A recent Leger poll reveals that only one-third of Ontarians feel their province is moving in the right direction. The survey indicates that 55 percent of respondents believe Ontario is on the wrong track, despite Premier Doug Ford's approval rating of 45 percent.

Jennifer McLeod Macey, Leger’s senior vice-president of public affairs, noted a growing sense of pessimism among Ontarians. "There’s been a shift in moods in Ontario. Ontarians are growing more pessimistic," she said.

The poll highlights regional differences in perceptions. In eastern Ontario, 44 percent of residents feel the province is headed in the right direction. In contrast, only 29 percent in southern Ontario, 32 percent in the Greater Toronto Area, and 30 percent in the Hamilton/Niagara regions share this sentiment.

Gender also plays a role in these views. Men are more likely than women to believe the province is on the right track, with 36 percent of men compared to 29 percent of women expressing this opinion. Age demographics show that only 22 percent of those aged 35 to 54 feel positively about the province's direction.

Among political party supporters, only 42 percent of Progressive Conservative voters believe Ontario is on the right track, a figure that matches the support for the Ontario Liberals. Conversely, a significant 70 percent of NDP supporters think the province is moving in the wrong direction.

Housing prices and affordability emerged as the top concern for 17 percent of Ontarians. This issue resonates particularly with younger adults, as 20 percent of those aged 18 to 34 and 19 percent of those aged 35 to 54 identify it as the most pressing problem. In contrast, only 12 percent of those aged 55 and older view housing prices as a major issue. McLeod Macey emphasized, "Housing affordability continues to dominate as Ontarians’ top concern. This is especially true of younger and middle-aged adults."

Older Ontarians, however, are more likely to cite the health-care system as their primary concern, with 21 percent identifying it as the biggest issue. Overall, 14 percent of respondents see health care as the most significant problem facing the province. Notably, 61 percent of Ontarians believe the Ford government has not effectively managed health-care policy. McLeod Macey remarked, "If performance for Ford is not great in that space, it kind of explains why the overall mood is more pessimistic."

Other issues, such as the opioid crisis and climate change, received minimal attention, with only 2 percent and 3 percent of respondents, respectively, identifying them as major concerns. Economic issues ranked third, with 12 percent citing the economy and 11 percent mentioning trade relations with the United States as significant issues.

Ford's government has received mixed reviews on various issues. While 47 percent of those polled support his handling of relations with the federal government, more respondents disapprove of the government's management of roads and transportation (46 percent disapproval) and Indigenous reconciliation (35 percent disapproval). The most significant disapproval comes from housing, where 68 percent of respondents are dissatisfied with the government's performance. McLeod Macey stated, "Really, it’s affordability and housing that is most important to Ontarians right now — the top concern."

The poll also indicates broad agreement among Ontarians on several policy issues. For instance, 79 percent believe existing infrastructure should be prioritized over new projects, and 71 percent support rent freezes in rapidly increasing rental markets. Additionally, 75 percent think grocery price increases should be reported to a provincial regulator, and 78 percent favor consumer protection rules regarding shrinkflation.

Despite the prevailing sentiment that Ontario is heading in the wrong direction, the poll suggests that Ford would still receive 44 percent of the vote if an election were held today. The Ontario Liberals would follow with 32 percent, while the NDP would garner 13 percent.

The survey was conducted between October 10 and 20, involving an online sample of 1,052 Ontarians. Results were adjusted for age, gender, region, and education to ensure a representative sample. While no margin of error can be attributed to a non-probability sample, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.0 percent, 19 times out of 20.