Ontario Options

Ontario Options was a short-lived political party in Ontario, Canada.

The party was registered on June 10, 1994 by Don Scott, who was its only member at the time. According to a summary article in the Montreal Gazette, Scott called for Canada to be divided into five separate countries: Ontario, Quebec, an Atlantic provinces federation to be called "Atlantis", a Prairie federation to be called "Alsatoba", and a union of British Columbia, Yukon and the Northwest Territories to be called "Columbia".^[1]

Ontario Options does not appear to have fielded any candidates for federal office, although Scott ran under its banner in the 1995 provincial election. As the party was not registered provincially, he appeared on the ballot as an independent.^[2] He received 506 votes (1.67%), finishing fourth against Liberal candidate Rick Bartolucci in Sudbury. It is not clear if the party ran any other candidates.

Scott, a former New Democrat, later affiliated with the Canadian Action Party at the federal level.^[3] He was still listed as president of the Options Ontario Party in December 2000.^[4]

Footnotes

1. ^ "New one-man party wants a 5-way split", Montreal Gazette, 11 June 1994, A9.
2. ^ Valerie Lawton, "Fringe parties fight for attention in campaign", Kingston Whig-Standard, 12 May 1995, 13.
3. ^ Chris Polehoykie, "Federal election races beginning to take shape", Sudbury Star, 26 October 2000, A3.
4. ^ Donald W. Scott, "Restructuring cost city some leaders", Sudbury Star, 15 December 2000, A7.