Local candidates looking to defeat federal party leaders in neighbouring ridings

OTTAWA — Two local candidates are hoping to beat the Liberal and Conservative party leaders on their home turf — two ridings which just happen to be next door to each other in Ottawa’s west end.

Liberal candidate for Carleton Bruce Fanjoy said his opponent — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre — has essentially become his “personal trainer.” He said he has gone through two pairs of running shoes and has knocked on over 15,000 doors in the past two years.

“I ultimately decided that someone needed to stand up and I eventually came to the realization that it needed to be me,” he said.

Fanjoy said he’s not intimidated going up against Poilievre, despite his high profile as the Conservative party leader and the fact that’s he’s been Carleton’s MP since 2004. Fanjoy accuses Poilievre of accomplishing “nothing for Carleton” in 20 years.

“Despite his notoriety and his name recognition, in many ways he’s a dream opponent,” he said.

While Fanjoy chose to run against Poilievre back when the polls were heavily in the Conservatives’ favour, he said he always saw a “path to victory.”

“What’s changed is that more and more people believe too that we can defeat him,” he said.

Recent polls suggest that Poilievre is likely to win again in Carleton, although the race with the Liberals is tightening.

“I’m not sure whether he doesn’t understand that he’s in a race here for his seat, or if he’s just trying to pretend that it’s not happening,” Fanjoy said, arguing that Poilievre doesn’t spend enough time in his riding. “What makes this election here in Carleton so unique is that we have an opportunity to defeat him.”

Liberal Leader Mark Carney is running in the nearby west end Ottawa riding of Nepean. His Conservative opponent Barbara Bal said in a recent email statement that Carney “does not belong” in the riding.

“Mr. Arya’s abrupt removal from the Liberal party only served to further alienate the residents of Nepean,” Bal said, referring to former Liberal MP for the riding Chandra Arya. The Liberal party revoked Arya’s nomination last month.

Bal, who has served in the military and policing, said she lives in Nepean and raised her family there.

“I have witnessed, firsthand, how failed crime and drug policies have impacted Nepean,” Bal said. “How better to serve those that have provided my family with this incredible life?”

Asked for her thoughts about polls projecting that the Liberals will win Nepean, Bal said the polls are “completely incongruent to the reception we are experiencing while engaging the residents.”

“I have been door-knocking across this riding for two years now. The message from the public is clear in that they are looking for change,” Bal said. “This message was only amplified once my opponent declared that he was running in Nepean.”

Chris Zuo, who lives in Nepean, said he’s voting Conservative because of the party’s focus on tackling crime.

When asked how it feels to plan to vote against a prime minister, Zuo said it’s “funny” because Carney wasn’t elected and has never been a politician. Zuo said that even if another Liberal candidate was running in the riding, he wouldn’t support them because he thinks it’s time for the country to be led by a different party.

In Carleton, Kelly Ray said she used to vote NDP but will vote Liberal this time to block the Conservatives. She said there’s “more excitement” in this election campaign because her local MP is the opposition leader and the current prime minister is running next door.

“It just feels like there’s more energy behind this election and I think that I would love to see (Poilievre) not win in this riding, so I feel a bit more passionate than other elections because he’s the leader and because he’s in this riding,” Ray said.

Canadians will choose their next prime minister on April 28.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2025

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press