These new Canadians are voting in a federal election for the 1st time — and it's all about Trump

Michelle Song · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 02, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Gaurav Marik, who became a Canadian national 2 years ago, says the economical interaction of tariffs and threats to annex Canada are the astir important issues successful this predetermination and person him excited astir voting federally for the archetypal time.

"I consciousness that erstwhile idiosyncratic attacks you, and particularly externally, you consciousness overmuch much guarded and you effort to support saying that, OK, this is an individuality … we each basal for," helium said. 

As Canada's narration with the U.S. has destabilized since President Donald Trump took office, galore Canadians person been swept up by a question of patriotism. And for recently eligible voters similar Marik, that feeling of belonging successful Canada has been amplified by the unit coming from southbound of the border, galvanizing them to caput to the ballot container this election.

The Toronto nonmigratory was ne'er truly politically progressive successful his location state of India, but says he's go much politically engaged since coming to Canada. He says Canada's narration with the U.S. is not conscionable astir him personally. 

"Since I've decided to unrecorded present long-term, it's going to truly alteration the people of Canada going guardant if these tariffs and this benignant of confrontation conscionable continues for years," helium said.

In Calgary, Evaristo Vocaj, who became a national successful July 2024, besides says the biggest contented for him is Canada's narration with the U.S.

Vocaj came to Canada from Albania arsenic an planetary pupil and worked astatine Calgary's Centre for Newcomers for 5 years. 

And that tone of being Canadian and warring for Canadian values is weighing heavy connected him. 

He says that for immigrants who've gone done the hard process of becoming citizens, voting matters. 

"Because of that agelong process that we've gone through, we consciousness similar we merit this present and we consciousness similar we decidedly person started feeling, much precocious arsenic well, that tone of being Canadian,"  Vocaj said.

New Canadians little apt to vote 

According to Elections Canada, aft the 2021 national election, 89 per cent of caller Canadians reported that they voted. That's little than the 92 per cent of established migrant voters and 92 per cent of Canadians by commencement who reported that they voted.

Elections Canada noted that of those New Canadians who didn't vote, galore indicated that the crushed they didn't formed a ballot was owed to having issues with the electoral process, similar agelong lineups astatine the polls, oregon owed to idiosyncratic beingness reasons.

But recently eligible voters were much apt to explicit restitution with the mode ideology works successful this state than those who are Canadian by birth.

Naiwen Cao besides works astatine the Centre for Newcomers successful Calgary. He is voting for the archetypal clip successful his beingness and doing a batch of probe up of predetermination day. While surviving successful China, helium says helium was ne'er encouraged to vote. 

"I consciousness a consciousness of responsibility," helium said. "I indispensable perceive antithetic voices. And I'm precise excited to adjacent sermon astir my vote, earlier casting the vote. Because for me, the process is much important than the result." 

Concerns astir migration policy 

Though Cao is acrophobic astir Trump's annexation threats, he's besides intimately watching however the parties are tackling immigration. He isn't opposed to cutting migration levels, but helium wants to spot however each enactment plans to amended integrate newcomers into society. 

"For me, it's much focused connected however you settee the radical that you person invited into this country, compared [to] however galore radical you're going to judge into the country," said Cao. 

Helping newcomers find jobs, affordable housing, entree to wellness attraction and acquisition are what parties should absorption connected erstwhile it comes to migration platforms, helium said.

Even though Marik went done the process of migration himself, helium says helium feels resources are being overwhelmed due to the fact that Canada has accepted excessively galore immigrants.

Marik, who studied law, is experiencing first-hand the conflict of uncovering a occupation successful his field. He says helium has applied for much than 250 jobs and has lone heard backmost from "maybe 20 of them, conscionable for an archetypal interview." 

"There's excessively galore applicants for 1 peculiar occupation successful my sector," helium said.

Cao says mounting immigrants up for occurrence is cardinal due to the fact that it allows them to consciousness much accepted successful this country. He says helium himself felt welcomed by different Canadians and hopes "Canada tin enactment arsenic Canada" amid ongoing tensions with the U.S. 

"I'm a arrogant Canadian. I privation to support this country, I privation [to] support this life, I wanna support this assemblage that we built together."