Ontario election: Will Doug Ford’s blue wave envelop Sudbury?

Posted: February 24, 2025

(February 24, 2025)

By: Mary Katherine Keown, The Sudbury Star

The PCs last held the riding almost 40 years ago but analysts are predicting a close race with the NDP. Meanwhile, housing, health care and boosting mining are top city concerns

There is a lot going on in the world right now, but as the provincial election nears, access to publicly-funded health care remains top of mind for many voters in the Sudbury riding.

Raymond Hammond, president of USW Local 6500, said his union wants to see a representative at Queen’s Park who listens to community concerns, “someone that has lived in the community, worked in the community and knows the needs, as well as anyone else.”

Highways, including the last 70 km of Highway 69, remain a priority for the Steelworkers. Of course, access to an efficient and vibrant health-care system is also a top concern.

“Sudbury needs safe highways that lead to the rest of the province. Sudbury needs faster access to public health care, including mental health (care), that is properly staffed and supplied. Sudbury needs an end to hallway medicine,” Hammond said. “Sudbury needs properly funded and supported education to ensure their children are ready for the workforce, especially the local workforce. Sudbury needs transitional housing to offer proper support for its unhoused population. Sudbury needs to be more affordable.”

The United Steelworkers have long supported the New Democrats, and Hammond said voters should keep one eye on the past, while the other focuses on the horizon.

“The priorities of the Local are simple. We need a government that takes care of the people; a government that addresses health care, including mental health care; education; highway safety; housing; and affordability,” he offered. “These issues help everyone, and they enable the Local and any other union to concentrate bargaining power on wages, and other protections and benefits.”

It is easy to make promises, but more challenging to actually bring results to fruition. Sudbury voters should consider who would make the strongest advocate.

“Voters need to think about the MPPs that have been there for them over the years and put in the time to talk to their constituents, attend community events and represent them at Queen’s Park,” Hammond commented. “Voters need to think about the differences between federal and provincial politics, and what our MPPs can actually do for us.”

Mayor Paul Lefebvre seconded Hammond’s thoughts on health care. He said on his mind this election is Health Sciences North and the state of the local system.

“We’re seeing our hospital overwhelmed. We don’t have the capacity to deal with the influx of folks, not only from Sudbury but from the huge catchment area it serves now,” Lefebvre said last week. “For me, it’s helping advocate and getting funding for our hospital to grow — to add more beds.”

As Lefebvre noted, Greater Sudbury has a current population hovering at about 180,000; however, the hospital and its mental health care programs are serving a population of about 400,000.

“The funding we receive is not equal to the needs and the demand on our system. That’s why our city, as a whole, can’t keep up,” he said. “We are the hub of the northeast and when there are acute mental health care needs, often people are told they can access services here, causing us to be way over capacity. That is a challenge for us, to be able to maintain.”

We want more housing. The challenge is we don’t have all the infrastructure we need — water, wastewater, and certainly the roads,” he said.

There is provincial funding available for northern municipalities, but there is a cap of $10 million. Lefebvre said he has been advocating for the province to raise that maximum. He said because Greater Sudbury is actually an amalgamated city of seven municipalities, it should qualify for more funding.

“We love that program, but we’re capped out at $10 million. We would qualify for about $18 million, but if we were seven municipalities, we would qualify for $10 million each, therefore we would qualify for $70 million,” Lefebvre argued.

Lefebvre said his third priority will be advocating for increased local post-extraction processing of critical minerals. Greater Sudbury is the national powerhouse, he said, with two smelters, two mills and two refineries.

“I believe folks from Sudbury want to see more of that supply chain stay here, so we can have more of the advanced processing,” he said. “As we’re seeing the USA wanting to onshore more of their manufacturing and using their technology, we should be looking at our own natural resources. In Sudbury, that means our own critical minerals, including nickel, and what more we can do here on the advanced processing side to become that hub, not just for Sudbury, but for Canada and around the world.”

