3-term MPP's independent bid shakes up conventional race in Algoma- Manitoulin
Michael Mantha was kicked out of the NDP after report found he sexually harassed a staffer
The 70,000 or so voters in Algoma-Manitoulin will have one more option on their ballot in the upcoming provincial election with incumbent MPP Michael Mantha running as an independent candidate.
The addition promises to disrupt conventional party dynamics and could potentially split votes in a riding that has elected New Democrats and Liberal candidates for the past four decades.
Mantha successfully ran for the NDP in the past three elections, but was removed from that party's caucus in 2023 after a workplace investigation concluded he sexually harassed one of his staffers.
He previously told CBC he disagrees with the investigation's findings and intends to leave his political future "in the hands of voters in Algoma-Manitoulin."
NDP replaces Mantha with political newcomer
New Democrats in Algoma-Manitoulin nominated David Timeriski to fill in the gap left by Mantha.
It'll be his first time running for political office after a 30-year career as a paramedic and volunteer firefighter.
The Elliot Lake resident says he's always been a supporter of NDP policies, especially when it comes to health.
He's advocating for strategies that would help recruit and retain health professionals across "the circle of care," from doctors to lab technicians. He says frequent closures of emergency rooms, such as the ones experienced in Thessalon, are unacceptable.
Timeriski says that while there are special circumstances that led to his nomination, he's confident the riding's NDP voters will throw their support behind him.
"The voters have a right to choose," he said. "This is their opportunity to hold anybody accountable."
Liberal candidate focused on health, affordability
The Algoma-Manitoulin candidate for the Ontario Liberals is Reg Niganobe.
It's his first time vying for a provincial seat after 15 years in politics, first as the chief of Mississauga #8 First Nation, then as the grand council chief of the Anishinabek Nation.
Niganobe says he wanted to make the jump to provincial politics after seeing key issues go unaddressed in the small towns and First Nations that make up the riding.
"We have 40,000 citizens here in Algoma-Manitoulin that don't have a family doctor," he said.
He says northern Ontario money is being spent on projects that benefit the residents of the province's south.
"The proposed tunnel under Highway 401 or the health spa [in] downtown Toronto are not very useful to us up here," he said.
He says the current government hasn't made progress on some of the key infrastructure issues in the riding, including the Manitoulin Swing Bridge and the Dean Lake Bridge near the Municipality of Huron Shores.
Mantha says he can be a voice for northern Ont. as an independent
As for Mantha, he says he wants to continue to advocate for the north, including on three key issues he's heard from his constituents: healthcare, highway safety and affordability.
"Once you get elected, it doesn't matter if you're in government or opposition," he said. "You have one job, and it's to work across party lines to get benefits in your riding."
He says he's developed his craft over the past 13 years.
Asked whether voters were concerned about the sexual harassment allegations against him, Mantha says it's a personal matter that hasn't really come up his conversations with constituents.
"When I'm talking to people on doorsteps, they're more concerned with the issues that they faced with here in the province," he said.
"They're more focused on obtaining a doctor, an affordable home, and not getting caught in the carnage of an accident."
Conservative candidate focuses on tariff threat
Algoma-Manitoulin's progressive conservative candidate Bill Rosenberg has declined multiple interview requests from CBC.
In a statement, his campaign manager said potential tariffs from the U.S. would hit the riding's lumber and steel industries hard.
"Now more than ever, we need strong leadership to protect our jobs, businesses and communities," he wrote.
The Green Party of Ontario candidate for Algoma-Manitoulin is Maria Legault.
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