Excerpts from :

Doug Ford targets seats in northern Ontario, long a wasteland for PC party

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doug-ford-northern-ontario-1.4614005

"...Northern Ontario has been pretty much a wasteland for the Progressive Conservatives for the past three decades. They haven't won a single seat north of Nipissing in a general election since 1987. 

But following the Sault Ste Marie byelection win of Ross Romano last June, the PCs believe they are poised for a breakthrough in the 11 seats up for grabs in the north.

"I think we've got  good shot in probably six or seven, high end we could probably take 10," said Derek Parks, an environmental consultant on his second run as the PC candidate in Thunder Bay-Superior North. "You don't vote a new government in, you vote an old government out and I think that's where we're at right now."  ...

"...The PCs' best hopes for winning in northwestern Ontario could be the riding of Kenora-Rainy River. The seat is currently held by the NDP's Sarah Campbell, but she is not seeking re-election. Greg Rickford, the former Conservative MP for the area, is the PC candidate.

The PCs also like the chances of their candidate Clifford Bull, chief of the Lac Seul First Nation, in the new riding of Kiiwetinoong, where two-thirds of the population is Indigenous..."

"...Ford's message was not particularly tailored to northern Ontario. He didn't mention the Ring of Fire, the massive potential mining development many see as a big driver of northern jobs. Rather, he stuck to the broad themes he's been talking about across the province since his successful leadership bid: cutting taxes, saving money by finding budget efficiencies, and putting a big sign at the border declaring Ontario open for business. ..."

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..likely didn't mention the ROF directly as there was not enough room in his mouth to bulldoze a second foot into it!

Cheers,

Luker