By David Judd

THE gloves came off in the closing minutes of last Tuesday’s all-candidates debate in Simcoe.

Independent candidate Bobbi Ann Brady and Progressive Conservative (PC) candidate Amy Martin took verbal swings at each other during closing statements before a standing-room-only audience at the Royal Canadian Legion in Simcoe.

Ms. Brady, seeking a second term as Haldimand-Norfolk’s MPP, touted her ability as an independent to stand up for residents.

“I never want to see you handed a bad deal by being saddled with an MPP who is beholden to a party and to Doug Ford,” Ms. Brady said in an obvious reference to Ms. Martin.

“So you have a choice in this election,” Ms. Brady said.

“Choose a candidate who is beholden to Doug Ford or choose someone who is going to be in your corner fighting for you each and every day no matter where she goes.”

Ms. Brady accused Ms. Martin’s campaign of lies and smears against her.

“Is this honest? Is it genuine? Is this integrity?” she asked.

In her closing comments, Ms. Martin repeated the need for Premier Ford and the PCs to protect Ontario jobs from U.S. President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs and for Haldimand-Norfolk to get the provincial support it deserves.

“Unfortunately, for the last 2½ years we’ve had an independent MPP who’s simply not taken seriously by decision makers in this government,” Ms. Martin said.

Ms. Martin accused Ms. Brady of having the worst attendance record of the 124 MPPs at Queen’s Park, voting only 36 per cent of the time and 92 per cent in line with Liberals and New Democrats.

“If you ask anyone you know in Haldimand-Norfolk if they showed up for work 36 per cent of the time would they still have a job, I think not,” Ms. Martin said to jeers from the audience.

Ms. Martin said Ms. Brady had failed to meet the minimum standards for spending time in Haldimand-Norfolk and representing the riding at Queen’s Park.

“Haldimand-Norfolk has been sitting on the sidelines and we have an opportunity to get a seat at the table,” Ms. Martin said.

The snap Feb. 27 election called by Premier Ford has stirred intense interest in Haldimand-Norfolk.

All 375 chairs at the Simcoe Legion’s all-candidates meeting room were full within minutes of the doors opening last Tuesday evening.

Dozens more spectators lined the walls through the nearly two-hour discussion involving five of Haldimand-Norfolk’s six candidates for MPP.

Judging from the applause, Ms. Brady had the most supporters.

She was Ontario’s only independent MPP elected in 2022.

Previously, she worked 23 years as assistant to former PC MPP Toby Barrett.

Ms. Martin came second on The Maple Leaf’s informal applause-o-meter.

She has taken a leave of absence as Norfolk County mayor during the election campaign.

Ms. Martin has been in municipal politics for six years—four years as councillor for Port Dover before stepping up to mayor in 2022.

Also participating last Tuesday were New Democrat Erica Englert, Green Party candidate Anna Massinen and Liberal Vandan Patel.

Ms. Englert, 19, of Dunnville, a criminology student at the University of Ottawa, was the youngest candidate.

Ms. Massinen is a veteran English teacher and environmental advocate. According to LinkedIn, she lives in Port Dover.

Mr. Patel, a small business owner and secretary of the Legion branch in Galt, had one of the best lines of the night when he said tariffs are a federal responsibility and a distraction from important provincial issues like health care and education.

“Forget tariffs,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

New Blue Party candidate Garry Tanchak of Vanessa did not attend.

Last Tuesday’s meeting, hosted by the Simcoe and District Chamber of Commerce, was Haldimand-Norfolk residents’ only chance to see their candidates on the same stage.

The Haldimand Press arranged an all-candidates meeting Feb. 12 in Caledonia but only Ms. Brady ended up taking part.

Ms. Martin bowed out at the last minute after Ms. Englert, Ms. Massinen, Mr. Patel and Mr. Tanchak all declined to attend.

Candidates at last Tuesday’s debate answered about a dozen questions posed by emcees from the Simcoe Chamber of Commerce.

Their responses to two questions give a flavour of the evening’s discussion.

• On plans by Empire Communities to build a 40,000-population city near Nanticoke in Haldimand County:

Ms. Englert said it would be costly to devastate industry (Stelco) and jobs to make way for homes.

She asked why build single family homes in an industrial park.

Ms. Martin said only two people had asked about the issue in 2,600 visits at voters’ doors.

She said the priority is to save and add jobs.

She said the Energy Minister is going full steam ahead with looking at an energy project at the former site of Ontario Hydro’s Nanticoke generating station.

Ms. Martin added that nothing will be built if U.S. tariffs kill jobs.

Ms. Massinen said it doesn’t make sense to build thousands of houses close to Stelco.

The Green Party opposes urban sprawl and supports affordable housing, she said.

Mr. Patel said: “This is not a good idea.”

Ms. Brady said she has stood up time and again against a proposed Ministerial Zoning Order permitting the Empire project.

Ms. Brady said Stelco workers support her because they are more concerned about 40,000 people moving into an industrial park than they are worried about tariffs.

She added that there can’t be a new city and energy project in the same location.

• On Norfolk County’s $450-million proposal to build a central water system bringing water from Nanticoke with two-thirds of the money coming from the provincial and federal governments:

Ms. Brady questioned the proposal, noting Ontario has only $175-million available for water projects across the province.

She said Norfolk has enough groundwater to supply its towns.

And she asked what is Norfolk’s Plan B.

Ms. Brady said she would advocate for any plan county council chooses.

Ms. Englert said no one knows where the money will come from for a central water system.

Ms. Martin said the project’s first phase is $110-million. She said Plan B is to refurbish five existing water treatment plants at higher cost than building a central system.

Ms. Massinen suggested going back to the drawing board to look at alternatives. Maybe Norfolk can build a smaller water treatment plant, she said.

Mr. Patel said he would look into the issue.

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Originally published February 26, 2025