Ontario Premier Doug Ford has officially triggered an early provincial election for Feb. 27 after meeting with Ontario's lieutenant-governor, his office confirmed.

Ford visited Lt.-Gov. Edith Dumont on Tuesday afternoon to ask her to dissolve the 43rd parliament of the Province of Ontario. She accepted his request.

Ford has said he needs a new mandate from the electorate in order to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump, something he repeated at a news conference Tuesday morning ahead of his visit to the lieutenant-governor.