Horwath distances her NDP from the Rae days, Ford promises return of $1 beer

We are one day away from the final Ontario leaders' debate before the June 7 election. With that in mind, the leaders are keeping it quiet on the campaign trail. PC Leader Doug Ford is taking the day off, but he announced via email that a Conservative government would bring back $1 beer promotions. Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne spoke to reporters after releasing her party's official campaign platform, much of which was already revealed in the 2018 budget. Meanwhile, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath made a health and safety announcement in Brampton.

They're all preparing to square off one last time ahead of election day. CBC will have special coverage of the debate on Sunday, which will take place at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre. The debate begins at 6:30 p.m. ET. This is how you can watch.

Here's where we are on day 18.  

Latest from the campaign

• How a 9/11 Truther may be influencing which Ontario election videos you see​​ 

  • A CBC News investigation found that a YouTube channel devoted to putting misleading headlines on TV stories from various stations has been recommended more often than many mainstream news outlets.

• Trudeau's decision to vote in Ontario election angers Quebec MP

  • The Prime Minister's Office confirmed Thursday that Trudeau would cast his ballot at the Ottawa-Vanier returning office. A PMO spokesperson said Trudeau cannot vote in Quebec's fall election because he is not a full-time resident of that province.

• Green party pledges to add a lot more blue to the Greenbelt

  • ​Green party Leader Mike Schreiner says it's time to expand Ontario's Greenbelt to include a number of ecologically important watersheds known collectively as the 'bluebelt.' The province has already considered some parts of the bluebelt for protection, but during a campaign stop in Guelph, Schreiner said a Green government would think bigger. 

The moment

It's been nearly a quarter century since the NDP held power in Ontario, but the ghosts of Bob Rae's government continue to haunt the party's 2018 campaign. 

As polls suggest the NDP is closing on the PC lead, Doug Ford has tried to rekindle the discontent many voters felt back in 1995. 

"I'm sure a lot of you remember the Rae days. The Rae days were a nightmare," Ford said at a campaign stop in Andrea Horwath's home riding this week.

Asked about the comparison on Saturday morning, Horwath stressed the distance between the so-called Rae days and the NDP of today.

"I have to say, this is not 1990 and I'm certainly not Bob Rae. This is a different circumstance and a different province. People are in a different place than they were then," she told reporters. 

"All I can do is to say to people that I will do everything I can do to achieve the goals that we've set out. Those goals are not my goals alone, they are our goals. They're the goals of every Ontarian that's talked to me over the last number of years about the challenges that they are feeling, about the anxiety over the fact that life is getting harder even though the economy is doing OK."

Given the PC's messaging strategy, don't be surprised if Rae's government comes up in Sunday's debate. 

Riding to Watch

Timmins, population: 41,785, profile by Erik White

This is a new riding, created when the northern half of Timmins-James Bay became Mushkegowuk-James Bay. 

It is an urban riding in the sense that it only covers the city limits of Timmins, but with a population of 41,785, it is the third smallest in the province.

One thing that hasn't changed is the New Democrat candidate on the ballot. Gilles Bisson has represented this area since 1990 when he swept in with the Bob Rae majority.

He is running for an eighth term and has a chance to be back on the government benches for the first time in two decades.

But for some in Timmins, a change election means changing the MPP.

Bisson is facing a challenge from Liberal and retired police officer Mickey Auger, plus Progressive Conservative Yvan Genier, whose party held this seat for decades before Bisson.

Things got quite testy at a recent debate when Bisson claimed that Genier had met with him earlier this year to inquire about becoming a candidate for the NDP.

Where the leaders are

Ford: No public events.
Horwath: Announcement focused on health care in Brampton (8:15 a.m.).
Schreiner: Attending local markets and events in Guelph (10-5 p.m.).
Wynne: Media availability in Toronto (11:15 a.m).

We're tracking the Ontario leaders on the campaign trail, see where they have stopped.

Subscribe to our The Campaigner newsletter

Like what you just read? You can now get The Campaigner delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe here.

For more Ontario election coverage

Ontario poll tracker | Get the latest projections here
Vote compass | See how your views compare with the parties' platforms
Complete election coverage | Links to all our stories
Help CBC track political ads on Facebook | Learn how here