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Day 25: Singh visits poisoned Grassy Narrows First Nation, May talks reconciliation in B.C.

Meanwhile Scheer is in Toronto and Trudeau takes a day off the campaign trail

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is visiting Grassy Narrows First Nation in northern Ontario today, a community dealing with generations of mercury poisoning from contaminated water.

The federal government and Grassy Narrows have struggled to reach an agreement on building a treatment centre for victims of the mercury from an upstream paper mill, and the chief of the First Nation, Rudy Turtle, is running for the New Democrats against Liberal Bob Nault.

Grassy Narrows’ problems are a visible symbol of the challenges the Liberals have had with their promises to advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

Elizabeth May of the Green Party, meanwhile, is to make an announcement in B.C. on the Green party’s own commitment to reconciliation.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is campaigning but has a relatively low-key schedule of appearances with three candidates in ridings east of Toronto.

The Liberals’ Justin Trudeau has a day off the campaign trail.

What you might have missed on Day 24:

Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer said Friday that the Liberals’ plan to give municipalities the authority to restrict or ban handguns would do nothing.

Elsewhere, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau became the second federal leader in as many days to clarify his personal stance on abortion. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said a tax on Canada’s wealthiest citizens would help pay for his party’s health initiatives.

And Green Leader Elizabeth May announced her party’s plan to plant 10 billion trees over the next 30 years.

The Canadian Press

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