The leaders of Canada’s five political parties are campaigning across the country today as they rally voters in one of the tightest election campaigns in decades.
The latest polls from Nanos Research conducted for CTV News and The Globe and Mail show Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party locked in a dead heat with Erin O’Toole and the Conservative Party.
The Liberals are polling 31.9 per cent to the Conservative’s 30.3 per cent and the difference between the two parties is within the poll’s margin of error.
“Neither of the two largest parties is polling above 33 per cent,” said Tim Abray, a policy and communications strategist. “That's unprecedented.”
Mr Trudeau called an early election in August, hoping to capitalise on Canada’s high vaccination rate to win a majority government, something voters denied him in 2019.
Despite entering the campaign with momentum, Mr Trudeau’s efforts stalled out of the gate, with many questioning the timing of the election and whether it was wise given the pandemic.
From the very beginning, it has been neck and neck between the country’s two main parties, and Mr Abray cannot recall an election this tight so close to election day.
Anti-vaxxers hijack campaign
The five-week campaign has been marred by tense scenes between anti-vaccine protesters and candidates - particularly Mr Trudeau, who has been vocal in his displeasure with those refusing to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
This month, protesters pelted the prime minister and his entourage with gravel, leading to one protester being charged with assault with a weapon.
The threat of further violence has forced Mr Trudeau to delay and cancel some campaign stops.
The rise in anti-vaccine protests coincides with the rise of the People’s Party of Canada (PPC), a far-right anti-immigration populist party led by former Conservative Cabinet minister, Maxime Bernier.
The party has won modest support among more conservative Canadians. The Nanos poll shows that the party is in fourth place with 6.7 per cent support, ahead of the Bloc Quebecois and the Green Party.
PPC supporters have been fixtures at protests against Mr Trudeau's leadership.
“It is a growing trend in our politics, this kind of antagonism that's starting to show up in physical ways across the campaign trail. It's really serious, it's anti-democratic,” Mr Abray said.
“We need to have a very serious conversation about it as a people if we're going to continue attempting to build a more inclusive and democratic system.”
A final push
The struggle for power is likely to come down to the suburbs surrounding Toronto, known as the “905" because of its area code. The region, which historically oscillates between the Liberals and Conservatives, has about 75 seats up for grabs.
The Liberals dominated the 905 in 2019 and will need a repeat if they want to cling to power.
Mr O’Toole, who has dragged his party to the centre, hopes more progressive stances on climate change and social issues will help voters in the 905 and across the country turn to him.
Canadians head to the polls on Monday, September 20.
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
Results
Ashraf Ghani 50.64 per cent
Abdullah Abdullah 39.52 per cent
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 3.85 per cent
Rahmatullah Nabil 1.8 per cent
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs: 2019 Jeep Wrangler
Price, base: Dh132,000
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 285hp @ 6,400rpm
Torque: 347Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.6L to 10.3L / 100km
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
SUNDAY'S ABU DHABI T10 MATCHES
Northern Warriors v Team Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangla Tigers v Karnataka Tuskers, 5.45pm
Qalandars v Maratha Arabians, 8pm
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
