John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press Published Monday, May 30, 2022 12:08 PM EDT Last Updated on Monday, May 30, 2022 12:08 PM EDT
Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford is defending his decision not to visit Ottawa soon after a deadly storm that has left thousands in the area without electricity for nine days.
At a campaign stop in the city on Monday, the incumbent prime minister faced questions about why it took more than a week to visit the area that was hardest hit by the devastating storm that ravaged the province on May 21.
“He would talk to me on the phone every day, making sure we had the resources here,” said Ford, who planned to travel to Windsor, southwestern Ontario later in the day. “I am not here for a photo shoot, as other politicians may have done.
“He was on the ground, making sure we had the resources here.”
Hydro Ottawa said Monday morning 8,000 customers were still without electricity in the national capital region. The company said it has restored electricity to 172,000 customers over the past nine days.
Ford’s campaign stop at the Ottawa West-Nepean riding on Monday morning was his first public appearance in the area in months.
Ford said last week it would not visit Ottawa after the storm because it did not want to distract teams trying to repair downed power lines. His stop there on Monday did not include any places still affected by the storm, but he planned to visit local firefighters.
“Let me tell you what we’ve done for Ottawa: I’ve been in touch with Hydro One every day, and with hydromassage suppliers across the province, including Hydro Ottawa,” Ford said. We put resources through the ministries, we introduced ministries, we involved (Ministry of Natural and Forest Resources), we brought firefighters, we reached other provinces.
“They brought in their utilities and I want to thank the utilities for working all day.”
Ford visited Uxbridge, Ontario, on May 23, a day after the community declared a state of emergency after the same storm. He said the short journey 80 miles northeast of Toronto was not part of his campaign.
“I received a call from the mayor, there should be no media. I guess someone leaked it, “Ford said when asked why he was visiting Uxbridge and not Ottawa.” I wanted to go there and have a quick look and come back right away. “
Eleven people died in the storm across Ontario, and nine died from falling trees. Environment Canada said the severe weather involved a right, a rare widespread windstorm associated with a storm line, which developed near Sarnia, Ontario, and moved northeast across the province. and ended up in Quebec City.