Candidates in the riding of Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte aren’t wasting any time with less than 10 days until voters head to the polls in the provincial election.
“We plan on going up to doors 10 minutes before the polls close,” said Liberal candidate Jeff Lehman.
The long-time Barrie mayor said his top priorities include housing, the environment, protecting the health of Lake Simcoe and education, pointing to smaller class sizes.
“After 12 years of serving the community as mayor, I’ve started to see the impact of decisions from Queen’s Park, and I had a great deal of concern around this government’s direction,” Lehman said.
To win a spot at Queen’s Park, he will have to defeat several others, including incumbent Doug Downey.
Over the weekend, Lehman called out the Conservative candidate and other candidates in the Progressive Conservative party for skipping debates, saying the most basic test of leadership is showing up, being accountable, listening to the public and answering questions.
Downey, who was first elected in 2018 and served as Ontario’s attorney general, said the focus should be on the issues.
“I’m at the doors every single day talking to people, and I think that’s what matters most.”
On election night, he’s hoping to keep the tradition going and paint the riding blue.
“We are the only ones who have a real handle on affordability. We are the ones who are actually building long-term care. We are solving real problems for people,” Downey said.
New Democrat Beverley Patchell hopes to take her first crack at office after retiring from the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
She wants to see changes to social assistance, affordable housing, and investing in long-term care and home care.
“I worked for years on the front line, and I saw the erosion of our social safety net, and I’m really passionate about being an advocate and getting things fixed.”
Green Party candidate Elyse Robinson said her passion for preserving the past and protecting the future inspired her to run.
“My grandparents lived in this area, and I know they wouldn’t want to see things like gravel pits destroy the water that is here or just unnecessary sprawl,” said Robinson.
Other candidates vying for votes on June 2 include Darren Roskam with None of the Above, Gerry Auger with the Ontario Party and Hayden Hughes with New Blue.