Conservative leadership hopeful swings through northern Ontario

It was a packed house inside the Radisson Hotel ballroom in Sudbury on Saturday as the local Conservative base came out to hear from Pierre Poilievre, the man vying to run the party.

The Conservative leadership hopeful is being considered the front-runner in some circles. Sudbury was just one stop on his northern Ontario tour as he looked to sell party memberships and rally his supporters.

"What an honour to be here in this great mining town -- the people who supply the minerals that make our great economy work and make our lives possible -- the backbone of the nation. Thank you," Poilievre said to the Sudbury crowd.

Many in the room were wearing blue -- the political party's signature colour -- with one person bringing a large sign that read "Poilievre for Prime Minister" and then on another "Trudeau, no one believes you."

For roughly an hour, Poilievre addressed the crowd with what's become his trademark speech across the country: highlighting concerns around the economy and what he calls an attack on 'Canadian freedom.'

"But lately people have not felt so free in this country have they," he asked the crowd. "Whether it's the 14-year-old girl that's fallen deep into depression because of being separated from her sporting and social activities for the last two years or the waitress who started a business and had to mortgage her house because she had to open and close her business so many times she couldn't open it up again."

Poilievre also mentioned the truckers and the trucker convoy that protested in Ottawa for several weeks.

"The truckers were heroes and I was proud to stand with the law-abiding, peaceful truckers who stood up for our freedom," he shouted, over loud cheers.

The Ottawa-area MP said if he were to become prime minister, the first thing he would do would be to scrap all vaccine mandates and vaccine passports.

The other half of his message centred around the high costs people are now facing over things like inflation and the high price of gas. In a city where people are paying 15-cents more a litre than Toronto, the message appeared to be resonating with many.

"The price of inflation has made it more costly, that actually four in five families have actually cut back in their diets to afford their grocery bills. Or you're the working guy, who works in a mine, but can't afford to go hunting or fishing because it's not $1.90 a litre," he said.

Throughout the speech, the main targets appeared to be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and leadership rival Jean Charest.

He ended with a plea for people in the room to buy memberships, adding he can't become the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada unless people become members and vote for him.

Ian Symington, a Sudbury family doctor and the man who unsuccessfully ran as the local Conservative candidate in the last federal election, said it's the economic message that many are hoping to hear.

"They're worried about things getting more expensive. There's no end in sight, it just keeps going up and up and up, and eventually, people see themselves being priced out of the market," Symington said.

"It's a very big deal," said Charles Humphrey, who ran as the federal Conservative candidate in the Nickel Belt riding during the last election. "I come from a single-income family. We have two young children and my wife has been home with them because we couldn't afford daycare. We're feeling the pinch and I'm a relatively well-paid professional. I work as a paramedic."

CTV News also spoke with some supporters in the crowd, including Pat and Heather Parker who made the drive from Espanola.

Coming from out west, Pat said Poilievre believes in many of the same issues they do.

"We built this nation with railroads and pipelines and they've created the wealth to distribute for many worthy causes in our own care, but you have to create the wealth first," he said.

"I'm here to see Pierre. I'm a Conservative supporter and support the Conservative movement and hopefully out the Liberals," said a man named Corey, another Poilievre supporter in attendance at the rally.

The Conservative leadership vote is slated for Sept. 10.

No word yet on whether other candidates, including Jean Charest, Leslyn Lewis and northern Ontario's Scott Aitchison, will be touring the region as the party's leadership race continues.