Updated March 20, 2025 @ 4:34pm
Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to launch a federal election campaign on Sunday and send Canadians to the polls as soon as April 28.
While sources would not confirm the date of the vote, federal campaigns must run at least 37 days.
Former prime minister Justin Trudeau prorogued Parliament in January and it is supposed to return on March 24.
But Carney is expected to ask Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament the day before, on March 23. He was in Edmonton Thursday where he spent part of his morning skating with the Edmonton Oilers, wearing a team jersey with his name stitched on the back.
Under Canada's fixed elections date law, this election — Canada's 45th — can take place no later than Oct. 20 but can be called earlier.
A Liberal party source, whom The Canadian Press is not naming because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the party's election plans, said ministerial offices were emptying out on Thursday and that MPs are heading back home to get ready for the campaign.
The source said that local campaigns across the country are getting their offices ready and setting up phones. In some cases, the source said, campaigns started looking for office space weeks ago.
On the Liberal Party of Canada website there are dozens of events listed for everything from training door knockers to setting up sign crews, and some campaign office openings.
The Conservative Party has not responded to inquiries about their election plans.
Poilievre has had multiple news conferences this week with election-friendly promises to hasten the development of Canada's resources, including critical minerals.
On Thursday, the NDP earned a noteworthy endorsement from the United Steelworkers — which also backed Jagmeet Singh's party in the previous two campaigns — as the U.S. continues to impose tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports.
The party said it's working on setting up local offices and will launch its campaign Sunday in Montreal.
Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May confirmed her party's campaign will also kick off in Montreal on Sunday in the riding of Outremont, where fellow co-leader Jonathan Pedneault will be running.
The election comes at an opportune time for Carney's Liberals, who — for the first time since 2022 — have surpassed the Conservatives in several polls. The Liberals' polling resurgence is being driven in large part by Canadians' anxieties about the Trump administration in the U.S.
The parties have been busy nominating candidates and organizing leaders' tours; to date, the Liberals have nominated only about half of a full slate of candidates. The Conservatives, NDP and Green Party each have nominated candidates in more than 200 of the 343 ridings.
Carney appeared to be playing candidate catch up snagging some bigger names to run for the Liberals in recent days including former Canadian television journalist Evan Solomon and Carlos Leitão, a former Liberal finance minister in Quebec.
The Conservatives have a sizable war chest for the election after a banner fundraising year, having raised almost $41.8 million in 2024.
The Liberals raised about $15.2 million and the NDP took in close to $6.3 million in donations over 2024 — though the Liberals are likely to see a sizable influx of cash in the wake of their leadership race, which saw Carney alone raise more than $4.5 million in less than two months.
Carney was elected as Liberal leader to succeed Trudeau on March 9 and was sworn in as prime minister along with his new cabinet on March 14.
He made his first trip abroad this week, visiting France and the U.K. to send a statement about Canada's trade and security alliances, before making a stop in Iqaluit to assert Canada's sovereignty in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's annexation threats.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 20, 2025.