Lefebvre said Greater Sudbury has the expertise, land and natural resources to become a global hub, especially with the advent of battery-electric vehicles.

PCs last held Sudbury in the 1980s

The Sudbury riding has not been held by a Conservative since the 1980s, when Jim Gordon served (1981-87) under Premiers Bill Davis and Frank Miller, as well as Larry Grossman, who served as leader of the opposition from 1985-87.

For nearly 40 years, the Sudbury riding has bounced between the New Democrats and the Liberals.

MPP Jamie West has held the Sudbury seat for the NDP since 2018. He is running again, but if predictions are accurate, the blue tide is fast approaching.

As of Feb. 23, the Conservatives were leading election forecasts by a significant margin. The website 338canada.com is projecting the PCs will win 45 per cent of seats (give or take four per cent), while the Liberals will take 27 per cent of ridings. The New Democrats are only projected to win 19 per cent of seats and the Green Party of Ontario, six per cent.

Locally, 338canada.com says the Sudbury riding is a toss-up between the NDP and Doug Ford’s PCs. It also has Nickel Belt leaning NDP.

Parties need to win at least 63 seats for a majority; 338canada is projecting the Conservatives will win 91 seats; while the New Democrats will win 19 seats and the Liberals, just 12 seats. The Greens are projected to win two seats.

In Sudbury, the Conservatives are represented by entrepreneur Max Massimiliano

Born and raised in Greater Sudbury, Massimiliano is a business owner and community leader. His success “has been driven by key qualities such as integrity, a strong work ethic and a genuine commitment to his community,” the PCs note on the party website. “Widely respected for his leadership, Max is focused on advocating for policies and initiatives that support local economic growth, job creation and health care access, all while ensuring Sudbury remains a great place to live, work and raise a family.”

Rashid Mukhtar Choudhry, a local businessman, is running for the Liberals.

Born and raised in Pakistan to a family that was involved in politics, Choudhry moved to Canada in 2012. He has owned or managed fast food businesses since his arrival. He is currently proprietor of Smoke’s Poutinerie at 40 Elm St.

Choudhry said he was compelled to get involved with the Liberals after waiting last summer in the ER at Health Sciences North for more than 10 hours. His young family still has no family doctor and he wants the health care system fixed.

The Ontario Health Coalition says more than two million residents of Ontario are without a family physician.

“No matter how anyone tries to spin the numbers, the actual data from sources not tainted by politics show that more than a million Ontarians have lost their family doctor since before the Ford government was elected,” the Coalition reported on Jan. 27. “In 2016, before the Ford government was elected, 1.3 million Ontarians did not have a family doctor, according to data from Statistics Canada. By July 2024, there were 2.5 million Ontarians without a family doctor, according to the Ontario College of Family Physicians. The numbers are projected to get worse.”

A lack of family doctors is one aspect plaguing the health-care system, but the crisis runs deeper and cuts across various sectors. Attention must be paid to the social determinants of health, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario argues.

The RNAO is calling on the next government to strengthen the social determinants of health by improving access to “housing, social programs and liveable incomes to foster healthy, equitable, diverse and inclusive communities.”

The association, which has a local chapter, wants health care to be prioritized across the province. The RNAO is calling for action on the nursing crisis by retaining registered nurses and nurse practitioners “with competitive compensation, full-time jobs, education funding and safe work environments.”

It also wants the next government to consider the closure of supervised consumption sites. Keeping sites open and accessible saves lives, the association argues.

“With 10 Ontarians dying every day from the illicit drug supply, our leaders must also confront the toxic drug crisis. An essential step: reversing the current plan to close supervised consumption sites is essential,” the RNAO stated on its website (rnao.ca). It is calling on Queen’s Park to “commit to expanding mental health care — including more harm reduction and treatment services across the province — to save lives and support communities.”

The Go-Give Project, which works with Greater Sudbury’s more vulnerable population, echoes that sentiment. The organization wants voters to think about which party is best poised to provide more robust options for mental health care and the treatment of addictions.

