Carney stops final campaigning after Vancouver tragedy

Canadian PM Mark Carney paused his campaign after a tragic incident in Vancouver left nine dead at a Filipino festival. As the election nears, Carney’s Liberals hold a narrow poll lead over Poilievre’s Conservatives amid rising political tensions.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended his campaign activities on Sunday after a tragic incident in Vancouver, where a vehicle drove into a Filipino community festival, killing at least nine people and injuring several others. Carney’s team confirmed the pause just a day before the national election.

Both Carney and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who are making their final appeals to voters ahead of Monday’s vote, expressed condolences to the victims and the Filipino community. Vancouver police arrested a 30-year-old local man known to authorities, though the motive remains unclear.

Carney had spent Saturday campaigning in Ontario, promoting his leadership as essential to navigating the crisis triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Meanwhile, Poilievre emphasized the need for change after nearly a decade of Liberal rule under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Carney, a former central banker and college hockey player, likened the final days of campaigning to the last moments of a "Game 7" Stanley Cup match, underscoring the high stakes of the election.

Narrow Lead in Polls

Polls show a tight race, with Carney’s Liberal Party holding a slight lead over Poilievre’s Conservatives. A Nanos poll reported Liberal support at 41.9% and Conservative support at 38.6%, with a margin of error of 2.7 percentage points. This concentration of Liberal votes in urban districts could help them secure more seats even without an overall majority.

An Angus Reid poll similarly showed the Liberals leading by four points. Poilievre's message of change and focus on reducing living costs has especially resonated with younger male voters, drawing large crowds at rallies.

Carney, who took over Liberal leadership from Trudeau in March and has since differentiated himself from Trudeau's policies, had initially planned a busy Sunday campaign across four provinces before the tragedy led to a pause.