens, NDP or None of the Above, I would want people to get out and vote. Please don't stay home. Vote." Rachael Mills - Ontario NDP Ontario NDP candidate Rachael Mills describes herself as a community activist who has worked in healthcare and customer service. Improving healthcare and affordable housing options are her top priorities. "We need sustainable land use planning to ensure that we're building the homes that we need in the communities that we know and love that have the infrastructure and not continue to threaten and jeopardize our natural environment and our agricultural lands," she said. She says when the election was called, "I knew that I had to get out there and really provide people the opportunity to feel hopeful. We have the solutions. We have a fantastic platform and plan to address all of these concerns." Tamara Stomp - Ontario Liberal Party Ontario Liberal candidate Tamara Stomp is from Kingsville and works as a lawyer in Windsor. She also served on Kingsville's town council for 11 years from 2003 to 2014, including as deputy mayor for the final four years. Her top priorities in this election are housing, education and healthcare, adding that she herself does not have a family doctor. She said the province needs to open up more schools or programs to take in students wanting to become doctors. "I have a lot of knowledge, a lot of experience, and I believe that in the public I have a lot of integrity. I want to tell you the truth. I do not want to sugarcoat it," she said. "Ontarians are facing these tariff issues and all the big problems that have come with Doug Ford's reign of seven years where he has not fixed the home healthcare, the homelessness, not the healthcare and not the education. They're worse than they were before that." William Szabo Verzoc - Independent Independent candidate William Szabo Verzoc describes himself as a disability rights advocate living with Crohn's disease, with a background in medical studies. "I'm running because I believe our party system has ultimately failed us and it's important that we as individuals are able to be nominated and run as independents and speak our minds and contribute to this particular election process," he said. He cites healthcare as his top priority, saying he would like to increase the number of medical school placements in Ontario, and lift some restrictions for Canadians who have studied abroad. "We all have to be healthy in order to live our best lives," he said. "I would say yes, in order to have a thriving society, you have to have a healthy society in order to get people off the streets, right? They have to be healthy, both in body and in mind."
CBC
21-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
How Kitchener-Conestoga candidates plan to address affordable housing and the Wilmot Township land assembly
Land expropriation in Wilmot is a top issue for Kitchener-Conestoga voters. Here's where candidates say they stand on the issue 9 hours ago Duration 4:43 After participating in a panel discussion on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition, Kitchener-Conestoga candidates were asked where they stand on plans by the Region of Waterloo, supported by the province, to buy farmland in Wilmot Township for future industrial use. The four candidates who took part in the panel were Brayden Wagenaar of the Green Party, Conservative incumbent Mike Harris Jr., NDP's Jodi Szimanski and Liberal Joe Gowing. There are six candidates in total in this riding. The other candidates are: Patrick Doucette of the Ontario Party and Jim Karahalios of the New Blue Party. Affordable housing and the Wilmot Township land assembly were among the top issues addressed by Kitchener-Conestoga candidates as part of a panel discussion on CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition on Thursday. Four candidates from major parties joined host Craig Norris for the panel discussion. CBC K-W invited the candidates from the parties with MPPs currently sitting at Queen's Park. There are seven candidates in Kitchener-Centre: Patrick Doucette, Ontario Party. Joe Gowing, Ontario Liberal Party. Mike Harris Jr., Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (incumbent). Jim Karahalios, New Blue Party of Ontario. Jodi Szimanski, Ontario New Democratic Party. Brayden Wagenaar, Green Party of Ontario. The four candidates who attended the panel were Gowing, Harris, Szimanski, and Wagenaar. More information about candidates from non-major parties can be found below. Affordable housing Kitchener–Conestoga voters who responded to CBC K-W's voter survey said affordable housing was one of their top priorities in this election. Candidates were asked what they think needs to happen to ensure affordable housing is built in their riding. Harris said that the main thing he's focused on is housing for all. He stressed the need to "have housing for the younger generation, older generation seniors that are looking to move out of their larger homes so that family can move in." He said that while he believes his government has done a lot already, the biggest barrier to more homes is infrastructure. "Pipes in the ground, water, sewer. How do we get that out to these areas so that we're able to build these homes," said Harris. Szimanski said she wants to see more density in residential areas. Her government would work with municipalities to rezone some areas, allowing the construction of fourplexes with affordable units in place of the single-detached homes that would normally go there. "There are a lot of homes going up and construction. I see it in Baden, Wellesley…but they're not affordable homes," she said, adding that Kitchener–Conestoga needs cooperative and non-profit housing. Wagenaar took a different approach, criticizing