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BREAKING NEWS: Doug Ford calls provincial election

Ontario heads to the polls on Feb. 27.
Tait A. Graham
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford, seen here speaking to reporters at the Ontario legislature on Jan. 14, has called a provincial election 16 months ahead of schedule. Ford says a new mandate is needed to fight against the threat of tariffs from the United States. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

In a move that wasn't a surprise to anyone, Premier Doug Ford confirmed today that he asked Ontario Lt.-Gov. Edith Dumont to dissolve the legislature. Election day is Feb. 27.

This officially launches the campaign period 16 months earlier than required, during which voters will decide who will form Ontario’s next government.

This election will be a very important event for Ontario's more than 15 million residents which will tackle issues that everyone in the province will experience in the coming years.

Ford is vying for another mandate, challenging NDP Leaders Marit Stiles, new Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner.

Ford’s election call comes after winning a decisive majority in 2022.

The province faces a tumultuous time for Ontario, with President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and domestic challenges such as healthcare, housing, and the rising cost of living. The Progressive Conservatives had 79 seats at dissolution while the NDP, the official Opposition, had 28 while the Liberals had nine MPPs. The Greens had two members and there were six independents.

“This will be a battle for the next four years, and I want to make sure I have a strong mandate to outlast President Trump,” Ford said during a press conference on Tuesday.

Opposition leaders seized the moment to criticize Ford’s leadership.

"Bring it on," Stiles posted on Threads after the call. "In the coming weeks, we have the power to make a change in Ontario."

She focused on the scandals that plagued Ford, such as the Greenbelt.

"Doug Ford's Ontario has failed you," Crombie said in a Threads message. "He's wasting $175 million on an early election instead of using it to fix our broken healthcare system and make your life affordable."

For battleground cities like Toronto, Ottawa, and Hamilton, historically close races are expected to play a crucial role in determining the election outcome.

A 338Canada survey updated on Jan. 27 showed the Conservatives at 42 with a plus or minus four per cent margin of error, the Liberals at 26 per cent with a four per cent margin of error and the NDP at 21 per cent with a three per cent margin of error. The Greens were at seven per cent with an error margin of two per cent.