Thunder Bay's federal election candidates share top issues they're hearing about on campaign trail

Sarah Law · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 6:53 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Affordability and U.S. tariffs were the main concerns shared by voters and candidates alike astatine Wednesday night's conscionable and greet successful Thunder Bay, Ont., up of Monday's national election.

The lawsuit was hosted by the Thunder Bay Public Library astatine its Waverley branch. All candidates from the Thunder Bay—Superior North and Thunder Bay—Rainy River ridings were invited, and each but the Greens attended.

It was an informal gathering, wherever radical had an accidental to talk one-on-one with those vying for their support.

"It's an indispensable portion of our antiauthoritarian ngo arsenic a nationalist institution, arsenic the library, arsenic people's existent nationalist entree to accusation and knowledge, that we're capable to capable this function," said the library's CEO, Richard Togman.

"Regardless of governmental affiliation, orientation, whether you beryllium left, right, centre connected the spectrum, everyone is invited present astatine the library, and each of the candidates are invited to present their connection to the nationalist and truly prosecute one-on-one with radical to determine what's important to them."

CBC News asked each campaigner astatine Wednesday night's lawsuit to share concerns and issues they're proceeding astir the astir from radical successful their ridings.

What Thunder Bay—Superior North's candidates are hearing

For Thunder Bay—Superior North's Liberal incumbent Patty Hajdu, it's "the request for stable, superior and experienced enactment during a clip wherever we're seeing a fracturing with the United States, our closest trading partner."

"People truly don't privation a authorities that's divisive. They don't privation leaders that are pitting america against each other. They privation radical that tin spot the committedness and imaginable successful each Canadians," she said.

Conservative campaigner Bob Herman pointed to economical concerns, particularly among younger generations.

"They're surviving wage cheque to wage cheque. They person bully jobs — sometimes they person much than 1 occupation — but they conscionable can't prevention capable wealth to bargain a house, for example," Herman said. "They're bushed of having each these taxes heaped up connected them, and they're acrophobic astir their future."

The riding's NDP candidate, Joy Wakefield, said U.S. president Donald Trump dominated overmuch of the speech astatine the commencement of the election, but present she's proceeding much astir housing, wellness care, infrastructure gaps and reconciliation.

"The situation has travel up. I've heard astir Gaza arsenic well, and affordability is simply a large 1 that radical are talking about, the outgo of groceries, the outgo of living," Wakefield said.

Amos Bradley of the People's Party of Canada said he's been talking a batch astir occupation information and U.S. tariffs.

"They're reasoning of their kids and what their kids are going to person successful a mates years if the system is going to proceed to get worse," Bradley said.

"As acold arsenic the tariffs are concerned, open, honorable dialog with the states is the champion move."

Issues shared with Thunder Bay—Rainy River's candidates

In Thunder Bay—Rainy River, Liberal incumbent Marcus Powlowski said residents are disquieted astir the Canada–U.S. commercialized war.

"Overwhelmingly astir Donald Trump and concerns astir Donald Trump, his openly advocating that we go the 51st state, that benignant of economical turmoil that would travel retired of this benignant of behaviour," Powlowski said.

The outgo of surviving is different contented that keeps coming up, helium added.

Similarly, Conservative campaigner Brendan Hyatt spoke astir tensions betwixt Canada and the U.S. and the ripple effect connected the economy.

"I deliberation that the things that we truly request to absorption connected is making Canada arsenic a whole, a state wherever we really physique successful this country, and really find trading partners that are much amenable to moving with us," Hyatt said. 

Yuk-Sem Won of the NDP, who participated successful the lawsuit by video call, said Canadian unity has been a large taxable connected the run trail, arsenic good arsenic ways to enactment Canadian businesses and industries.

"The 2nd 1 is the concerns astir wellness care. It's astir making definite that there's nary cuts to wellness attraction and that we proceed to grow it," she said.

People's Party of Canada campaigner Sabrina Ree shared respective concerns she's been proceeding about, including the quality of young radical to bargain homes, the interaction of the c taxation connected radical successful the trucking and agriculture sectors, and wide affordability.

"The seniors are really, truly acrophobic that they person to marque a determination betwixt their groceries oregon their heating bill, which 1 to pay," Ree said.

Housing, clime alteration among elector concerns

Omotunde Adeniran is completing his PhD astatine Lakehead University. He said galore of his peers person struggled to find accommodation successful the city, and helium wants to spot the adjacent national authorities bash much to code homelessness.

"We request enactment successful this country," Adeniran said.

For Drake Parr, the lodging situation hits differently. The seasoned carpenter said helium cannot spend to bargain his ain home. 

"I hole houses each the time, truthful not being capable to spend 1 astatine my property is benignant of ridiculous, right?" Parr said. "I don't person that benignant of wealth and I don't marque that benignant of money."

Sarah Lewis, who brought her children on with her, said she's acrophobic astir however the rising outgo of surviving volition impact their future.

"What matters astir is gathering a state that tin beryllium a person successful the satellite again, and truly having a portion successful northwestern Ontario wherever radical are capable to person bully jobs and to enactment their families, which I deliberation is simply a conflict for a batch of radical close now," Lewis said.

Climate alteration was different interest raised. Keith Swazey said helium wants much done to code the urgency of biology issues, and sees greenish vigor arsenic a bully accidental to boost the economy.

"The mode the satellite [is], this is the biggest economical accidental we've had successful 100 years to change, to determination ahead," helium said.

CBC News has compiled a database of election promises made by Canada's large parties. More accusation astir section candidates successful northwestern Ontario can beryllium recovered here.