past governments and industry leaders for failing to address affordability. "If the people that had the power to fix this could have, they would have, but they haven't," he said. He said the Greens want to build more housing, but it needs to be affordable. He called for the de-commodification of the housing industry, "at least to a good enough percentage" so that people who live here have the opportunity to enter the housing market. Gowing, drawing on his finance background, echoed concerns about the types of homes being built. "The current government says they're building homes, but they're not building the right type of homes," he said. Having visited building sites recently, he found out the base model for a single detached home costs $950,000 and a town home costs $750,000. "Building these monstrous homes is, yeah, we're ticking a box that we're meeting these targets. But unless we build the right type of homes for people to afford…they're not going to be able to purchase a home." Wilmot Land Assembly Voters identified the controversial plan to purchase large swaths of farmland for industrial use in Wilmot Township as an issue they want addressed by candidates in the upcoming election. The plan is currently supported by the Ontario government. Candidates were asked what side of the debate they find themselves on. Gowing said he sides with the farmers, adding that his family has a farming background. "If we remove [prime farmland], it is going to have a huge impact on our agricultural food side of things," said Gowing. He said he wants to expand the Greenbelt and introduce a "Bluebelt" which would protect wetlands. Gowing criticized the secrecy surrounding the land assembly, saying that if he were elected, he would push to release councillors of their non-disclosure agreements. "There's a reason for all the secrecy. I want to know why and I know the citizens want to know why." Wagenaar said he sides with protecting the farmland, too. "The idea of spending more time destroying the current resources that exist and the current access to land that exists, to do things like grow food, feels criminal," he said. There's never been a time where Canadians need to become more self-reliant, he said, and the land assembly efforts in Wilmot go against that. He said the Green Party's housing plan doesn't involve expanding into farmland. Szimanski said she would like to see the farmland protected. "The fact that we're going to people on prime farm lands and saying basically 'get off your land or else' shocks me," she said. She said the entire process is undemocratic, without public accountability. "The way that it's been done with all the secrecy, the non-disclosure agreements," said Szimanski. "If there's nothing going on that we shouldn't be sharing with everyone, why do we have non-disclosure agreements?" She said she would consider extending the Greenbelt to protect the farmland from expropriation. "Losing 319 acres of farmland…we can't come back from that to grow our own food." Harris said he sides with farmers, but is in favour of the land assembly. However, he said the process of approaching farmers to acquire their farmland has been mishandled until recently. "Coming in and saying that we're just going to expropriate your land is not the way to do business," said Harris. "It's, quite frankly, bad-faith negotiation." He said that the initial contact issue has been resolved and farmers are starting to receive competitive offers. "It's my goal to make sure that their farms aren't expropriated and that they're going to be able to reach a fair and equitable deal," he said. Harris said the land assembly is crucial to having large scale industrial sites available in case a company comes looking for it. He referenced investments the region had missed out on, as well as the departure of Kitchener's Schneiders plant, which he said was a result of the lack of shovel-ready land. "We've lost out on some really, really key economic opportunities here in the region," said Harris. Candidates from non-major parties While only candidates running for parties with seats at the Ontario Legislature were invited to participate in the candidate panel, Kitchener–Conestoga also has two other candidates: Doucette of the Ontario Party and the New Blue Party of Ontario Leader, Karahalios CBC News reached out to the Ontario Party to try to make contact with their Kitchener–Conestoga candidate, but did not receive a response. In an emailed statement to CBC News, Jim Karahalios said his top priority for Kitchener–Conestoga is to clean up Queen's Park by removing lobbyists who he says control the process. He said electing him would give constituents an MPP who can speak their mind in ways he says major-party candidates cannot. Karahalios said he is more of a true conservative option compared to the PCs. To protect farmers and other residents in Kitchener-Conestoga, he said if elected he would introduce a private member's bill strengthening property rights in Ontario. Karahalios wrote that this bill would make it so "landowners are no longer forced into losing their land against their will at below market rates through government expropriation." "The residents of Kitchener-Conestoga deserve someone who will be their representative at Queen's Park and someone who is wiling to stand up for them with courage and conviction." Voting Advance polls run Thursday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are four advance polling locations in the riding of Kitchener–Conestoga: People can also vote at the Kitchener–Conestoga election office located at 95 Peel St., New Hamburg. In addition to the above hours, that office is open Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Election day is Feb. 27.
