There were four podiums but only three candidates.
That was the story Tuesday for an all-candidates local debate hosted by Cogeco TV anchor Clarke Heipel.
The show was pre-taped Tuesday afternoon to air at 7 p.m. on Cogeco Tuesday evening.
Incumbent Conservative candidate Vic Fedeli was joined by the Green Party's Colton Chaput and the NDP's Loren Mick.
Liam McGarry, the Liberal candidate, had a spot but did not reply to an invitation to attend the debate which took place in the yourTV studio on Fee Street in North Bay. Multiple efforts by BayToday to contact McGarry have been ignored by the Ontario Liberal Party. McGarry is not a resident of Nipissing.
Libertarian candidate Michelle Lashbrook and Ontario Party candidate Scott Mooney both sent video messages as part of the one-hour debate.
Despite battling the flu, Fedeli came out strong, highlighting the seriousness of the tariff war with Donald Trump stating this is as big of a concern as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mick and Chaput both tried to put Fedeli on defence early in the debate with Chaput saying the Conservatives have "abandoned Ontarians."
At the same time, Mick noted the Conservatives should have been ready for the uncertainty of a Trump administration back during his first term as U.S. president eight years ago.
The trio grappled over a handful of serious issues including healthcare, housing, tariffs, homelessness, education, food banks, the Northlander train, and northern highways.
Chaput, a 21-year-old nursing student at the University of Ottawa, says he sees the strain on the healthcare system. He says the Green Party will increase healthcare spending and bring in 3,500 new doctors.
Mick, a town councillor in Mattawa, says Ontarians are tired of the Conservative's patchwork approach to healthcare.
Fedeli, the former two-term North Bay mayor seeking a fifth term as Nipissing MP, defended his record on healthcare noting the Doug Ford government has hired 100,000 new nurses in Ontario along with 15,000 new doctors.
Transportation was a hot issue as all three candidates endorsed the Northlander train initiative, while Chaput applauded the Conservative's plan of making Highway 11 North a 2 +1 highway.
Mick agrees with both initiatives but questions what is taking so long for these and many other promises he says Fedeli has made.
"Lots of talk and not much walk," stated Mick.
Fedeli admits lots of work for both the 2 + 1 highway project and the Northlander needs to be done but it takes time.
Video messages
The debate policy at yourTV is that only candidates with seats in Queen's Park could participate in their debate.
Ontario Party candidate Scott Mooney, during his video, stressed his concern over the highways in the north.
"The crisis in our area is what is happening on our roads," said Mooney.
"We are seeing such a high number of incidents, bad accidents, highways closed. It is almost every day we see a closure on our trans-Canada highways. We need to stop putting band-aids on the problem and get to the bottom of this."
Lashbrook during her short video stressed Ontarians freedom of choice.
"It affects their lives, their families, and their futures," she said.
All three candidates respectfully shook hands with their opponents and wished each other the best of luck before leaving the studio.
The provincial election will take place on Feb. 27.