The most important election of our lifetime? These Albertans say it's high stakes

Emily Williams · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 05, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

You might've heard a politician, advocate, oregon person accidental this is the astir important predetermination of our lifetimes. 

People of each governmental stripes are weighing the stakes of the upcoming federal election arsenic they marque their prime for who Canada should person astatine the helm successful the midst of the U.S. commercialized war. CBC asked Albertan voters, experts, and businesses if this predetermination feels different.

"I deliberation fixed the governmental situation close present — particularly with our U.S. counterparts — this predetermination is weighing heavy connected a batch of people's minds," Tom Tsoumpas told CBC Edmonton this week.  

Tsoumpas said voters request to beryllium reasoning past a four-year predetermination mandate, and see the adjacent 10.

"However this predetermination goes, it is going to hopefully laic the groundwork for the economical aboriginal of our country."

Speaking successful downtown Edmonton connected Thursday, John Maclean said the biggest happening for him this predetermination is pipelines and commerce.

"We person to go much self-reliant, get a amended system for Canada, basal connected our ain a small spot much — possibly commercialized with Europe and different countries."

Kenzie Fragoso said her priorities see trans and Indigenous rights. But added that she worries astir the power from southbound of the border.

"I deliberation Canada bases a batch of their worldly disconnected of the United States, truthful it's benignant of scary what's happening implicit there. What could perchance hap here?"

Janet Brown, a Calgary-based pollster and governmental commentator said she's expecting a precocious elector turnout for this election, due to the fact that the existent governmental clime is driving higher engagement. 

Voters person to determine what benignant of enactment attack is champion for lasting up to Trump, Brown said. 

"What is the close operation of beardown versus astute to get done the situation of Trump and to get Canada to a caller spot economically?

"It's going to beryllium a nail-biter."

It's besides not the archetypal clip Canada's system and narration with the United States has been connected the line. In 1988, Canadians watched Brian Mulroney and John Turner passionately statement the merits of escaped commercialized connected television.

Brown remembers 1988 arsenic the archetypal predetermination she worked connected a national run — and today's circumstances instrumentality her backmost to that time. 

"I spot tremendous parallels betwixt what Canadians are grappling with past and what they're grappling with now," Brown said.

"I tin spot radical 30-40 years from present looking backmost connected this predetermination arsenic a pivotal infinitesimal successful electoral authorities and successful Canadian history."

Leaving authorities astatine the door? A gangly order

Adam Corsaut, president and co-owner of Analog Brewing, said he opened their concern successful the midst of Trump's archetypal commercialized warfare successful 2018, putting tariffs connected aluminum imports. Today feels similar circular two.

"It is going to beryllium unavoidable that the interaction from these tariffs volition summation our operating costs astatine a clip wherever everything has gone up year, aft year, aft year," Corsaut said.

He says the brewery strives to support authorities retired of the bar, but successful the existent environment, it's a gangly order.

"The ambiance is truthful supercharged close now. There are radical who are precise tribal close now. And we effort not to be."

"As agelong arsenic you're connected squad Canada successful this fight, that's each I ask."

Economic stress

Dr. Peter Silverstone, a psychiatrist and prof astatine the University of Alberta, said that galore radical consciousness overwhelmed astatine the existent quality cycle, and it tin beryllium a root of anxiety, but it's besides an occasion wherever radical consciousness they can marque an impact.

"One of the biggest problems is erstwhile we don't person agency, erstwhile we don't person the quality to marque immoderate difference. Right present we do."

But it tin spell further than conscionable governmental stress, Silverstone said.

"I've unluckily lived done 3 large recessions arsenic a psychiatrist, and each clip there's a alteration successful the economical environment, people's intelligence wellness goes down, sometimes profoundly." 

"A batch of radical are disquieted that we are heading towards a large economical downturn," helium said.

Instead of ignoring those feelings and changing the channel, Silverstone said talking to friends and household tin easiness feelings of accent — alongside exercise, mindfulness oregon therapy.