Justin Trudeau brought his red campaign for “real change” to B.C. on Sunday, wrapping up the final day before the federal election in North Vancouver. More than 2,000 people lined up in the rain wearing red t-shirts, hats, and in one case, a pair of boxing gloves.
The Liberal Party leader didn’t disappoint — despite running a few minutes late and battling a sore throat, Trudeau quickly had supporters cheering with promises to “bring an end to the Harper decade.”
On the final campaign day, Trudeau flew in to give speeches in Edmonton and Calgary, then attended a rally in Surrey before finishing off in North Vancouver.
He was joined by no fewer than 10 local Liberal candidates, including North Vancouver’s Jonathan Wilkinson, Burnaby North-Seymour’s Terry Beech, and Pam Goldsmith-Jones of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country.
“This government is out of ideas,” Trudeau told a roaring crowd. “This government is out of touch, and in just a few more hours if we work hard, this government will be out of time!”
He kept the mudslinging to a minimum, choosing instead to focus on issues important to B.C. voters.
Earlier today, former Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau — who Trudeau famously beat in a boxing match in 2012 — reportedly pledged on twitter to vote for Trudeau and urged others to do so as well.
Promise to “get cities moving again”
Trudeau championed sustainable resource development, environmental protection, and as always, more support for middle-class families.
“We will build the roads, bridges, transit and affordable housing our communities so desperately need right now,” he vowed. “We’re ready to create a government that asks you for your opinion, listens to your concerns, and stays focused always on what matters to you.”
His campaign was backed by the star-power of renowned Vancouver chef and former Dragon’s Den investor Vikram Vij, who touted him as a focused and fearless leader:
“(Trudeau) will represent us with great pride on the world stage and he will show empathy to fellow citizens,” said Vij. “He will build bridges between different cultures… and respect a beautiful mosaic of different methods, ethnicities, of First Nations, and immigrants.”
Leading the polls
Despite a recent scandal involving his campaign co-chair Dan Gagnier, the Liberals remain ahead in national polls with 37.2 per cent of voter support, compared with the Conservatives' 30.9 per cent and the NDP's 21.7 per cent. British Columbia remains a wild card province however, with support divided between the parties.
All three competing federal leaders made stops in the province over the weekend in a final attempt to sway voters — NDP leader Tom Mulcair spent time in Vancouver and Burnaby on Saturday, while Prime Minister Harper made a stop in Abbotsford on Sunday morning.
"B.C. matters to me and it matters to the whole country," Trudeau told the crowd, listing his family history in the province. "Tomorrow, British Columbians can decided whether Canada gets real change or more of the same."
Trudeau has visited B.C. five times since the writ dropped in August, and has frequently said his trips to the West always feel like "coming home," referencing his upbringing in Vancouver.
Keep checking the National Observer for coverage of the Oct. 19 federal election.
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