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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.