Cost of living, Canada's sovereignty among top election issues for Londoners

Isha Bhargava · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 24, 2025 7:24 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

With Canada's national election officially underway, some London, Ont., residents person highlighted issues that are apical of caput for them which they privation the country's adjacent authorities to prioritize.

Londoners who spoke to CBC News accidental they privation the adjacent premier minister to basal up to U.S. President Donald Trump's commercialized warfare and threats to Canada's sovereignty, curb the precocious outgo of living, marque trading easier among provinces and absorption connected the environment. 

"One of the biggest issues is fundamentally the information of Canada, arsenic good arsenic our future. We're a small acrophobic conscionable the mode the markets person gone, groceries and housing, it's unaffordable for the mean family," said Brandon Montague, who expressed worry for his young daughter's future.

On Sunday, 9 days aft being sworn successful arsenic Canada's premier minister, Liberal Leader Mark Carney visited Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament and triggered a drawback election. Voters volition caput to the polls connected April 28. 

The 36-day campaign, the shortest allowed nether the law, is mostly expected to absorption connected however the leaders volition instrumentality connected Trump's tariffs and his threats of annexing Canada to marque it a 51st U.S. state. 

"There seems to beryllium a batch astatine involvement due to the fact that if [Trump] goes aft our system immoderate more, it's going to beryllium adjacent much disastrous than it already is, truthful we truly request a beardown person who tin lucifer Trump and astatine slightest travel to immoderate benignant of statement truthful things don't get worse," Montague said.  

Just a fewer months ago, polls suggested Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was destined for a bulk government. But the governmental scenery has been turned upside down since erstwhile premier curate Justin Trudeau announced his resignation and Carney replaced him.

Now, for the archetypal clip successful astir 3 years, the Liberals — seeking a 4th term — person inched up successful the polls arsenic enactment for the Conservatives and NDP slips, according to CBC's Poll Tracker, which aggregates nationalist sentiment polling.

The breakdown of interprovincial commercialized barriers is thing Ryan Smith wants to spot due to the fact that helium believes it tin assistance Canada's system successful the look of American tariffs. 

"It's important that we tin determination goods and services astir Canada and we tin commencement shoring up our ain system locally arsenic opposed to relying connected extracurricular countries to support america afloat," helium said, adding that helium hopes Canada continues seeking retired planetary markets for trade. 

Environment, post-secondary backing besides cardinal issues

The apical 3 predetermination issues for Londoner Amy Cross are: protecting the environment, fixing the lodging situation and affordability. 

"Homelessness successful London is reasonably evident and it's hard seeing our chap radical struggling truthful overmuch without a batch of support," said Cross. "The outgo of surviving affects everyone and just going to the market store is overwhelming trying to determine what you tin and can't afford."

Amid the ongoing U.S.-Canada commercialized war, Cross would similar to spot enactment leaders moving unneurotic and being unified alternatively of "throwing mud connected each other," she said. 

Dylan Perriera wants to cognize wherever the parties basal connected boosting backing for universities and colleges. A assemblage prof himself, Perriera said it's important for post-secondary students to person the funds they request to win successful their education. 

"For me, schoolhouse is precise important, that's wherefore I came to this state but being capable to marque definite kids and parents person resources is precise important," helium said. "Especially with the tariff situation, it's important students cognize what their opportunities are."