Mark Carney travelled back to British Columbia on Wednesday for one last visit before the election.
He appealed to voters in a number of Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland ridings that were once controlled by the NDP but are now in the running to be flipped by the Liberals or Conservatives.
Carney began his day in Victoria, holding a press conference atop the iconic Fairmont Empress overlooking the harbour. There, he outlined his plan to "protect British Columbia" from the United States and President Donald Trump's tariffs by unleashing the forestry and energy sectors.
The Liberal leader said his government's plan to build more homes would benefit the province by "massively scal[ing] the demand for mass timber innovators" and creating new jobs in the industry.
"We will build things in BC again," he explained. "We will grow BC's forestry sector while protecting it from Trump's tariffs. We will end the housing crisis, while building an entirely new industry based on BC technology, BC skilled labour, and BC lumber. We'll transform BC's mining sector. We'll building more clean and conventional energy, and we will reduce our reliance on the United States while increasing our ties with reliable trading partners."
From the provincial capital, Carney made his way over to Greater Vancouver, stopping in White Rock and New Westminster before capping off the night with a rally at the Cloverdale Agriplex in Surrey.
Carney focused on Canada's changing relationship with the United States, noting that it "is a tragedy, but it is also our new reality."
He claimed that the Liberals were best suited to take on Trump and safeguard the prosperity of British Columbia, and Canada as a whole.
Not everyone was thrilled to see him, however. While he was speaking, one man shouted out, "How much taxes do you pay in Canada?"
A number of pro-Palestinian protestors also made an appearance, but were promptly removed from the venue. Rally-goers chanted “Carney!” to drown them out as they asked the Liberal leader if he thinks there’s a "genocide" being committed in Gaza.
Carney is set to continue his Lower Mainland tour with a press conference in Port Moody Thursday morning. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will arrive in BC on Friday for a weekend of events on Vancouver Island and in the Lower Mainland.
The latest projections from 338Canada show a tight race in BC. Of the province's 43 ridings, 16 are either "leaning," "likely," or "safe" for the Conservatives. A further 10 are "toss ups" between the Conservatives and Liberals, and in some cases the NDP.
The Liberals, meanwhile, are either "leaning," "likely," or "safe" in 13 ridings, and the NDP fall into those categories in just one. The seats previously held by the NDP are split between the Conservatives and Liberals, though many are toss ups.
Perhaps most shocking is the riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands, which has been a Green Party stronghold for years. Modelling from 338Canada shows that seat — which had long been held by leader Elizabeth May — as a toss up.
