The provincial election is just over one week away, which means local candidates are putting their campaigns into high gear.
Progressive Conservative incumbent Ross Romano feels ready to defend his seat at Queen's Park and is thrilled with how the final days of his campaign trail are going.
"We've went to over 26,000 doors and have made over 15,000 calls," he says. "We're about three days ahead of schedule which is nice."
Reaching every household in the city is imperative for Romano, and he explains the messages from residents have been incredibly positive.
"The most recurring theme I hear is 'thank you,'" he says. "It's an extremely humbling thing to hear. One of the other themes I hear is some households will say, 'I've never voted Conservative before, but there's just no way I can possibly vote for an NDP and Liberal coalition.' A lot of folks are concerned the NDP has abandoned labour and workers. It's a very different message than I've heard in my prior elections."
As election day approaches quickly, Romano is encouraging the public now more than ever to make sure they get out to vote.
"This is the third period; this is the time to find another gear, he says. "We believe this is going to be a competitive riding, and we absolutely want to carry the message that you must get out and vote."
NDP candidate Michele McCleave-Kennedy says she's been incredibly active in her pursuit of visiting as many homes as possible, noting the experience has been a very positive one.
"The momentum is building across town," she says. "Folks at the doors are getting engaged. There's still some residents talking about how they're not sure who they're voting for, but most people are pretty in-tune to what's going on. I have so many volunteers coming in and people coming in to donate. It's so amazing to have that kind of energy around you all the time."
In her second bid to be the Sault's MPP, McCleave-Kennedy has noticed one common theme in particular from her door-to-door visits.
"Affordability has been the number one thing we're hearing this week," she says. "I think that has something to do with the gas prices jump prior to the May long weekend. They're talking about how they're going to make ends meet, food security issues - something I haven't heard since the very beginning of the campaign. That's concerning in such a small community."
While affordability is a huge area of concern for many, McCleave-Kennedy says she hasn't forgotten about other areas of interest.
"For some folks it's affordability, for others its mental health and addictions, and for some it's dental care," she says. "For a lot of folks I know personally, it's education. If we're not educating our students and giving them a good shot at a job, then we're not building what's happening in the community. That's the cornerstone."
Meanwhile, Indigenous lawyer Naomi Sayers has been enjoying the flexibility of running as an Independent candidate, but admits it has come with its own unique set of challenges.
"I don't have enough time or money to make signs and I don't have a party backing me to make signs," she says. "What helps is other people reaching out to me and having conversations with me. I do my best to go out to meet them if they would like to meet."
Sayers explains she's frustrated with how other political parties are handling some of the larger issues the province is facing.
"I can see why citizens are disdained towards the system because politicians only seem to care and talk about major issues when it matters for votes," she says. "I stepped up to the plate because I'm also sick and tired of it. I'm hoping citizens can see it, and some of them are. I'm getting a lot of positive feedback."
Of all the agenda items Sayers is looking to tackle, the opioid and addictions crisis sits atop her priorities.
"If I'm elected, within 90 days, I will be identifying opioid issues," she says. "I won't wait for a budget to pass. I'll start working on it from day one. I'll hold quarterly round tables and keep those conversations open. People are tired of just getting updates like news releases. We need action."
Meanwhile, the Sault's New Blue candidate Shane Pankhurst will be arriving to the city this Saturday just in time for an all-candidates meeting hosted by local freedom activist Tim Coderre.
The event will take place at Bellevue Park on Sunday at 2 p.m. and is open to the public. Pankhurst says every candidate has been invited, but notes it's unlikely they will all show up.
A barbeque and music will be provided for supporters and volunteers.
When asked about the biggest issue he wants to tackle if elected, Pankhurst's response boiled down to two areas.
"Social services and healthcare is something I'm strongly advocating for," he says. "We have to focus on what's being ignored. We don't have a community without people."
While the New Blue candidate is hopeful better days are on the horizon, Pankhurst feels small businesses have been left behind by the current provincial government.
"We're just too far behind," he says. "There's no help from the government. The loans they said they had for small businesses is not true. Doug Ford is lying through his teeth."
Pankhurst says he has received a considerable amount of positivity and senses a shift is beginning to take place in politics.
"It's a feeling of relief and a hope in their eyes," he says. "I'm getting really positive feedback. A lot of people are converting over from the PC party. People are excited and it's really motivating."
Local Liberal candidate Liam Hancock and local Green candidate Keagan Gilfillan were unavailable for comment.
Election day is Thursday June 2.
