The writ for the provincial election hasn't dropped yet, but as the date draws near, the leader of one of Ontario's newest political parties is making a campaign-style swing through the region this weekend.
Derek Sloan has three events planned for Saturday and Sunday.
He will be joined by candidates Frank Causarano, running in the riding of Essex, Jeremy Palko in Windsor-West and MPP Rick Nicholls, the candidate in Chatham-Kent-Leamington.
Before this campaign, Nicholls ran as a Progressive Conservative. Premier Doug Ford dismissed him from the party for his stand on COVID-19 vaccination. Shortly after announcing he would sit in the Ontario Legislature as an independent, he joined the fledgling political organization.
Saturday's rally at 2100 Spring Garden Road will help bolster Nicholls' campaign. The event starts at 1 p.m. at Harvest Bible Church.
A pastor at that church was charged under the Reopening Ontario Act back in December 2020 for having more than ten people at an indoor church service.
Later that day, a fundraising dinner is planned at the Roma Club in Leamington from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Windsor lawyer Patrick Ducharme will speak at a second rally on Sunday at the Atlas Tube and Recreation Centre in Lakeshore. Organizers have booked Arena C for 11 a.m.
The Ontario Party's platform consists of six core beliefs, freedom, faith, family, truth, transparency, and fiscal responsibility. It would deny provincial funding to any organization that compels members to act or speak in contradiction to their faith. The party would also allow charter schools in Ontario. The party's members have spoken out against COVID-19 mandates.
The provincial election campaign starts May 4 and Election Day in Ontario is on June 2.