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“It’s all right. I talked to him (Carney),” the premier told reporters at the International Plowing Match on a farm atop the Niagara escarpment south of Grimsby.

“It’s going to be in the next tranche,” the premier said of the Ring of Fire before turning to the tunnel, now the subject of a feasibility study. He argued it holds merit given the importance of the swift movement of people and goods through Canada’s largest city, where highway traffic often comes to a standstill. 

“It’s costing us $58 billion of lost productivity. I think it’s pretty national,” Ford added. “I believe he (Carney) will.”

New Democrat Leader Marit Stiles said the “fantasy tunnel” is “not viable” and would costs tens of billions of dollars, take decades to build. She faulted Ford for not putting better proposals on the table for the federal government.

The sole Ontario project Carney picked was the building of small modular reactors at the Darlington nuclear station — on which construction is already underway. 

“When you start to clutter the list with what I would call vanity projects like that,” Stiles said in reference to the tunnel, “you’re not doing anybody any favours. And it think it makes less clear what kind of industry and what really constitutes a nation-building project.”

The provincial party leaders were at the plowing match, a fair and exposition of farm equipment and rural life, for a parade through the sprawling grounds and speeches in the main tent — an annual tradition in Ontario politics where they also compete in a contest to see who can plow the straightest furrow.

Absent was Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, who abruptly announced her resignation Sunday three hours after vowing to stay in the job despite a tepid 57 per cent level of support from party members in a leadership review. Party sources have told the Star pushback from her caucus, executive and other influential members forced the reversal.ÌýÌý

While Crombie led the party back to official status in the legislature with 14 MPPs in the Feb. 27 provincial election, she failed to win a seat herself in Mississauga East—Cooksville despite being mayor of the city for a decade.

“She deserves a bit of space and time,” said Liberal MPP John Fraser (Ottawa South), who leads the party in the legislature. 

“It’s a hard thing to do, you know, to admit defeat when that’s not what your heart says to you.”

Ford, whose party spent millions on Crombie attack ads, wished her well and said “we’ll wait for the next one” once the Liberals hold a leadership convention, which is not expected until next spring at the earliest.

Green Leader Mike Schreiner, who faced criticism for flirting with a run for Liberal leader after some members of the party approached him following the 2022 election, ruled that out this time.

“No,” he said flatly,” putting his arm around the shoulder of the only other Green MPP in the legislature, Aislinn Clancy (Kitchener Centre).

“I am sitting on a green tractor, wearing a green shirt and proudly leading the Green caucus.”