Federal NDP Plan for Northern Ontario: A Sharp Contrast to Carney’s Centrism and Poilievre’s Cuts

TIMMINS — Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has unveiled a sweeping plan to address longstanding challenges in Northern Ontario, including doctor shortages, soaring grocery prices, crumbling roads, and underfunded French-language services. The announcement, made in Timmins, underscores Singh’s message: “Ottawa must stop forgetting the North.”

Positioning his party as the only one offering practical, community-first solutions, Singh made direct appeals to Northerners who feel increasingly left behind by Ottawa’s political elite.

“While the Liberals talk and the Conservatives slash, we’re ready to deliver,” said Singh. “This is about fixing real problems in real communities.”

Healthcare: From Talk to Action

NDP:
The New Democrats propose an aggressive expansion of health care in the North by:

• Funding regional medical schools in underserved communities

• Offering grants and incentives to retain Northern-trained doctors

• Streamlining credential recognition for international and U.S.-trained professionals

• Increasing Indigenous representation and culturally appropriate care

• Fully implementing Jordan’s Principle for First Nations children

• Boosting federal health transfers by 1% for provinces that adopt these reforms

These commitments build on past NDP pressure that forced the Trudeau government to invest $1.2 billion in the Weeneebayko General Hospital redevelopment.

Liberals (Mark Carney):
Carney has voiced support for universal healthcare, but his party’s track record includes stalled implementation and studies over action. While promising innovation and federal coordination, no concrete plan tailored to Northern Ontario’s doctor crisis has emerged from the new Liberal leader.

Conservatives (Pierre Poilievre):
Poilievre has consistently framed healthcare as a provincial matter, emphasizing fiscal restraint. While he supports cutting “bureaucratic red tape,” his platform lacks specifics on how to address Northern Ontario’s acute care and staffing shortages.

Food Prices: Tackling Corporate Greed, Not Subsidizing It

NDP:
The party plans to overhaul the Nutrition North program by:

• Sending subsidies directly to residents, not corporations

• Giving communities power to decide what foods are covered

• Increasing price transparency and corporate accountability

• Funding local harvesting and traditional food programs

“No one should be paying $12 for milk,” said Singh. “We’re cutting out the middlemen.”

Liberals:
Carney supports strengthening food security and affordability, but the Liberals have maintained the status quo on Nutrition North. Their approach emphasizes collaboration with big retailers—an approach critics say hasn’t delivered results for remote communities.

Conservatives:
Poilievre blames inflation on carbon pricing and government spending, advocating for deregulation and tax cuts. But his platform offers little in the way of direct food affordability programs for Northern or remote communities.

Infrastructure: Roads, Not Reports

NDP:
To reduce isolation and improve safety, Singh’s plan would:

• Twin key stretches of the Trans-Canada Highway

• Fix dangerous road conditions and backlogs

• Invest in all-season roads and climate-resilient winter routes

• Raise national standards for truck safety and training

• Build with Canadian workers and materials under a “Build Canadian, Buy Canadian” mandate

Liberals:
The Liberal approach under Carney echoes past infrastructure promises—ambitious but slow to implement. While large transit projects are often highlighted in urban hubs, Northern Ontario’s unique road and access issues remain underprioritized.

Conservatives:
Poilievre has proposed redirecting infrastructure funds to resource-related development and trade corridors, particularly toward the Ring of Fire. His focus is economic, with limited attention to local community infrastructure like roads and winter routes.

Francophone Services: Protecting Culture in the North

NDP:
Singh promises to:

• Expand federal bilingual services, especially in health and education

• Support institutions like Collège Boréal and Université de Hearst

• Ensure legal and public access to French-language services

“French-speaking Northerners deserve full inclusion and support,” said Singh.

Liberals:
Carney has reaffirmed the Liberal Party’s commitment to bilingualism and multiculturalism, but French-language post-secondary institutions in Northern Ontario have struggled under Liberal governance due to inconsistent funding.

Conservatives:
Poilievre’s platform focuses on national unity through economic empowerment. He supports bilingualism in principle, but his policies tend to deprioritize cultural investments and language-specific service delivery.

A Vision for the North That’s Rooted in Equity

“We’re not here to tinker or delay,” Singh concluded. “We’re here to fix what’s broken—because Northerners deserve more than promises.”

The New Democrats assert that while Mark Carney’s Liberals promote cautious centrism and Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives push for tax cuts and deregulation, the NDP offers a comprehensive Northern strategy grounded in equity, access, and action.