Doug Ford plans to call snap Ontario election next week, sources confirm
Ontario Premier Doug Ford plans to call a general election next Wednesday, Global News has learned, setting the stage for a province-wide vote by the end of February.
Ford will go to Lt. Gov. Edith Dumont to dissolve his government on Jan. 29, sources confirmed to Global News, which would allow for an election to take place on Feb. 27.
The confirmation comes after weeks of rampant speculation Ford would head to the polls early, amidst a threat of tariffs from the United States that has allowed the premier to take a national leadership role.
Since May 2024, Ford has allowed the idea of an early election to hang in the air in Ontario — refusing to either rule one out or to confirm one. Toward the middle of last year, he said he would not call a snap election in 2024 but did not discount the idea of calling one during 2025.
A potential Conservative majority government in Ottawa and the unpopularity of Justin Trudeau were two reasons internally that made going to the polls early potentially tempting to the Progressive Conservatives.
Another potential benefit of going early is the arrival of so-called rebate cheques from the provincial government.
In the most recent fall economic statement, Ford announced $200 rebate cheques for all Ontario taxpayers, and their children. The cheques, which were funded through capital gains tax revenue that now looks likely never to materialize, were put in the mail last week and have begun to arrive across the province.
The premier framed it as a way to help Ontarians amid an ongoing affordability crisis, but critics said it was nothing more than a vote-buying scheme ahead of an election.

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After months of indecision over an early election in the corner office, political changes in the U.S. seem to have offered a narrative Ford could reference to trigger an election.
In recent weeks, the premier has repeatedly claimed he needs a “mandate” from voters to potentially spend tens of billions of dollars if 25 per cent tariffs hit Canadian imports to the United States and hurt the provincial economy.
U.S. President Donald Trump most recently said tariffs would come into effect on Feb. 1 but didn’t follow through on a previous threat to level them on his first day in office.
Opposition leaders in Ontario have all said they would support a stimulus package from the government if tariffs did hit and it was needed to keep the economy going.
Ford, however, has claimed he still thinks an electoral victory would be needed to legitimize the spending.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie and Ontario Green Leader Mike Schreiner have all suggested Ford is putting his political future ahead of the province’s through an early election.
They have said going more than a year ahead of schedule allows Ford to stay ahead of any potential findings in the RCMP’s Greenbelt investigation and lets him capitalize on taking a leadership role in the tariff threat.
Ford said he plans to head to Washington, D.C. in his role as premier during the election campaign twice to meet with U.S. officials to discuss the threat of tariffs.
Trips in February were already planned before the election was announced and will include other Canadian premiers.
Trips in February were already planned before the election was announced and will include other Canadian premiers.
Internally, the government has been rushing up the timeline for announcements in recent days to clear the decks for the early election call, while staff have also been told to prepare the necessary arrangements for the province to enter caretaker mode.
With dissolution set for Wednesday, the Progressive Conservatives currently hold the most seats in the Ontario legislature with 79. The Ontario NDP has 28 and the Liberals have nine. The Greens are represented by two members and there are six independents.
The province was not originally due to go to the polls until June 2026.
— with a file from The Canadian Press
&© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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