Harvey Bischof, the Ontario NDP candidate for Brantford-Brant in the upcoming February 27 provincial election, is making his second bid for the seat.
A long-time resident of Brantford, Bischof has spent over 15 years living and raising his family in the community and remains committed to advocating for key issues that impact residents, including healthcare, housing affordability, and education.
“This election came early, so there was less time to prepare compared to 2022, when we knew exactly when the writ period would start,” said Bischof in an interview with BrantBlog.
“We had some indication that an early election might happen, but we didn’t know exactly when. That meant we had to gear up more quickly—it’s a little more chaotic. We’re putting signs into frozen ground, which is different from the last time, when the election was in June.”
Despite the unexpected timeline, Bischof and his team have been actively canvassing, knocking on doors daily to connect with voters.
He noted that concerns about healthcare underfunding and the lack of a new hospital for Brantford-Brant are among the most pressing issues he hears from residents.
“The Brantford hospital has been promised for years—there have been announcements, studies—but no action. No shovels in the ground,” Bischof said.
“The hospital can’t serve the size of our community anymore, and in many areas, it’s outdated. I toured it myself—some corridors are so narrow you can’t even move a gurney down them. We need proper healthcare infrastructure.”
Beyond infrastructure, Bischof highlighted the shortage of healthcare professionals in the region, estimating that more than 20,000 people in the riding do not have access to a family doctor.
He argued that this results in inefficient healthcare, as many residents are forced to rely on emergency rooms instead of receiving consistent care from a primary physician.
“The reality is that healthcare is more expensive and less effective when it’s being delivered in emergency rooms instead of through family doctors,” he said. “We need to hire and retain more doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, but we’ve fallen far behind in the last seven years.”
Another key issue Bischof raised was the housing affordability crisis, which he described as impacting people across different socioeconomic backgrounds.
He pointed out that some residents are unhoused, while others, despite full-time employment, struggle to afford homes.
“In Brantford-Brant, we have people without shelter, and we have others paying so much for their rent or mortgage that they can barely afford groceries or heating,” he said.
“My own son, who is 24, responsible, and working full-time, is living in my basement because housing costs are completely out of reach. There are many young adults in the same situation—people who want to start their independent lives but simply can’t afford to.”
When asked about the feedback he has received while canvassing, Bischof said that affordability and healthcare are top concerns for voters, but there is also widespread frustration over the cost of the early election.
“I hear it at the door without even bringing it up—people are outraged that we’re spending nearly $200 million on an election that serves no purpose other than protecting Doug Ford’s job,” he said.
“He had a majority and a mandate that could have lasted another year and a half. This election is about trying to secure his power before the RCMP’s Greenbelt investigation results come out. Voters see it for what it is—a cynical political move.”
As for why Brantford-Brant residents should vote for him, Bischof framed the election as a clear choice about priorities.
“To me, this election is about choices—do we invest in healthcare and education, or do we throw public money at an Austrian spa company to build a luxury spa in downtown Toronto?” he asked.
“Do we spend $10 billion on Highway 413, or do we fix our crumbling schools and ensure classrooms don’t have lead in the water? Doug Ford is talking about a $100 billion fantasy tunnel under the 401—imagine what we could do with that money to solve the housing affordability crisis instead.”
Bischof, a former high school teacher and past president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF), emphasized that his focus is on everyday Ontarians rather than corporate interests.
“My priorities are clear: healthcare, affordability, and education,” he said. “That’s what I care about, that’s what working people care about, and that’s what I’m fighting for.”
Brantford-Brant, a riding that includes the City of Brantford, Brant County, and parts of Six Nations and New Credit First Nations, has been a competitive district in past elections.
Formerly held by Liberal Dave Levac from 1999 to 2018, the seat was won by Progressive Conservative Will Bouma in 2018 and again in 2022.
With opposition leaders Bonnie Crombie (Liberal), Marit Stiles (NDP), and Mike Schreiner (Green) all criticizing Ford’s early election call as unnecessary and wasteful, the February 27 election will determine whether the PCs maintain control or if the opposition can shift the balance in key battleground ridings like Brantford-Brant.
