Elections Canada saw a wave of voters show up to the polls Friday, kicking off the first of four days of advance voting ahead of the 2025 federal election.
In a single day, two million Canadians cast their ballots—a record-breaking turnout for day one of early voting. Advance polls are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Monday.
As voters hit the booths, federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is making a push to keep Vancouver Island orange—despite national polls suggesting his party could be nearly wiped off the electoral map.
On Saturday evening, Singh dropped by the iconic Beacon Drive In in Victoria to rally supporters and thank volunteers.
He was joined by local candidates including Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke’s Maja Tait, Saanich-Gulf Islands’ Colin Plant, and Victoria’s Laurel Collins.
“This election is really important,” Singh told the crowd. “What we’ve found is that our country works best when one party doesn’t have all the power.”
Singh focused his pitch on affordability, housing, and health care. He pledged to guarantee access to a family doctor by 2030, roll out universal pharmacare, and table legislation aimed at stopping the privatization of public health care.
The NDP is also promising to build three million homes, implement national rent control, and cap grocery essentials like pasta and baby formula.
Singh and his wife, Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu, already cast their ballots Friday in Burnaby—his longtime riding since a 2019 by-election.
While the party faces steep national odds, a new Angus Reid poll released Thursday suggests the NDP could benefit from soft Liberal support.
According to the survey, 45 per cent of uncommitted Liberal voters said the NDP would be their second choice, compared to 18 per cent who’d turn to the Conservatives.
Singh’s Vancouver Island tour continues Sunday with an announcement in Victoria, followed by a stop at the Cowichan Spring Fair and a campaign event in Nanaimo.
