Demonstrators gather outside Doug Ford’s rally in Kitchener
Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford was in Kitchener Friday night, holding a campaign rally at Bingemans.
“It's time to paint Kitchener-Waterloo blue in '22. So on June 2, everybody let's do it, let's get it done and God bless the people of Ontario,” Ford told supporters.
As Ford made his pitch to voters inside, outside, demonstrators weathered rain and thunder to speak out against his leadership.
“When I started teaching right after Mike Harris, I taught kindergarten, so my first year I had 27 kids,” said teacher Jennifer Garneau Duncan. “Then the next year, when the Liberals came in, they were down to 20. Now it’s back up to 27, which is an insane amount for kindergarten.”
Educators were one of several groups – each advocating for their own priorities and interests – that lined the entrance to Bingeman’s ahead of Ford’s rally.
Other demonstrators carried signs with references to the environment, healthcare and housing.
Some of the messages targeted protections for drinking water and trees, capping class sizes, creating a greater supply of affordable housing and protecting public healthcare.
Many placards were aimed at repealing Bill 124, which limits wage increases for public-sector workers, including nurses.
Members of the Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) made up the largest portion of demonstrators hoping to get their message across to Ford on Friday.
“We‘re here to show him… we need help. Registered nurses in this province are beyond the breaking point. We are at the point of collapse now,” said Erin Ariss with the ONA.
“We need to see his oppressive wage legislation repealed. Beyond that, we need to have a sustainable workforce with manageable workload, Ontario is 30,000 RNs short.”
The Ontario election is June 2.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.