The final weekend of Canada’s 2025 federal election campaign is going to be a busy one for all the major party leaders.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney is spending most of Saturday in the Greater Toronto Area, with stops planned in King City, Newmarket, Aurora, Markham and Mississauga.
He’s then scheduled to appear at a rally in Windsor.
Pierre Poilievre is beginning Day 35 of the campaign in battleground B.C., where both the Conservatives and Liberals are hoping to snatch some seats away from the NDP.
Poilievre is scheduled to appear at a “Canada First” rally in Delta before flying back to Ontario for an event in Falconbridge.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is heading in the opposite direction, starting the day with stops in Windsor and London before flying to B.C. for several planned events in Metro Vancouver.
Follow along as CTVNews.ca and CTV News journalists on the campaign trails provide live updates throughout the day. All times EDT.
3:45 p.m.: Carney holds rally at Pearson airport hangar
At the same time as Poilievre was speaking at a rally in B.C., Carney was holding his own rally in a hangar at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Carney urged the packed crowd to send all six Liberal candidates running in Mississauga to Ottawa.
“We need you because President Trump’s trade war has literally ruptured the global economy, and he has betrayed Canada, America’s neighbour, America’s closest friend, most steadfast ally,” Carney said.
According to the Liberal Party, an estimated 3,200 attended the event.
Someone from the crowd could be heard shouting and trying to interrupt the Liberal leader, prompting his supporters to chant “Carney.”
The rally was Carney’s fifth campaign event. After speaking at Seneca Polytechnic, he visited businesses in Newmarket, Ont., held a meet-and-greet at a gallery in Aurora, Ont., and then made a stop in Markham, Ont.
He is expected to attend another rally in Windsor, Ont., this evening.
Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist
3:23 p.m.: Poilievre holds rally in B.C.
Poilievre is highlighting his “100 days of change” pledge during a rally in Delta, B.C.
The pledge would see members of Parliament sit all summer long until they pass three laws meant to crack down on crime, boost resource production and tackle affordability – all of which are Poilievre’s key campaign promises.
“We are voting for change because we love this country, and we want every single person to have the promise of Canada that anyone who works hard can have a great life in a beautiful, affordable home on a safe street under our proud flag,” Poilievre said.
Poilievre’s Conservatives closed the gap on the Liberals as the campaign entered the final weekend before voting day. The riding of Delta is an open seat, as the Liberal incumbent did not seek re-election.
Jessy Sahota, who was present at the rally, is running for the Conservatives, while Jill McKnight is hoping to keep the seat for the Liberals.
After the rally, Poilievre is expected to travel to Sudbury, Ont., for another rally this evening.
Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist
12:22 p.m.: Blanchet doubles down
The Bloc Québécois leader is doubling down on his comments that Canada is an “artificial country.”
During a campaign stop in Val-d’Or, Que., Saturday morning, Blanchet said Canada is a “post-national nation.”
“It’s a non-nation, a country which denies its own identity, and ironically, with a central government which wants to control the jurisdictions of every province, slowly but surely and with major parties who use mainly immigration as a tool to have a more fragile working force,” Blanchet said in English when asked if he regrets the choice of words.
“Within that presently, there’s a strong nation identifying itself as a nation, and a proud one. If everybody in this present country was to do like us, the dynamic of politics in Ottawa would be quite different.”
He added that Canada failed to make Quebecers like any other Canadians, “so maybe this country is a bit artificial.”
The Bloc leader also noted his comment was not meant as an insult.
“It’s meant as an observation of the fact that the different regions of these countries have different issues pulled together in order to serve mainly Ontario and (with) an intention from Ottawa to concentrate powers in Ottawa instead of respecting regions,” Blanchet said.
Blanchet’s remarks have been slammed by other federal leaders. Carney said he rejected the Bloc leader’s opinion, while Singh called it “offensive.”
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston also weighed in, releasing an open letter to Blanchet calling his remarks “insulting.” When asked if he would respond to Houston’s letter, Blanchet said he would not.
It’s hard to believe Mr. Blanchet would describe Canada as “an artificial country with very little meaning.” Say what you want about our challenges, but don’t insult the country we all call home. pic.twitter.com/WHGg1E7Bvg
— Tim Houston (@TimHoustonNS) April 26, 2025
Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist
11:15 a.m.: Blanchet’s comments ‘offensive,’ Singh says
Singh says Blanchet calling Canada an “artificial country” is offensive.
“We got Donald Trump attacking us. We don’t need attacks from the inside like that,” the NDP leader said on Saturday.
“To bolster the attacks of a foreign government that impact Quebeckers as much as it impacts Canadians is the wrong thing to do.”
He added that the Bloc Québécois leader’s comments were not helpful.
“We are proud of who we are, and we want to defend our country, and we want to make our country even better.”
On Friday, Singh called the Bloc a “useless party” when asked why the NDP deserves to hold the balance of power in a minority government.
Blanchet responded, saying: “I will let you deal with the uselessness of my party, and if I were Mr. Singh, I would do anything not to be compared with the Bloc Quebecois at present time. So he may say whatever he wants. I don’t really care.”
Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist
11:00 a.m.: Singh shares he received threat to his life
Singh says he received a credible threat to his life and that it may have come from a foreign government.
The NDP leader revealed the information during a campaign stop in London, Ont. He said the RCMP informed him about the threat in late 2023.
As to who made the threat, Singh said those details were not shared with him.
“They didn’t specify the source, but the intimation was that it was a foreign threat,” he said.
Singh recalled that period of his life as a “scary time.”
“I was floored when I started thinking about what it meant for me and my family that I was the target of a real threat to my life. I had the chills thinking about what that could mean for my wife, who was pregnant at the time, for my little baby girl,” Singh said.
He shared that he stayed in the basement because the RCMP advised him to stay away from windows.
Asked why he was opening up about the incident now, Singh said he wanted to highlight the dangers of foreign interference.
“I’m an elected official, part of the reason why I was targeted, but also part of the reason why I was able to get such incredible protection from the RCMP, who I’m so eternally thankful for, for all the hard work they put in,” Singh said.
“But what about folks that are faced with these threats on a day-to-day basis? What about different community groups that constantly are living with the fear of threats to themselves, to their families? And so that’s why foreign interference is such a serious issue. And it became clear to me that maybe sharing a bit of what happened to me would help highlight how serious this is for those folks.”
Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist
10:15 a.m.: ‘I reject them completely,’ Carney says on Blanchet remarks
Carney says he rejects comments made by Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, who called Canada “an artificial country.”
“I reject them completely. This is an incredible country. I’m incredibly proud to be Canadian,” the Liberal leader said.
“We have done incredible things. Those who came before us have done great things, to create this kind, diverse, ambitious, humble country. And what I would look to be part of is this process that is underway of the country coming together, of unifying. And I want to support that, not divide.
”On Friday, Blanchet was asked about previous remarks he made referring to the House of Commons as a “foreign parliament” that he sits in.“We are, whether we like it or not, part of an artificial country with very little meaning, called Canada,” Blanchet said in English during a campaign stop in Shawinigan, Que.
When asked how he will reach out to Conservative voters if he becomes prime minister on Monday, Carney quipped: “Well, they’re not going to have to forage for food” before saying that the leader of the country works for every Canadian regardless of who they voted for.
Carney was referring to Poilievre’s recent attacks on Liberals. Citing a report from January, which laid out a plausible future where inequality has widened even further, the Conservative leader has said this week that a fourth Liberal term could lead to people foraging for food on public lands.
“So if I’m humbly speaking, if I gain that confidence through our system, absolutely, we’ll work for all Canadians,” Carney said.
Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist
9:45 a.m.: Carney likened final weekend to Game 7 of Stanley Cup
Asked about his packed schedule this weekend, including this stop in King City, which is currently a Conservative riding, Carney says he’s trying to speak to as many Canadians as possible.
He then evoked the NHL playoffs.
“We are in the equivalent of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup in the last two minutes,” Carney said.
“It’s all to play for, and (I) intend to leave everything on the ice.”
Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist
9:32 a.m.: Carney calls for unity: ‘We are a confederation’
Carney says people on both sides of the border who claim that Canada is not a real country “couldn’t be more wrong.”
“Canada is more than a nation. We are a confederation. We are a sacred set of ideas and ideals built on practical foundations,” Carney said during a campaign stop at Seneca Polytechnic in King City, Ont.
This week, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “not trolling” with his 51st state remarks. On Friday, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet remarked Quebec was “part of an artificial country with very little meaning, called Canada.”
In his remarks, Carney said that Canada’s strength lies in the Canadians’ resolve to work together.
“United, we are standing up for our nation and united, we will win this trade war and build the strongest economy in the G7 that works for everyone,” the Liberal leader said.
Calling this election “critical,” Carney asked Canadians for support to unite the country through the crisis.“I am asking you to vote for me for positive reasons – regardless of which party you’ve voted for in the past,” he said.
Carney also trumpeted his plan to fight Trump’s tariffs.
He said a Liberal government would support workers with revenues from Canada’s counter-tariffs, cut taxes for 22 million Canadians, double the pace of construction of new homes, and add thousands of new doctors. (Track all the campaign promises here.)
Carney highlighted that he has previously managed budgets, economies, and crises.
“This is the time for experience, not experiments,” he said.
The Liberals began the final weekend of the campaign ahead of the Conservatives, but that lead has shrunk.
Carney is spending most of Saturday in the vote-rich Greater Toronto Area, where the Liberals won many seats in the last federal election.
Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist
8 a.m.: Liberal lead narrows to 3 points over Conservatives
The Liberals have a three-point advantage over the Conservatives on Day 35 of the 36-day federal election campaign as we enter the closing weekend of the campaign.
A three-day rolling sample by Nanos Research conducted on April 23-25 has the Liberals at 42 per cent over the Conservatives, who are at 39 per cent nationally.
“Key movement over the last few days has been in battleground Ontario where the margin between the Liberals and the Conservatives is closing,” said Nik Nanos, official pollster for CTV News and the Globe and Mail.
Phil Hahn, CTVNews.ca election editor-in-chief
U.S. tariffs on steel top of mind for Hamilton as federal election closes in
As Canadians gear up to head to the polls to elect a new federal government on Monday, top of mind for many is U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and their impact on Canada’s economy.
The issue is specifically top of mind in Hamilton — the city also known as Steeltown.
“I think it’s really clear that the City of Hamilton is at great risk when it comes to tariffs,” Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath told CTV News Toronto in an interview.
Hamilton is Canada’s biggest steel producer and its two largest plants — ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Stelco — employ nearly 6,000 people in the city.
But since March 12, a 25 per cent tariff has been slapped on Canadian steel and aluminum.
Laura Sebben, CTVNewsToronto.ca Journalist
6:17 a.m. Immigration has faded as a political issue
Despite polls showing many Canadians were worried about the effects of immigration on housing and affordability late last year, the topic has scarcely been mentioned in the federal election campaign now drawing to a close.
Several public opinion polls conducted late last year suggested most Canadians believed immigration levels were too high.
While the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP all have plans to address immigration levels after the election, the issue has taken a back seat to more pressing threats, like U.S. President Donald Trump’s global trade war.
The Canadian Press
How seat projections differ from daily polling
Seat projections for Canada’s upcoming election can seem inconsistent with public opinion polling, which has shown the Conservatives closing the gap on the Liberals as voting day nears.
Despite some surveys showing the Liberals only leading by a few percentage points heading into the weekend, several recent projections suggest the party is poised to form a majority government.
The key to understanding that discrepancy is distinguishing between popular support and vote efficiency, said Nik Nanos, chief data scientist with Nanos Research.
Andrew Weichel, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist
