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
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
LIVE @ 1:15 PT B.C. premier to give announcement related to public drug use
B.C.'s premier is scheduled to give an update Friday about public drug use in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.