CBC
16-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Kitchener Centre: 6 challengers look to unseat relatively new MPP
A relatively new MPP will look to retain her seat in Kitchener Centre in this provincial election. The candidates in Kitchener Centre are (in alphabetical order by last name): Sebastian Butnar-Stoica, Ontario Party. Aislinn Clancy, Green (incumbent). Rob Elliott, Progressive Conservatives. Colleen James, Liberal. Christopher Nuhn, Independent. Paul Simoes, New Blue Party. Brooklin Wallis, NDP. Sebastian Butnar-Stoica, the Ontario Party candidate, is a vehicle service technician. The Ontario Party's motto is "freedom, family and faith" and the party was started by former Conservative MP Derek Sloan. Aislinn Clancy, the Green candidate, is the most recent MPP for Kitchener Centre. She won a byelection in November 2023 to replace outgoing NDP MPP Laura Mae Lindo. Prior to winning the byelection, she served as a Kitchener city councillor after winning a seat in the October 2022 municipal election. Before that, she was a social worker in the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. Rob Elliott, the PC candidate, also ran as the PC candidate in the 2023 byelection. His bio on the website for the company Counsel Public Affairs, a consulting firm, says he has 15 years of experience working in government and public affairs. During the byelection, Elliott's team confirmed he lived in Keswick, located north of Toronto on Lake Simcoe. Elliott's team did not respond to a request from CBC K-W to confirm he still lives there in this election. Colleen James, the Liberal candidate, is currently a Region of Waterloo councillor who has taken leave for the duration of the campaign. Prior to that, James founded Divonify Inc., a consulting firm for equity and inclusion. Christopher Nuhn is running in the election as an independent candidate, meaning he has no party affiliation. He says on his Facebook page that his "agenda is Kitchener first, party politics last." Paul Simoes, the New Blue Party, ran in the November 2023 byelection. He runs a martial arts business. Brooklin Wallis, the NDP candidate, ran in the October 2022 municipal election in Kitchener. A transgender activist, Wallis is the director at Spectrum, Waterloo Region's Rainbow Community Space. Riding history The riding has existed since 1999 and was created from the ridings of Kitchener and Kitchener-Wilmot. The first Member of Provincial Parliament to serve the riding was Progressive Conservative Wayne Wettlaufer, who held the seat in Kitchener from 1995 to 1999, then Kitchener Centre from 1999 to 2003. In 2003, Wettlaufer lost his bid for re-election to Liberal John Milloy. Milloy served as the riding's MPP, and served in several cabinet positions, until 2014, when he did not seek re-election. In 2014, TV broadcaster Daiene Vernile ran for the Liberals and won. Lindo defeated Vernile in 2018 and served until July 2023, when she stepped down from the role. A byelection was held in November 2023, which was won by Green candidate Aislinn Clancy.
