A closer look at candidates running in Nickel Belt
Nickel Belt is a riding that's been solid orange for more than 50 years and NDP incumbent France Gélinas is hoping she can keep that streak alive at Queen's Park.
Gélinas is running for the fifth time in the northeastern Ontario riding that spans Foleyet to the French River.
She said the biggest issue she's hearing at the door is access to health care -- and worries about a hospital that was built too small.
"The No. 1 issue I hear at the door is access to health care," Gélinas said.
"People have been telling me, I have been waiting for a knee surgery, a hip surgery for over 18 months now. I haven't been able to go to camp, I haven't been able to go to work because I have too much pain and I still don't know when I will be able to have my surgery," said Gélinas.
The long-time healthcare advocate said moves to privatize home health care must stop.
"We used to have really good home health care here through the Victoria Order of Nurses," she said.
"They had people who had a career in home care and were really good at it. Now it's every second day, somebody different comes to give you your bath. I'm sorry, but stripping naked in front of a stranger twice a week is not respectful."
The man hoping to turn the riding Liberal red for the first time is retired educator Gilles Proulx. He was selected to run for the Liberals in March. He faces a tall task: Nickel Belt has never sent a Liberal to Toronto since being created in 1955.
Proulx said the most important issue he's hearing is affordability.
"If you look at the price of houses, gas, groceries, fast food, anywhere you go, it's gone up," he said.
"We need to bring the gas prices down, but we also need to have more rent control so that landlords don't gouge people. We need to have a better health care system, that's another thing that comes up."
Gas analysts however say Sudbury has been overpaying for gas for years, long before the Progressive Conservatives.
While Proulx said there's no quick fix, he would sit down with those at the table -- including those in oil and gas -- to come up with a solution.
"We need to look at how it's distributed also," he said.
"There's no reason in Sudbury as to why we're paying $2.20 and I had a friend the other day who was in Sturgeon Falls and she paid $1.80."
CTV News made multiple attempts to reach the Green Party candidate Glenys Babcock but didn't hear back before the broadcast deadline.
CTV News did reach Progressive Conservative candidate Randy Hazlett and we were told they would participate only if questions were submitted in advance. Submitting questions in advance is not permitted under CTV News policy.
Other candidates running in the race include Melanie Savoie of the New Blue Party and Willy Schneider of the Ontario Party.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
'Of course, yes': Poland latest European country with interest in Canadian LNG
The President of Poland says his country would 'of course' be interested in purchasing Canadian liquefied natural gas if it were available, while the Canadian federal government has said it is 'not interested' in subsidizing future projects.
Dozens in Italy give a fascist salute on the anniversary of Mussolini's execution
Dozens of people raised their arms in the fascist salute and shouted a fascist chant during ceremonies Sunday to honor Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on the 79th anniversary of his execution.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
Britney Spears settles long-running legal dispute with estranged father, finally bringing ultimate end to conservatorship
Britney Spears has reached a settlement with her estranged father more than two years after the court-ordered termination of a conservatorship that had given him control of her life, their attorneys said.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Health minister 'deeply appreciative' of doctors but capital gains changes here to stay
Health Minister Mark Holland says while he is 'deeply appreciative' of the work doctors in Canada do, the federal government has no plans to scrap the proposed capital gains tax changes outlined in the latest budget, despite opposition from the Canadian Medical Association.
A top Qatari official urges Israel and Hamas to do more to reach a ceasefire deal
A senior Qatari official has urged both Israel and Hamas to show "more commitment and more seriousness" in ceasefire negotiations in interviews with Israeli media, as pressure builds on both sides to move toward a deal that would set Israeli hostages free and bring potential respite in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza.