In the shadow of Doug Ford’s third successive majority, a quiet but potent movement is gathering, questioning whether Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives have strayed too far from their fiscal roots.
Doug Ford’s dominance in Ontario’s political arena—marked by an unprecedented third straight majority—has not silenced all voices on the right. Instead, it has sharpened debate over what it truly means to be a conservative in this province. Enter Project Ontario, an initiative shrouded in anonymity yet stirring significant discussion among grassroots conservatives. The group’s self-description is clear: a coalition of party members, business owners, policy thinkers, and citizens determined to craft a new conservative vision, one with bold fiscal discipline at its core.
Project Ontario’s manifesto, published through The Hub, laments what it sees as economic stagnation and burdensome taxation, painting a stark picture of Ontario’s prospects unless a course correction is made. The group’s messaging is intentionally evocative—“When conservatives lose their principles, Ontario loses its way”—inviting Ontarians to reconsider the trajectory of their government and the meaning of conservative stewardship.
Yet Ford’s administration appears largely unmoved. As his office insists, he remains focused on delivering his mandate, buoyed by his electoral success. Kory Teneycke, architect of Ford’s three victories, goes further, arguing that Project Ontario sits far outside the mainstream—both of the party and the wider conservative voter coalition. Political strategist Melanie Paradis echoes this, dismissing the group’s vision as unattainable for any Canadian leader.
Still, the existence of Project Ontario exposes an enduring fracture within Ontario conservatism. The group’s demands for fiscal restraint contrast with Ford’s record of running sizable deficits, a point not lost on scholars such as Patrice Dutil, who notes grassroots dissatisfaction simmering beneath party unity. Past breakaway parties have failed to gain traction, but the persistence of such challenges suggests a deeper ideological contest that cannot be easily dismissed.
Whether Project Ontario remains a mere “seed,” as Dutil suggests, or blossoms into a force capable of reshaping policy, its emergence signals a restless search for meaning and direction within Ontario’s conservative ranks. For those invested in the province’s fiscal policy and political future, the debate over who defines conservatism is only intensifying.
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Who’s behind ‘Project Ontario,’ the group pushing Doug Ford to be more conservative?
