Battlegrounds in B.C. could swing the balance of power in election
As polls close across the country Monday evening and the vote tally begins, a handful of tight races in British Columbia could determine which party seizes power, or whether Canada will have a minority or majority government.
In Vancouver-Granville, incumbent Jody Wilson-Raybould – a one-time Liberal cabinet minister – chose not to seek re-election, opening the door for a tight, three-way race between the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP.
“For so many years, you do student votes and it doesn’t count,” said post-secondary student Shira Rubinoff, who voted in advance polls to take part in a federal election for the first time.
“Now, it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, I guess my vote means something.’”
Liberal Taleeb Noormohamed finished second behind Wilson-Raybould in the 2019 race and is running again.
He has faced controversy on the campaign trail after it came to light he bought or sold 30 residential properties in the last decade, 14 of which were sold within a year of their purchase dates.
Those transactions meet the criteria for an “anti-flipping” tax proposed by the Liberals.
Lawyer Kailin Che is running under the Conservative banner, and self-described climate-activist Anjali Appadurai is on the ticket for the NDP.
A handful of other Metro Vancouver ridings that have been close in the recent past appear headed for photo finishes again.
“Two of the closest outcomes in the last election will be close this time as well: Port Moody-Coquitlam and Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam. Very tight races there, hard to know how they’re going to go,” said Hamish Telford, a political scientist and associate professor at the University of the Fraser Valley.
“The NDP is targeting heavily Burnaby-North Seymour. That’s one they would really like to pick up.”
In most federal elections, a winner is declared before most votes on the West Coast are even counted, but with such a close race predicted this time, the rest of the nation may need to turn its eyes to B.C. ridings to find out who holds the balance of power.
"In some of these very close ridings like Port Moody-Coquitlam that were decided by a couple of hundred votes, we’re going to have to wait for the mail-in ballots to be counted in the next couple of days after Monday,” Telford said.
If the People’s Party of Canada performs well, it could play spoiler in some tight races, potentially drawing support from the Conservatives.
Meanwhile, the Green Party will be hoping to exceed expectations and pull a share of the progressive vote.
Canadians can turn to CTV News for comprehensive coverage of the results as Chief Anchor Lisa LaFlamme hosts a live election special beginning at 3:30 p.m. PT.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.