OTTAWA — It's official, a federal election campaign has begun and election day will be April 28.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney announced the dissolution of parliament and start of the campaign on Sunday.
The race is expected to be competitive. The Conservative party held a healthy lead in public opinion polls prior to the Liberal leadership campaign, but the Liberals have been gaining ground quickly since January.
Carney, who was sworn in as Prime Minister on March 14, is a political newcomer. The former head of the Bank of Canada does not hold a seat and is expected to run for office in the Ottawa riding of Nepean, immediately to the north of the Carleton riding that has been held by Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre since its creation in 2015. Poilievre held the former Nepean-Carleton for over a decade before that, since 2004.
The campaign will last 37 days, the shortest period allowed under Canada's election rules.
This will be the first election held since the most recent redrawing of federal riding boundaries. The most significant changes to the three Northwestern Ontario ridings were the addition of several Matawa First Nations to the Thunder Bay—Superior North riding, the renaming of the former Kenora riding, now Kenora—Kiiwetinoong, and an adjustment of the boundary line as it runs through the city of Thunder Bay.
Incumbent Liberal cabinet minister Patty Hajdu, in Thunder Bay—Superior North, will be up against former Thunder Bay police chief Bob Herman, running for the Conservatives, and local lawyer Joy Wakefield with the NDP.
Thunder Bay—Rainy River will see a rematch between incumbent MP Marcus Powlowski and NDP candidate Yuk-Sem Won. The Conservatives have yet to publicly declare a candidate in the riding.
Conservative incumbent Eric Melillo will run against the NDP’s Tania Cameron in Kenora-Kiiwetnoong.
As of publication, no other candidates had publicly declared their intention to run the region. All parties have until April 7 to register their candidates with Elections Canada.