Ontario NDP leadership hopeful visits the Sault
The lone official candidate to be the Ontario NDP's next leader is on a tour of northern Ontario cities.
Today, Marit Stiles was in Sault Ste. Marie
The current MPP for Toronto Davenport is looking to fill the role left by Andrea Horwath's departure.
Today she spoke with local NDP members and supporters, but first met with the Sault’s municipal election candidates to learn about the concerns of northerners.
“I think it’s really important to not just send the message that it matters that you’re going to put northern concerns first, but that you’re going to actually listen to what people in communities like Sault Ste Marie want to see happen,” said Stiles
“Like, I’m not going to be the expert on that. I want to know what people here are are doing and they need.”
Michele McCleave-Kennedy, the president of the Sault Ste. Marie District Labour Council, was among those meeting with Stiles.
“As we all know northern Ontario and southern Ontario is different and so to have the potential leader of the opposition here in Sault Ste. Marie to discuss with local community people what’s needed, is essential,” McCleave-Kennedy told CTV News.
“We need to have our voices heard so that people know that the north is very different than the south.”
Her first northern campaign stop was in North Bay on Wednesday.
There during a roundtable discussion, she said a parent told her that schools need "triple the number of educational assistants in classrooms."
The NDP Leadership hopeful said public education is a priority of hers.
"It's not normal to have giant class sizes in our schools. That's not normal and we need to get back to realizing that we can do better than this."
Stiles is set to visit Sudbury on Friday and plans to return to Northern Ontario later on in her campaign.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Whooping cough outbreak declared in Newfoundland
Health officials say there is an outbreak of whooping cough in eastern Newfoundland.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
NEW How Canadians can watch the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest
Europe’s top pop stars are out and about for the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, taking place in Malmo, Sweden.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.