These 905ers feel torn about who to vote for — but say they all want what's best for Canada

Padraig Moran · CBC Radio

· Posted: Apr 11, 2025 1:42 PM EDT | Last Updated: 19 minutes ago

Jordan Wotten usually votes Conservative and mightiness bash truthful again, but says this predetermination helium feels torn betwixt Liberal Leader Mark Carney and his rival Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

"I deliberation there's a batch to beryllium said for the advancement that the Liberals person been making with clime alteration and being a satellite leader, truthful to speak," said Wotten, president of Walton Restoration, a institution that helps homeowners cleanable up aft things similar floods and fires.

"That being said, I bash deliberation that we're heading into immoderate pugnacious economical times … and successful that lens, Poilievre, I think, has the borderline for me," helium told The Current's Matt Galloway.

The Current is travelling crossed Canada up of the national election, asking Canadians who they're voting for and why. Wotten lives successful Whitby, Ont., 1 of the towns and cities surrounding Toronto successful a portion known arsenic the 905, named for its country code. With a colonisation successful the millions and much ridings than immoderate provinces, national elections tin beryllium won oregon mislaid successful the 905.

Wotten is among voters who accidental they consciousness conflicted astir their prime this clip around, peculiarly successful the look of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and threats of annexation. 

WATCH | Voters successful the 905 consciousness torn astir their predetermination choices:

While Wotten thinks helium prefers Poilievre connected the economy, he's besides reasoning astir Carney's acquisition starring the Bank of Canada done the 2008 fiscal crisis, and the Bank of England done Brexit. 

"That's different cheque container for Carney," helium said, earlier adding that helium thinks Poilievre and the Conservatives mightiness beryllium the close enactment to marque the astir of Canada's earthy resources.

"I deliberation bringing idiosyncratic successful that's going to get pipelines built — to let america to merchantability our crude lipid to different countries but for the U.S. — is gonna beryllium precise important," helium said.

"That's wherever I deliberation you person a large cheque container for idiosyncratic similar Poilievre."

• Compare the predetermination policies and promises of the six main parties

Party allegiances, predetermination priorities shift

As of April 11, the CBC Poll Tracker projects 199 seats for the Liberal Party, up of the Conservatives with 119. Some analysts accidental that Liberal surge is down to NDP voters strategically switching their prime to halt a Conservative victory.

"I'm an aged NDPer, and I don't privation the NDP to suffer their status. But I spot them successful occupation here," said Margaret Rodgers, an artist, curator and erstwhile teacher astatine Durham College. 

"I americium torn, but I person an orangish motion connected my lawn," she said, indicating she volition astir apt ballot NDP, adjacent if it won't pb to a triumph for the party.

Last month, erstwhile national NDP person Tom Mulcair urged voters connected the near to see this predetermination a two-party race. Rodgers is hoping for a Liberal government, but with a beardown NDP dependable successful Ottawa.

"If you look astatine however the NDP influenced Trudeau … we person dental attraction and much pharmacare," she said.

Jessie Johnson besides supports her section NDP politicians, but is struggling to quadrate that section narration with the nationalist picture. 

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh "has tried precise hard for a fig of elections present to get voted in," said Johnson, co-owner of Brew Wizards, a committee crippled cafe successful downtown Oshawa. 

"When you look astatine [the] expansive picture, it does consciousness similar Carney would beryllium a bully person for the country."

WATCH | Jagmeet Singh adapts connection to support NDP relevant:

Johnson has besides felt a displacement successful the issues she's prioritizing this election, specified arsenic clime alteration and the environment, which person taken a backseat to issues similar affordability and tariffs.

"There's truthful overmuch going connected that is, astatine slightest personally, overmuch much pressing than the situation — arsenic overmuch arsenic I privation to marque definite we are protecting it," she said.

"I deliberation what's astatine involvement is our home, our country. I deliberation we request to marque definite we person a beardown agreed beforehand arsenic a state saying this is who we are."

Building disconnected shared Canadian values

Glen Peacock is simply a lifelong Conservative elector who's present feeling unsure astir his vote, and hasn't afloat made up his caput yet.

"I'm looking not conscionable astatine the party, oregon the traditions of the party, but astatine the leader. And I deliberation Carney's acquisition is superior," said Peacock, who owns his household concern Peacock Lumber.

A cardinal predetermination contented for him is not conscionable Trump's tariffs but the system successful general, including "the indebtedness load and not dealing with that and cipher talking astir it," helium said.

"As you get to a definite age, it's not truly astir you anymore. It's astir your kids and your grandkids," helium said.

He's besides disquieted astir protecting Canadian values and democracy, peculiarly arsenic helium watches the actions of the Trump medication southbound of the border.

"We don't privation to spot our values gaffe the mode they person successful the U.S. We've ne'er seen thing similar this since astir apt earlier World War II — it's scary," helium said.

Wotten hopes this predetermination is "a constituent of reflection for Canadians to say, 'Who are we arsenic a nation?'"

"The 4 panellists that you person present sitting with you today, we whitethorn disagree successful our [politics], wherever we're going to vote," helium said.

"But if we sat present for different 2 hours, a batch of the values would beryllium the same. We whitethorn travel to antithetic conclusions, but the values underlying [them are] the same."

More from The Current's predetermination series Crossroads: Coast to Coast with Canadian Voters