TORONTO — Premier Doug Ford plans to call a snap election next Wednesday and send Ontarians to the polls on Feb. 27, The Canadian Press has learned. Two senior government sources say Ford recently made the decision for the rare winter election after waffling for months.

Premier Doug Ford is planning to call a provincial election next Wednesday, which would send Ontarians to the polls on Feb. 27, a senior Progressive Conservative source has confirmed to CBC News.

CHCH News has learned from sources with direct knowledge of the Ontario government’s plans that Premier Doug Ford will call a snap election next week for Feb. 27.

Premier Doug Ford, who signalled he needs a mandate to keep Ontario’s economy afloat after U.S. tariffs hit, is looking at sending voters to the polls on Feb. 27 or March 6.

A new Leger poll, exclusive to the National Post, put Ford’s Progressive Conservatives 24 points ahead of the Liberals. The results indicate 46 per cent of poll respondents expressed support for the reigning Tories versus 22 per cent for Bonnie Crombie’s Liberals, 19 per cent for the NDP, just 7 per cent for the Green Party and 6 per cent other.

The confirmation comes after weeks of rampant speculation Ford would head to the polls early, a move he is justifying using the threat of tariffs from the U.S.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is considering calling a provincial election as early as next week, a Progressive Conservative source says, as Mr. Ford’s top staffer sent an internal memo about the need for a “strong mandate” in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats.