Ontario Premier Doug Ford will call a provincial election next Wednesday for February 27, a senior Progressive Conservative source confirmed, as his government seeks a fresh mandate to handle US trade pressures.
The announcement would follow a weekend “super caucus” meeting where Progressive Conservative candidates will gather near Toronto’s airport for campaign preparation. “Your participation is crucial to ensuring a successful campaign,” the meeting invitation states.
Ford deflected questions about election timing on Thursday, telling reporters to “stay tuned.” He described the upcoming party meeting as a chance to discuss tariffs, without mentioning election plans.
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The premier, who holds a majority government, has repeatedly linked the need for an early vote to US President Donald Trump’s threatened 25% tariff on Canadian goods, which Ford warns could cost Ontario half a million jobs.
In a Monday night email to party staff, Ford’s chief of staff Patrick Sackville talked about the need for a “strong mandate” to stand up for Ontario.
“Doug Ford has been consistently ahead in the polls over the past several months,” said John Milloy, former Liberal cabinet minister and current director at Martin Luther University College’s Centre for Public Ethics.
Opposition leaders united in criticism. “It’s not 500,000 jobs that he’s looking out for, it’s just his own,” NDP Leader Marit Stiles said Thursday evening. Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner accused Ford of creating instability “at a time when we need stability.”
The election would come roughly 16 months before Ontario’s fixed 2026 election date, despite Ford holding a substantial majority in the currently recessed legislature.
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