Doug Ford ends northern Ontario tour without any northern promises

Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford wrapped up his three-day campaign-style tour of northern Ontario Wednesday night without making any new campaign promises specifically for the north.

Ford'strip ended with an evening rally in Sudbury, after stops earlier this week in Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout, Dryden andKenora.

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"It's great to be in the north, as I say, with the real folks of Ontario," Ford told the crowd of about200 people at Cambrian College. Theattendance matchedthe crowd Ford drew Tuesdaynight in Thunder Bay.

Ford said the Sudbury rally was the reason he could not attend aleaders' debate in Toronto Wednesday evening organized by the black community, and attended by Premier Kathleen Wynne, NDP leader Andrea Horwath and Green Party leader Mike Schreiner.

At the rally, Ford spoke for about 20 minutes, shook hands and chatted with those in attendancefor about 15 minutes, did a three-minute scrum with reporters, then was whisked off to the airport by his staff at 7:30.

For a second straight day, Ford's speech did not mention the RingofFire miningdeposit. Last month, Ford vowed his government would start building roads to the mining area on the James Bay lowlands "If I have to hop on that bulldozer myself."

Nothing frustrates someone in mining more than "apoliticiansitting at Queen Park whodoesn'thave a clue about mining dictating topeoplethat areexpertsatmining about how to do their job,"Ford said Wednesday.

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"We're going to make sure we listen to the people in the mining industry," hetold the Sudbury audience. "There'sa lot of smart people out there (in the miningindustry) telling me how we cancreatemore jobs, moreopportunities for people not only here in Sudbury, but throughout the north."

Ford was introduced by Sudbury PC candidate Troy Crowder, a formerNHLer. Crowder is trying to knock off the Liberal incumbent, Energy Minister GlennThibeault.

"People are ready forchange," Crowder said in an interview Wednesday. He saidWynnehas "taken northern Ontario for granted for a long timeand unfortunately Glenn hasn't been able to deliver on what a ministerprobablyshould be able to deliver on.

"Doug has a mindsetof trying to stop waste, be accountableand that its exactly what I am." said Crowder, calling the PC leader "a veryno-nonsense, let's get it done" person.

Ford has however faced criticism for not having a platform and for backing down from a promise to provide a full costedplan.Election day is eight weeks away.

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