Residents left disappointed by McGuinty’s no-show

Mark Ribble,

Leamington Post

Liberal supporters and local residents were left disappointed Wednesday morning when they arrived at the Fireplace Bar and Grill on Talbot Street East in Leamington to attend a gathering involving Premier Dalton McGuinty.

McGuinty was in the area for a final push leading up to Thursday's provincial election and had spent time at St. Clair College in Windsor earlier Wednesday morning.

But a gathering at the Fireplace Restaurant with McGuinty and local candidate Paul Watson didn't materialize. That didn't sit well with several who made the trip to see the Premier.

One gentleman from Merlin raced from an appointment in Windsor, only to find out that the Premier had pulled the plug on the visit.

"I've been a Liberal supporter for years. This makes me want to change my vote," he said, as he walked away in disgust.

Others saw it as a sign that the Premier didn't care about this area.

"Obviously, we don't matter to him," said one attendee.

Management at The Fireplace told the Post that they were notified about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday that the Premier would not be coming.

Liberal candidate Paul Watson told the Post that two locations were prepared in the riding, and the Premier's office made a decision sometime Tuesday evening to stop in Chatham instead.