THUNDER BAY - Two contenders in the race to lead the Ontario Progressive Conservatives into the next election are making local stops this week.
Caroline Mulroney will be the first leadership hopeful to touch down in Thunder Bay, with a scheduled meet-and-greet at Sleeping Giant Brewing Co. on Tuesday night.
The 43-year-old political newcomer, the daughter of former prime minister Brian Mulroney, will be running as a first-time candidate in the York-Simcoe riding. She declared for the leadership race following the initial resignation of Patrick Brown in wake of sexual misconduct allegations.
Mulroney, the daughter for former prime minister Brian Mulroney, announced she would double the annual Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation budget to $200 million during a visit to Sudbury over the weekend. She has been backed by Kenora-Rainy River candidate and federal Cabinet minister Greg Rickford.
Meanwhile, Christine Elliott is scheduled to make a stop in Thunder Bay on Thursday evening at the Thyme restaurant.
Elliott, who is embarking on her third bid to helm the PCs, had been previously defeated by Tim Hudak and Brown. She resigned her Queen's Park seat in the months following her runner-up finish to Brown in 2015 and was later appointed by the Wynne Liberal government as the province's first patient ombudsman.
