Encounter the newly elected Liberal representatives, who managed to dethrone Jagmeet Singh and Pierre Poilievre from their positions.
In a surprising twist of events on Monday, Canadians bestowed a rare fourth term upon the Liberals in a closely contested election. As the dust settled, the focus shifted towards the ridings of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
By the stroke of midnight on Monday, both their strongholds appeared to be slipping away, albeit at different stages. Late Monday evening, Singh conceded his seat in Burnaby Central, as his NDP party fell short of the 12 seats needed to maintain their status in Parliament. Singh promised to step down after an interim leader is appointed.
Meanwhile, Poilievre conceded to the Liberals early Tuesday morning, despite the results in Carleton still being unclear. Despite losing his longtime seat, Poilievre did not indicate any intention to step down as party leader. Poilievre originally won the seat in 2004, then known as Nepean-Carleton, at the tender age of 25. It was later renamed Carleton in 2015 and had remained a Conservative seat until now.
Let's take a closer look at the two fresh Liberal faces who managed to flipped these long-held opposition seats.
Liberal Bruce Fanjoy takes Carleton
Last January, Bruce Fanjoy boldly declared, "Watch me," as he addressed doubts about his candidacy for the Carleton seat.
The race was tight, with Fanjoy edging out Poilievre with just over 50% of the vote. As of Tuesday afternoon, Fanjoy has secured around 105,689 votes, with around 20,000 left to be counted.
Fanjoy's political journey began after a career with Deloitte Canada and as an independent building contractor focused on sustainable living. His energy-efficient home in Manotick, located in Ottawa's rural suburbs, has earned him a spot in local news headlines.
Fanjoy credits his victory to the 15,000 doors he personally knocked and the numerous conversations he had with residents in the riding. "It was a big hill to climb. There's no question," Fanjoy told News Ottawa on Tuesday. "I felt we could do it." The US President Donald Trump and his tariff threats often came up during discussions with voters.
The loss of Carleton, Ottawa's only riding where an incumbent MP lost, may raise questions about Poilievre's future. Richard Johnston, a UBC political scientist, commented that the adjustments in Poilievre's constituency should have worked in his favor, as they made the riding more rural.
Burnaby Central is now represented by Liberal Wade Chang
In Burnaby Central, B.C., Liberal Wade Chang emerged victorious, securing 39% of the vote, while Singh came in a distant third, with only 17% of the vote share.
Born in Taiwan, Chang immigrated to Canada with his family as a teenager. He later obtained a bachelor's degree in law in Australia before earning an MBA at Oxford, focusing on social impact.
Chang expressed little concern for Singh, stating, "I care about my people and my residents in the riding. I see Jagmeet Singh as another candidate in this election." Despite this, Singh remains an influential figure in the riding, having won the seat in 2019 and being re-elected in 2021 with over 40% of the vote.
In his concession speech, Singh remained optimistic, saying, "We're only defeated when we believe those that tell us that we can never dream of a better Canada, a fairer Canada, a more compassionate Canada."
As of Tuesday afternoon, the New Democrats had secured seven seats, representing just over 6% of the national vote. The NDP had previously held 24 seats.
David Sheinin, a political analyst at Trent University, commented, "The party that once advanced a social democratic mandate with a focus on working people has morphed into a party emphasizing middle-class progressive issues." This shift may have created an opportunity for Chang in the ethnically and racially diverse Burnaby Central riding.
Chang, who recently joined a panel to discuss the barriers newcomers face in having their international credentials recognized, expressed his commitment to building a more inclusive and supportive Canada. He pledged to make Burnaby Central "a place where everyone can build a future."
- The Liberals secured a fourth term in a closely contested Canadian election.
- The focus shifted towards the ridings of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
- By midnight on Monday, Singh's stronghold in Burnaby Central appeared to be slipping away.
- Singh promised to step down after an interim leader is appointed.
- Poilievre conceded his longtime seat, Carleton, early Tuesday morning.
- Bruce Fanjoy secured the Carleton seat for the Liberals with just over 50% of the vote.
- Fanjoy's political journey began after a career with Deloitte Canada and as an independent building contractor.
- Fanjoy credits his victory to the 15,000 doors he personally knocked and the conversations he had with residents.
- Richard Johnston, a UBC political scientist, commented that adjustments in Poilievre's constituency should have worked in his favor.
- In Burnaby Central, B.C., Liberal Wade Chang emerged victorious.
- Born in Taiwan, Chang immigrated to Canada and later obtained a bachelor's degree in law in Australia and an MBA at Oxford.
- Chang expressed little concern for Singh, stating, "I care about my people and my residents in the riding."
- Singh remained optimistic in his concession speech.
- As of Tuesday afternoon, the New Democrats had secured seven seats, representing just over 6% of the national vote.
- The NDP had previously held 24 seats.
- David Sheinin, a political analyst at Trent University, commented on the NDP's shift towards middle-class progressive issues.
- This shift may have created an opportunity for Chang in the ethnically and racially diverse Burnaby Central riding.
- Chang recently joined a panel to discuss the barriers newcomers face in having their international credentials recognized.
- News Ottawa reported on Fanjoy's energy-efficient home in Manotick.
- Fanjoy often discussed US President Donald Trump's tariff threats during discussions with voters.
- The loss of Carleton may raise questions about Poilievre's future.
- Poilievre won his seat in Carleton at the tender age of 25 and it remained a Conservative seat until now.
- Singh conceded his seat in Burnaby Central as his NDP party fell short of the 12 seats needed to maintain their status in Parliament.
- Chang pledged to make Burnaby Central "a place where everyone can build a future."
