Leaders aren’t the only ones doing last second campaigning
As the provincial election campaign winds down the bid to secure critical votes heats up, with two party leaders, Doug Ford and Andrea Horwath, making a stop in London on Sunday.
As the leaders look to rally support in our region, special interest groups are also rallying to make sure their issues are top of mind when ballots are cast.
A rally, held in St. Thomas, Ont. Saturday afternoon, was trying to ensure voters keep funding for those on the autism spectrum in mind when they cast their vote.
Jessica Ashton's son is now seven years old, "He was diagnosed at two-and-a-half and he's been waiting for therapy and, I mean, he's going to be waiting another eight to ten more years and that's just not acceptable."
About two dozen people lined Talbot Street chanting, "50k is not ok."
The Ontario Autism Coalition says more than 50 thousand children are currently on the waitlist for funding. Ashton says it’s important to keep getting the message out, "We want to spread awareness, let people know what's happening to our kids. It's not right, it's not ok."
Autism Coalition members aren't the only ones trying to draw attention to their cause.
Doug Ford will attend a rally for local Progressive Conservatives candidates at the Best Western Lamplighter Inn on Wellington Road early Sunday afternoon. There to greet him will be members of the London Health Coalition, raising their ongoing concerns about the potential for further privatization of health care.
Peter Bergman is helped organize the Health Coalition gathering, "Why did we have to give so much money to for-profit providers, largely in charge of the worst casualties in COVID, and this government seems to be uncaring."
Bergmanis admits that voters have many issues on their minds; foremost in recent weeks has been cost of living increases. He believes the two issues aren’t mutually exclusive to each other, "We don't have to look far to see how the United States, most commercial medicine in world, provides some of the worst outcomes if you don't have money."
Andrea Horwath will be making an appearance in London Sunday, it's a stop outside the offices of the Thames Valley local of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.