Evie Ali, executive director of the Go-Give Project, said voters should keep in mind a commitment to funding — “are candidates prioritizing better access to treatment and support?” she asked — as well as access to harm reduction services.

She also believes better co-ordination of care — with more collaboration amongst hospitals, social services and community organizations — is important.

Long wait times are not a barrier only for those suffering from physical ailments. Ali said there is an “urgent need” for more health-care options throughout northeastern Ontario.

“The region has some services in place — like HSN’s withdrawal management programs and mental health support — but long wait times and limited accessibility remain major roadblocks for many who need help,” she commented. “One of the biggest gaps in care right now is harm reduction services. Earlier this year, Sudbury’s supervised consumption site, The Spot, shut down due to funding issues. That site provided a safe place for people to use substances under supervision, reducing overdose risks and connecting users with support services. Without it, there are growing concerns about increased overdoses and the spread of infectious diseases.”

Ali said finding solutions to these crises requires a community approach.

“At the end of the day, addiction and mental health challenges don’t go away on their own,” she said. “The election is a chance for Sudbury residents to push for real solutions that make a difference.

The RNAO wants a health care system that is “accessible, equitable, person-centred, integrated, not-for-profit and publicly funded.” It is calling for taxation frameworks that reduce extreme income and wealth inequality.

“It’s important to look beyond health care to address the fundamental factors that shape well-being,” the RNAO commented online. “This includes building government-owned or non-profit housing; ensuring living wages and strong income supports; investing in quality education and social programs; enhancing sustainable transportation and public spaces; supporting community initiatives; and advancing equity, anti-racism and inclusion. It also requires ensuring health and safety in social media and other digital spaces. How do political candidates plan to address this?”

Climate change a concern

The RNAO is calling on the next government to look beyond the health care portfolio to truly address the crisis currently facing Ontario. As part of its approach, the nursing association wants action on the climate emergency.

“Build a low-carbon, just and equitable economy; phase out fossil fuels; and address pollution to improve health outcomes,” the RNAO posted on its website.

David Robinson, running for the Green Party of Ontario, believes his party is best equipped to tackle the climate crisis.

Robinson believes climate change “is the elephant in the room no other party can address,” the Green Party of Ontario stated on its website.

The economist and retired Laurentian University professor built a career studying economic development in northern Ontario. He initiated and helped establish the McEwen School of Architecture; and his research played an important role in developing the mining supply sector throughout the northeast.

A dedicated environmentalist, Robinson still teaches one course per term at LU on the environment.

“When we deal with transient top-of-mind issues, even Trump’s tariffs, we have to make sure our solutions bend toward climate adaptation,” he cautioned on the Green Party website. “Short-run panic will waste time and undermine our children’s future.”

Public Health Sudbury and Districts is calling on voters to consider the impact of the public health portfolio when they go to the polls. Investing in public health benefits all residents, the local health unit argues.

“Elections are critical times for us to take stock of where we are as a society and what we should prioritize and invest in for the next few years,” Dr. Mustafa Hirji, acting medical officer of health, said in a press release published in early February. “Having just emerged from the worst public health emergency of a generation and facing population health challenges around substance use; resurgent vaccine-preventable infections around the world; and the spectre of an avian influenza pandemic, now is the time to invest in a public health sector that is sustainably funded and positioned to combat these threats.”

But public health is reaching a breaking point, the result of a chronic lack of funding combined with increasingly complex concerns.

“Like Public Health, countless other community agencies and individuals across Sudbury and Manitoulin districts rally their efforts every day to respond to community needs, advance community health, promote equity and prevent disease; however, over the past decade, public health funding has not kept pace with inflation, while the population has grown and new mandates have arisen,” PHSD stated. “With a continuously shrinking budget, Public Health struggles to deliver on its commitments to the community.”

The provincial election takes place on Feb. 27.

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