The Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party is on a listening mission and she recently visited Prescott-Russell to listen to concerns of local residents.

Bonnie Crombie visited the region on Friday, May 10. She toured Ferme Avicole Laviolette near St-Isidore and met with local mayors and councillors before meeting with journalists and Liberal supporters in Hammond.

“I’m a new leader with a different view. People need the opportunity to get to know me,” Crombie said.

The former Mayor of Mississauga and federal cabinet minister became leader of the Ontario Liberals in December, 2023. The party was defeated by the Doug Ford-led Progressive Conservatives (PC) in 2018 and only won seven seats in the Ontario legislature. It won eight seats in the 2022 election under former leader Steven del Duca. Crombie still does not have a seat in the legislature.

“My priority should be out in small towns and rural communities,” she said.

Crombie said that if a seat were to become available in a by-election in her home city of Mississauga before the next scheduled general election in 2026, she would run.

During her visit to Prescott-Russell on May 10, Crombie said local municipal leaders shared their challenges in maintaining and expanding infrastructure. She referred to Casselman’s plan to secure a new water supply by constructing a pipeline from Clarence-Rockland so the municipality may resolve the recurring problem of manganese in its current water supply.

When asked about the recent announcement by Premier Ford that the province will re-assume control of Road 174 within the City of Ottawa, but not County Road 17 in Prescott-Russell, Crombie wondered why.

“Of course it should be uploaded,” she said.

Crombie said a new deal is needed between the provincial government and municipalities on infrastructure.

The Liberal Leader had previously been unaware of the former Collège d’Alfred buildings being vacant, but remaining under government ownership with no defined future plans.

“I want to take a look at it,” Crombie said.

She also said a Liberal government in Ontario would reverse the changes the PC government has made to French-language services and the position of Francophone Commissioner would be reinstated.

Crombie expressed concern over education funding and large class sizes in public schools.

“I meet with teachers a lot,” she remarked.

Crombie said there are not enough special education teachers and said in Ontario, the government only pays for 30 per cent of the operating budget for post-secondary institutions, but other provinces pay 60 per cent of their post-secondary institutions’ operating budgets.

She also criticized the Ford government’s effort to reduce wait times in healthcare.

“People don’t want private clinics,” Crombie said.

She alleged the Ford government is ignoring Eastern Ontario and wants areas that previously elected Liberals to the legislature to consider it again in the future.

“These communities need a strong voice and a seat at the table,” Crombie said.