Author: Blazingcatfur

The threat to Canada’s sovereignty from US President Donald Trump has dominated the election, but the country also faces a challenge from within. Some western Canadians, fed up with a decade of Liberal rule, are openly calling for separation.

Standing in front of a crowd of about 100 squeezed into a small event hall in the city of Lethbridge, Dennis Modry is asking locals about Alberta’s future.

Who thinks Alberta should have a bigger role in Canada, he asks? A dozen or so raise their hands.

Who thinks the province should push for a split from Canada and form its own nation? About half the crowd raise their hands.

The long-running drama playing out behind the scenes between Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s team and the federal Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre has erupted in full view of the public in the dying stages of the 2025 election.

The relationship between the two camps has long been fraught, but things have hit a fever pitch as Ontario PC sources recently alerted the media to efforts by the federal party to keep Poilievre’s Ottawa-area riding blue. It has meant the Conservatives have had to contend with several stories critical of the party’s strategy and campaign team as Poilievre makes his final pitch to voters ahead of the April 28 election day.

Elections are decided by those who bother to show up. Which is why a Conservative victory on Monday is still possible and desirable.

We’ve seen a lot of change in the polls already this year from a 15-20 point lead for the Conservatives at the start of the year, to a 12-point lead for the Liberals near the start of the campaign to some polls in the last week having the two parties tied or a slight lead for one or the other. As my maxim goes, voters are fickle, polls can change and campaigns matter.

I hope the shy Poilievre vote is real.