Doug Ford says he wants to be Ontario premier ‘forever,’ as his rivals urge change

Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford speaks during a campaign event in Oldcastle, Ont., just outside Windsor, on Wednesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dax Melmer

Ontario’s political party leaders made their final pitches to voters Wednesday, a day before the province heads to the polls, with Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford saying he wants to be premier “forever” while his rivals ask Ontarians to choose change.

Ford is looking to secure a third consecutive majority government and said Wednesday that his party is the only one that can stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump and his tariff threats.

Ford seemed confident after starting the day just outside of Windsor, Ont., the city where he launched his re-election campaign last month.

“I just want to win,” he said. “I want to win a majority, a large majority.”

That way, Ontarians would “send a message down to Donald Trump that we’re a force to be reckoned with,” he said, wearing a Canada hockey jersey with the number 51 on the back and a nameplate that read “NEVER” — a reference to Trump’s “51st state” jibes.

When asked if this election would be his last, Ford said: “I want to be premier forever.”

Ford has made the tariff threat central to his re-election campaign over the past month, pledging to spend billions to protect workers. He is positioning himself as the only leader with the ability to deal with Trump, who is threatening 25 per cent tariffs on goods and 10 per cent tariffs on energy that could come into force as soon as next week.

“No one agrees with President Trump declaring an economic war against his closest ally, his closest friend,” Ford said.

“So folks, we’re going to fight like we’ve never fought before. I’m going to make sure we protect the families, we’re going to protect the businesses, protect the jobs, and we’re going to protect the communities, and we’re going to get through this.”

He was stumping near Windsor, Ont., hoping to help sway voters in Windsor West, the last non-blue seat west of London, Ont. His campaign was set to make its way back to the Greater Toronto Area with several stops along the way.

The last planned stop of the day: Mississauga East-Cooksville, the riding Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie is hoping to win to secure a seat in the legislature.

Crombie has made health care reform a central theme of her campaign, and on Wednesday she reiterated her promises to get everyone in Ontario a family doctor and end hallway medicine.

“If you want change and you want a family doctor, we have to change the government,” she said at a campaign stop in Oakville, Ont., adding that Ford has failed on health care.

“So tomorrow I’m asking for your vote.”

Crombie said she was looking forward “to a great win” Thursday.

“We play to win and that’s what I’m quite sure we’re going to do,” Crombie said.

Most polls had Ford well ahead of a second-place Crombie the day before the election.

Last week, Crombie asked NDP voters to change their minds and vote for her in order to beat Ford. She cast her net wider on Wednesday.

“You may have supported another party in another time in another election, but tomorrow we’re asking for your support so that we can bring change and we can change this government,” she said.

At a stop in Toronto-St. Paul’s riding, NDP Leader Marit Stiles said her party was the only one that would provide real change for Ontarians.

“You have the power through your vote to fight rising costs with a grocery rebate program, with real rent control and to put food on the table of so many Ontarians.”

She said the Liberals are no different than the Progressive Conservatives and it’s the NDP that will bring in measures to make life more affordable.

Stiles also clapped back at Crombie’s pitch to NDP voters.

“The Liberals are telling you that they are entitled to your vote,” Stiles said.

“Well, you know what, the Liberals aren’t entitled to anything.”

The NDP have focused a lot of its campaign on the affordability crisis and have pledged to bring back rent control, build or buy 300,000 affordable rental homes and create 60,000 supportive homes to help end encampments and chronic homelessness.

Stiles was scheduled to spend much of her final campaign day in ridings the NDP already holds. Some polls suggest the New Democrats have been shedding support in the lead-up to Thursday’s snap election.

“We are actually going into a lot of ridings that we want to hold for sure,” Stiles said. “We know we can do it, but we’ll be connecting as we have been for the last few days in ridings where we want to flip from blue to orange.”

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner was in his home riding of Guelph before heading to Kitchener to canvass with Aislinn Clancy, who won the Greens' second ever seat in the legislature in a byelection in 2023.

Polls open at 9 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. eastern time on Thursday. They are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. central time in the western part of the province.

— With files from Rianna Lim in Toronto, Sharif Hassan in Windsor and Maan Alhmidi in Oakville.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2025.

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press