Premier Doug Ford announced last week he would be meeting with Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont on Tuesday and will formally call for the next Ontario General Election on Wednesday.
The early election will take place on Thursday, Feb. 27, well ahead of the 44th provincial election, which is scheduled for June 4, 2026.
Ford, who made the declaration during a media conference in Brampton, said the early election is in direct response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25 percent tariff, which he has threatened to impose on Canada on Feb. 1.
The premier said Ontario’s auto industry would be dramatically impacted, with over 500,000 jobs in jeopardy, if Trump follows through with his tariff plan.
Ford and the Progressive Conservatives have won back-to-back majority governments and currently hold 79 of the 124 seats in Queen’s Park.