The writ is about to be dropped for Ontario's provincial election, and Mr. Ford is in election mode. As the keynote speaker at the Halton Chamber's Spring Lecture Series, Premier Ford will look back over the past four years and envision how he and his party will proceed if re-elected as Ontario's ruling party.
Doug Ford became the Premier of Ontario when the PC Party came to power in 2018 after the electorate decimated the Liberal Party, relegating them to third-party status. His government had an ambitious agenda; however, mother nature had other plans.
For most of his time in office, the premier has been navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in the death of over 12,000 Ontarians, causing great turmoil in long-term care homes and hospitals. To ease the stress on the province's healthcare facilities, this pro-business premier brought Ontario's economy to a virtual standstill when he decided to shut down non-essential businesses for the first time in March 2020.
He did this in concert with the Federal government. Together they provided financial benefits for individuals, not-for-profits, and businesses, drastically reducing the impact of lockdowns. Those decisions have ensured that Canada is the 93rd deadliest country with a death rate of 999 per one million, and if Ontario was a country, it would be the 103rd deadliest with a death rate of 850 per one million.
As individuals faced lockdowns and took to working from home while their children went online to school, many decided to look for more space. Housing prices in Oakville increased by 30 per cent over the past year. To solve this housing crisis, Mr. Ford has decided to follow several of the recommendations of his Affordable Housing Task Force. It purports the lack of affordable housing is caused by red tape and slow actions by municipal governments to issue building permits combined with foreign and local speculators.
For the most part, the pandemic restrictions have been lifted, allowing individuals to decide how to best move forward. Businesses have reopened, but labour shortages, supply chain challenges, and a war in Ukraine which has sent fuel costs soaring have caused Ontario's inflation to exceed 5 per cent.
On Monday, April 25, 2022, The Chambers of Commerce for Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton will host a Spring Lecture Series featuring a keynote address by Premier Ford. Attendees will also enjoy breakfast and networking. Find out how Doug Ford governed and plans to govern if re-elected as the leader of Ontario's ruling party.
Individual tickets and tables of 6 are available for purchase from the Oakville Chamber of Commerce.