Premier makes campaign-style visit to Waterloo Region

A crowd of employees gathered on the shop floor of a stainless steel equipment maker in Elmira Friday afternoon to greet and shake hands with Premier Doug Ford.

The only evidence of the pandemic were the masks everyone was wearing.

During his visit at Tri-Mach, the premier briefly spoke with the media about issues in Waterloo Region.

REVIEW AT A WCDSB

Last week, Education Minister Stephen Lecce ordered a review of an incident at the Waterloo Catholic District School Board after a principal called the police on a four-year-old child.

Ford weighed in Friday, calling it "unbelievable."

"We have to find out all the details," said Ford. "No matter what the details are, you don't call the police on a four-year-old simple as that. It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

Lecce ordered the review to be conducted by a third-party representative from the Ministry of Education who would have a mandate to recommend actions to the board.

The board's director of education, Loretta Notten, has previously said the actions taken in this situation follow the province's policies and procedures, and said the WCDSB welcomes "the opportunity to learn how the provincial practice can be refined and improved to better serve all our students."

Local NDP MPP Laura-Mae Lindo has called for a system-wide audit.

HOUSING COSTS

This week the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors issued its monthly update, with the average price of any home hitting the $1 million mark in February.

Many local home buyers now feeling priced out of their own market.

The premier acknowledged today this is a major supply and demand issue.

"We’ve got this housing plan that we've put forward. We're working with municipalities to make sure we cut the red tape," said Ford.

Ford noted he will work with the municipalities to reduce permit wait times to 90 days.

The premier did not have any formal announcements Friday afternoon.

His other visits in Waterloo Region included a Kitchener restaurant called Dosa-Twist, the Grand River Transit Facility, and Conestoga College.