Written by Stu Campaigne, mynorthbaynow.com

Trevor Holliday is stepping down as leader of the Northern Ontario Party.

Holliday led the rebirth and rebrand of the party formed originally in 1977 by Ed Deibel, shifting its ideology from one of separation from Ontario to being a voice for the North.

A vote by members to become a bilingual party has hastened anglophone Holliday to step aside.

Holliday says he will remain with the party, as he will take an executive advisory role to ensure a smooth transition to bilingual Shawn Poirier, who has been named interim leader until an election can take place after the next general meeting.

Holliday ended up a distant fifth in the 2018 election in Nipissing, finishing nearly 300 votes behind the fourth-place Green Party candidate.

The NOP had candidates run in ten ridings in the last election. The 10 garnered 5,912 votes between them, accounting for 1.65 per cent of the Northern Ontario votes cast.