Soon-to-be Ontario NDP leader Marit Styles visits Timmins

Just a week away from the confirmation vote that will officially make her the leader of the Ontario NDP, Marit Stiles visited Timmins Saturday to speak with media and supporters about her plans to support northern communities at Queens Park.

Joined by Mushkegowuk-James Bay New Democrat MPP Guy Bourgouin and retired former Timmins NDP MPP Gilles Bisson, Stiles told reporters that the Ontario Government is wrong to fight public sector wage increases and to lean towards private-sector-based healthcare.

“We’ve got everybody in this province competing for very few healthcare workers,” Stiles said in an interview.

“Everybody from doctors, to nurses, to PSWs. The last thing we need is a private, for-profit system that can pay more to suck more of those people out of our communities and into private clinics."

Stiles went on to say she worries that more healthcare funding will go to shareholder profits.

Visiting a historically NDP riding that’s now Progressive Conservative one, she said her party will still support northern communities.

Stiles told CTV News one of her goals is to win this riding back in the next election.

“[People are] struggling here, they’re struggling all over the province and we need to make sure that this government doesn’t ignore them,” she said.

“I want to make sure that the people of Timmins won’t get left behind, that this government doesn’t take people here for granted.”

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Family doctor and nurse practitioner recruitment are also top of mind for the New Democrats, as well as better winter road maintenance than the recently updated 12-hour bare pavement standard on highways 11 and 17.

Bourgouin said he’s going to continue pushing to get those highways ‘Class 1’ designations, which Carrie’s higher maintenance standards.

For Bisson, he said though Timmins voted PC after over 30 years, he said the he and the NDP had always supported them and helped get funding for major projects in the city; citing his help in funding the construction of the Timmins and District Hospital in 1993, under the Bob Rae NDP government and the building of the Cochrane Temiskaming Children’s Treatment Centre’s permanent location in 1998, under the Mike Harris Conservatives.

Bisson said Timmins had as much opportunity for funding as an NDP riding as it has now under its PC MPP George Pirie – but that a New Democrat will make a larger effort to help organizations apply for the funding they need.

He said he feels Stiles and her future candidate for Timmins will see that return.

Great to meet Councillor Kristin Murray @MurrayForWard5 this afternoon. Thanks for taking the time to discuss the issues facing Timmins - including the need for more affordable & supportive housing. pic.twitter.com/sAVQy6ET26

— Marit Stiles (@maritstiles) January 29, 2023

“She’s a positive individual who proposes ideas, not just opposes, and I think she’s going to do very well for the party,” said Bisson.

“You’ve got people like Guy and a very strong caucus that will do well. I think this riding is going to go back to the NDP.”