New Democratic Party of Ontario leader Andrea Horwath stopped in downtown Barrie on Saturday to rally her supporters and local NDP candidates.
A sea of orange chanted 'NDP!' as Horwath's bus pulled up in front of Casa Cappuccino on Dunlop Street East as she exited with thumbs up to her supporters.
Earlier in the day, Horwath was in Orillia to help Simcoe North candidate Elizabeth Van Houtte officially open her campaign office at the Fittons West Mall.
Horwath says she is hopeful that years of broken promises by the Liberal and Progressive Conservative parties will sway the local voters in Simcoe County to choose the NDP on Election Day, June 7.
"This is a community that's not seen a lot of positive action from the Liberals," Horwath said. "Whether it's issues of everyday affordability of life, the sell-off of Hydro One, being able to get proper health care, all of these things are pieces that don't have to be that way.
"We're saying 20 to 25 years of Liberals and Conservatives and life keeps getting tougher for the families of Barrie and of the entire region," she added. "It doesn't have to be like that."
Before Horwath arrived, Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte candidate Dan Janssen and Barrie-Innisfil candidate Pekka Reinio met with approximately 70 people who packed the downtown coffee shop.
Janssen is new to the political scene, but sees the importance of meeting in downtown Barrie for a rally-the-troops kind of event.
"This region is large and there are many places we have to be, for sure," Janssen said. "But downtown Barrie has such a large mixture of people of all walks of life and we want to let them know that the NDP is here for them and we recognize the need for change and for everyone to have a level playing field."
