Election campaign in Parry Sound – Muskoka riding begins to heat up
The riding of Parry Sound–Muskoka has been a Conservative stronghold for most of its history. From 1957-1993, voters elected a Conservative representative every time. And after a 13-year Liberal stint, it again turned Conservative.
Incumbent Scott Aitchison is aiming for re-election for a second term. He is the former mayor of Huntsville and is bashing the Liberals on failed housing plans.
"There’s a desperate need in Parry Sound–Muskoka," said Aitchison. "Erin O’Toole has committed to building or renovating a million residential units in three years."
Aitchison won his first federal election in 2019 with almost 42 per cent of the vote.
The NDP is hoping Heather Hay, coordinator for Elder Abuse Prevention Muskoka, can unseat Aitchison. While she agrees about housing issues, she has a different approach for rural and remote communities.
"We don’t have the budget to make the matching funds that other bigger communities (can), so I’d like to have interest-free loans so we can compete for safe, affordable housing in the district," Hay said.
In 2019, the Green Party finished third. This time around, candidate Marc Mantha said there is much more support. Mantha ran for Gravenhurst town council in 2018.
"Mitigating the climate crisis creates a lot of prosperity," said Mantha. "You shift resources from things that are causing the climate crisis to programs that save us from it."
The Liberal candidate is Toronto Catholic School Board Teacher Jovanie Nicoyishakiye. She was unavailable for an interview, but did send a statement regarding her platform.
"I will fight against climate change, build houses that are more affordable and will bring back workers to this community and invest in small and medium businesses," Nicoyishakiye wrote.
The People’s People of Canada is fielding retired secondary school science teacher James Tole as its candidate. Meanwhile, Daniel Predie Jr. is running as an independent and James Fawcett is running for the National Citizens Alliance Party.
More than 76,000 people are eligible to vote in the riding. Election day is Sept. 20.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
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.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.