Liberal Naqvi in a fight to hold his seat, while Ford faces data leak questions

It's the final day before the Victoria Day long weekend but things are not slowing down on the campaign trail. Many party leaders know that voters use the weekend to gather with family and, in many instances, talk politics. 

Here's what's happening with voting day now less than three weeks away:

Latest from the campaign

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  • ​The PC leader continues to field questions about a data leak that forced the party's Brampton East candidate to quit. The NDP is calling for Elections Ontario to investigate. Ford says the party is looking into it and that they acted quickly once it came to light.

The moment

It was an interesting choice of location for Doug Ford's 11 a.m. announcement in London today about hospital wait times.

The PC leader spoke to reporters at The Manor Village, a private retirement residence in the city's Old North neighbourhood owned by Advanced Medical Group (AMG).

The CEO of AMG is Liz Snelgrove, a local PC party member who sought the nomination for the adjacent London West riding and who was very critical recently about Ford's decision to nominate controversial candidate Andrew Lawton in that riding.

Snelgrove told CBC this week that she was upfront with Ford's team about her views on what happened in London West, but they wanted to go ahead with this morning's appearance anyway. Snelgrove said although she opposes Lawton's nomination, she continues to support Ford and the PC party. Ford spoke about cutting hospital wait times and boosting the number of frontline health care workers. He also took a few questions, mostly about the 407 ETR data leak.

Noted

Bob Stanley, the PC's former executive director, was fired back in January amid the fallout from the Patrick Brown turfing. That hasn't stopped him from working on the campaign. He was spotted hugging PC Leader Doug Ford during a campaign stop in York South-Weston last weekend.

But the party doesn't want him there at all. 

PC party spokesman Simon Jefferies said in an email they saw a photo of the exchange and immediately reached out to Stanley "to inform him that he is not welcome to be part of our campaign in any role — official or unofficial."

Riding to watch

Ottawa Centre, population 118,040, profile by Joanne Chiannello

The Liberals and the NDP have each represented big swaths of the downtown riding of Ottawa Centre since it was created in the last 50 years. And the battle between the two is on this year — longtime incumbent Yasir Naqvi is running for the Liberals while community organizer Joel Harden is running for the NDP.

• Ontario Votes 2018: Ottawa Centre

Even in this relatively progressive riding, campaign workers are hearing some discontent with Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne at the doors. And many voters appear to be holding off on making a decision to see exactly how much momentum the NDP really has.

In the meantime, Harden sent out an email last Saturday saying that his campaign ran out of signs.

Where the leaders are

• Ford: Announcement at seniors home in London (11 a.m.)
• Horwath:  Event at Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation - Grassy Narrows (10:15 a.m.), event in Kenora (3:45 p.m.)
• Schreiner: Small Business Announcement in Guelph (11 a.m.), Eritrean Flag Raising at Guelph City Hall (12 p.m.) Speaking event in Guelph at 1 p.m.), Attending local events and campaigning (3:30-8:00 p.m.)
• Wynne: Visit to an ice cream shop in Orangeville (1:15 p.m.) and a hospital in Alliston 3 p.m.

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