Andrea Horwath rallies crowd in Ottawa hours after Doug Ford visit
NDP leader Andrea Horwath visited the riding of Ottawa West—Nepean Monday just hours after a visit to the same riding by Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford.
Horwath ended her day in Ottawa, making an announcement at Beachconers ice cream shop near Britannia Beach.
NDP candidate Chandra Pasma lost the riding in 2018 by fewer than 200 votes, and is running again against former sitting PC member Jeremy Roberts.
Ford visited the capital to announce a plan to expand Highway 417; however, he was grilled on his actions throughout the aftermath of the May 21 storm in Ottawa.
Pasma introduced Horwath to the crowd Monday evening. NDP candidates Brian Double, running in Nepean, and Gabe Bourdon, who is running in Orléans, joined her.
Horwath thanked the crowd of supporters for showing up.
“I really wasn’t going to talk about a certain someone who was at the top of a building,” Horwath said, referencing Ford’s media conference on the roof of the Ottawa Citizen and Ottawa Sun offices earlier in the day, “but I do have to say that I’d much rather be right here, on the ground with all of you.”
Horwath spoke for several minutes against both Ford and the previous Liberal government. She didn’t make any specific policy announcements or take questions. Instead, she rallied support among the crowd in the final days of the campaign and thanked party volunteers and donors.
The NDP leader is scheduled to address a crowd in the same riding Tuesday morning near the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre on Greenview Avenue before travelling to Kingston, Bloomfield, Whitby and Scarborough.
Ford grilled over storm response
At his event earlier Monday, Ford said he was on the phone "every single day" making sure Ottawa had the resources it needed to clean up from the storm.
The Progressive Conservative leader visited Ottawa nine days after the powerful and deadly storm that left tens of thousands of people without power.
He faced questions from reporters about why he didn't visit the capital in the immediate aftermath of the storm.
"I was on the phone every single day making sure we got the resources here," he said. "I’m not here to do a photo op like maybe other politicians were. I was boots on the ground making sure we have the resources in here, and I’m going to continue to make sure."
Ford said the CEOs of Hydro One and Hydro Ottawa heard from him "every single day," along with Ottawa's mayor and other local officials.
"I just want to clarify one thing: I will always have the people's backs in Ottawa," he said.
Ford was speaking with Roberts, who is running for re-election in Ottawa West—Nepean, on the roof of the Ottawa Citizen building on Baxter Road, overlooking the Queensway. He was announcing the PCs' plan to widen Highway 417, previously announced earlier this year. It was the PC leader's first visit to Ottawa of the campaign with election day coming up on Thursday.
In a statement, the Ottawa Citizen said it was not informed ahead of time that Ford would be speaking on top of the building where its offices are located, noting that the newspaper does not own the building, and reporters have been working virtually throughout the pandemic.
"Credible news organizations like the Ottawa Citizen take the utmost care to remain neutral and present information in a way that does not favour one party over another," the statement said. "So you can imagine the shock and anger in our virtual newsroom when we discovered that the leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party was giving a news conference on the roof of the building that houses our offices."
Ford 'frustrated' by MPP riding allowances
Ford was also asked about Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod receiving $44,000 over three years as an MPP allowance from the local riding association.
"When I found out about anything like that, I was frustrated, to be frank with you," he said. "But it was all by the law .... it went to Elections Ontario."
Ford reiterated he wants to revisit the practice.
"I think all three parties, or four parties, need to get together and have a chat about it after this election. I want to put an end to it."
MacLeod was not at the announcement with Ford and Roberts on Monday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man books $7,700 luxury villa on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he was charged more than $7,700 to book a luxury villa on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.