People observe a moment of silence before Mark Carney's Liberal Party election campaign tour in Saskatoon, Sask., on April 27.Carlos Osorio/Reuters
A pall was cast over the final day of the federal election campaign as party leaders adjusted their schedules in response to the deadly attack in Vancouver that police said left at least 11 people dead.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh were at times openly emotional as they expressed horror and sadness over the attack at the Filipino community’s Lapu Lapu Festival late Saturday night.
All recalibrated the timing and tone of their final events before Canadians head to the polls to elect a new government on Monday.
Mr. Carney cancelled large rallies planned for both Calgary and Richmond, B.C., though he went ahead with smaller events in Edmonton and Saskatoon.
‘Darkest day’: Vancouver mourns victims of vehicle attack that left 11 dead at street festival
B.C. Premier David Eby told reporters he had heard from all major federal party leaders.
Mr. Carney, who is also prime minister, said he was briefed overnight by security officials on the incident and also spoke to Mr. Eby.
“Last night, families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, a father, a son or a daughter. Those families are living every family’s nightmare,” Mr. Carney said from Hamilton at the start of his campaign day Sunday.
“And to them and to the many others who were injured, to the Filipino-Canadian community, and to everyone in the broader Lower Mainland, Vancouver, I would like to offer my deepest condolences and my wishes for strength and compassion in this tragic time.”
Liberal Leader Mark Carney gives a statement in Hamilton, Ont., on April 27, about the incident at the Lapu Lapu Day block party in Vancouver.Carlos Osorio/Reuters
Mr. Singh scrapped nearly all of his public events for the day, which had all been scheduled for ridings around B.C.
He had been at the festival Saturday prior to the moment a man drove an SUV through the crowd. The NDP Leader broke down in tears as he told reporters Sunday morning that he couldn’t get the images of the joyful children he’d seen there out of his head.
“What happened yesterday has completely changed today for us,” Mr. Singh said.
“Of course, now we’re going to be focused on how we can stand in solidarity as an ally to the Filipino community.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, centre, bows his head during a moment of silence for the victims, during a campaign stop in Penticton, B.C., on April 27.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Mr. Poilievre added a visit to a Filipino church in Mississauga to his itinerary Sunday morning.
He clasped his wife Anaida’s hand in his as he thanked the congregation for allowing them to mourn together.
“I hope that we can pray for those who’ve been lost and for those who survive in mourning, their loved ones, their brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, mothers, fathers, all of them will have a deep hole in their hearts today,” Mr. Poilievre said.
“We will try to fill it with the love of the entire country.”
The Conservative campaign held a moment of silence before the start of Mr. Poilievre’s main rally in Oakville, Ont., later Sunday morning.
After he took the stage, Mr. Poilievre asked those present to “say a little prayer” for all those affected by the attack.
“We unite as Canadians in honouring all of them, and we take inspiration from the lives that they lived,” he said, before proceeding with a regular campaign speech.
What we know so far about the Lapu Lapu festival attack in Vancouver
At later whistle stop events in Pickering and Keene, Ont., he also acknowledged the events of Saturday night, before again delivering his regular stump speech and reiterating his call for a change in government.
Mr. Poilievre was expected to end the day with an event in the Ottawa-area riding he’s represented as an MP since 2004.
Lapu Lapu Day is named after an Indigenous resistance fighter in the Philippines who fought against Spanish colonization in the 16th century, and the event was billed as an opportunity to mark “the enduring impact on Filipino values, notably the spirit of bayanihan – the collective community effort.”
Given his campaign plans were cancelled, Mr. Singh was asked at his Sunday morning news conference what his final message was to voters.
Gary Mason: In one horrible moment, everything changed – for Vancouver and for the country
“Today is a very difficult day to be a regular campaign day, given what’s happened,” he said.
“I would remind people, ultimately, one of our messages is, that people have the power,” he said, pointing out that it was because of the support of the NDP that the Liberals implemented dental care and pharmacare.
“None of that would have happened but for people giving us that honour, it was because of you, because of people that voted for us.”
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet also expressed his condolences to the people of B.C., and the family and friends of those killed and injured. He also acknowledged Mr. Singh’s presence so close to the event that night, saying he was probably going through a very tough moment.
Green Party Co-Leader Elizabeth May posted to social media that she’d connected with members of the Filipino community and offered flowers and a note of condolences at the Philippine Bayanihan Community Centre in Victoria.
Canadians elect a new government on Monday.
Preliminary figures from Elections Canada showed that 7.3 million people voted in advance polls, a 25-per-cent increase from the 2021 election.
Vancouver's interim police chief says this is the darkest day in the city's history after Saturday night's deadly incident when a vehicle was driven into a crowded festival, killing 11 and injuring dozens more. Steve Rai told reporters that consultations had determined that dedicated officers and heavy vehicle barricades would not be used at the festival site.
The Globe and Mail