With only days left in the provincial election, local Ontario PC candidate Chris Scott and his team are making strategic choices about which events to attend.
Campaign manager Ross Romano said now that advance polls are open, Scott and his team are prioritizing getting people out to vote.
"Over the first three weeks of this campaign, Chris and his team have knocked on approximately 75 per cent of the doors in Sault Ste. Marie. They have spoken to tens of thousands of people and met so many supporters," said Romano by text.
Recent interview requests with Scott have not been granted, although he did speak with SooToday for a story that ran on Feb. 3.
Romano told SooToday that Scott's team did not receive an invitation to an all-candidates meeting held Wednesday at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25.
Scott's team declined a personal invitation to attend another all-candidates meeting held the following day at the Legion co-organized by the Algoma branch of the National Association of Federal Retirees and District 3 Algoma RTOERO (formerly the Retired Teachers’ Federation of Ontario).
Although Romano said no invitation was offered for the all-candidates meeting, Scott may not have turned up even if he was invited after an Ontario PC spokesperson told The Trillium earlier this month that candidates across the province would prioritize door-knocking.
Scott's campaign Facebook page shows the candidate has been spending time meeting voters, including greeting steelworkers at the Algoma Steel gate with coffee and donuts, a closed-door meeting at the Sault Ste. Marie Construction Association and a meet and greet with residents at the Ontario Finnish Resthome, among other events.
On Thursday, Scott was one of three local candidates who appeared at the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce's Take 5 event at Sault College.
He also participated in the Bon Soo Polar Bear Plunge on Feb. 15. and has appeared at the GFL Memorial Gardens during at least one Soo Greyhounds hockey game.
Romano said now that advance polls are open, it's critical for Scott and his team to spread awareness of where and how to vote.
Scott was announced as the PC candidate on Jan. 28.
Members of the NDP’s local riding association held a vote on Jan. 30 to choose Lisa Vezeau-Allen to be their candidate.
Gurwinder Dusanjh is the candidate for the Liberals.
Jaycob Jacques is running for the Green Party
Arnold Heino is running for the New Blue party.
And the Ontario Party candidate is Paul Frolich.
Voters will head to the polls on Feb. 27.