Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended his election campaigning temporarily on Sunday after a tragic accident in Vancouver resulted in at least nine deaths when a man drove into a crowd at a Filipino community celebration. Carney’s campaign confirmed the incident as the reason for the suspension, with authorities reporting some injuries and the arrest of a 30-year-old man from Vancouver who was already acquainted with the police.
The accident falls on the last day of campaigning before Canada’s make-or-break election, to be held on Monday. The election has largely centered on US President Donald Trump’s trade war against Canada, such as his threats to impose tariffs and constant assertions indicating the likelihood of annexing Canada. Whether or not the issues will make an impact remains to be seen, since it is yet too early to measure whether or not the Vancouver tragedy will register among voters.
On Twitter and Facebook, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and Carney posted condolences. Carney indicated his sympathy towards the victims as well as the families, whereas Poilievre posted condolences to the community of Vancouver’s Filipino, as he deemed the attack “horrific.”
In spite of the tragedy, the two leaders continued to prioritize Canada’s next chapter with the United States during the last few hours leading up to the election. Carney, who is a previous chief central banker, canvassed in Ontario on Saturday, introducing himself as the ideal candidate to steer Canada through the turmoil of Trump tariffs. Poilievre, in contrast, focused on political renewal, denouncing the Liberal Party’s leadership under previous Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Carney, who was a hockey player, likened the election to the dying seconds of a Stanley Cup Game 7 and implored voters to elect a leader who could effectively steer Canada through its current problems.
