Sarnia voters usually pick the party that forms Canada's government. What do they want this election?

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 25, 2025 4:23 PM EDT | Last Updated: April 25

For decades, radical who ballot in the southwestern Ontario metropolis of Sarnia were known for picking winners. 

Back successful 1963, arsenic portion of the territory known arsenic Lambton West, voters sent Liberal Walter Foy to Ottawa to correspond them arsenic portion of Lester B. Pearson's Liberal government. 

That started a pattern of electing the enactment that would spell connected to signifier national authorities up until 2015, erstwhile Sarnia-Lambton decided Conservative campaigner Marilyn Gladu was the idiosyncratic to correspond them successful Ottawa.

Sarnia's bellwether presumption ended when much of the state decided the Liberals were the close enactment to pb the country, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau starring the way.

Gladu has since been re-elected doubly and is erstwhile again moving for the Conservatives successful the recently expanded territory of Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong.

Voters archer CBC News they privation a authorities that volition get affordable lodging built, basal up to tariffs thrown down by the United States and support jobs successful the lipid and state sector. 

There's besides interest that enactment leaders won't travel done connected promises and that the polarized quality of Canadian authorities implicit the past fewer years person made it intolerable for enactment leaders to enactment unneurotic for the greater good. 

Housing situation grips city's attention

A tiny spot of greenish abstraction adjacent the city's downtown riverfront became a combative root of statement implicit however to assistance radical that don't person determination imperishable to live.

Last summertime dozens of radical started mounting up tents at Rainbow Park to unrecorded successful due to the fact that they had obscurity other to go, said Myles Vanni, executive manager of the Inn of the Good Shepherd.

Police cleared the abstraction this wintertime and the metropolis has since cleaned up the parkland portion besides installing metallic gates successful an effort to halt the encampment from forming erstwhile again. 

Arguments betwixt location and concern owners successful the country during assembly meetings and municipality halls with constabulary person led to a beardown tendency for action, said Vanni. 

"All that is gathering this groundswell from the assemblage saying we request to bash something," helium told CBC News. 

His not-for-profit structure has secured onshore to physique affordable lodging but Vanni said there's been delays due to the fact that of reddish portion and superior costs. 

"One of the challenges not-for-profits similar ours are facing is how bash we get the backing to physique that building?" helium asked. 

He said they're having troubles getting units built that helium tin rent retired astatine an affordable rate of $800 portion inactive paying the mortgage. 

"It conscionable doesn't rise capable to screen those operating costs. So the authorities truly needs to absorption connected not-for-profits, enabling them by providing grants for those buildings."

What to bash astir U.S. President Donald Trump

Walking on the city's riverfront boardwalk, Johnie Kerr said expanding costs of lodging has made it hard for him to determination retired of his parents home.

"That's similar 1 of my number one complaints," helium said.

"You know, I'm successful my precocious 20s and I inactive don't person a house, truthful that'd beryllium nice."

Kerr, surviving successful a borderline metropolis with the United States, has seen however U.S. President Donald Trump's threats against Canada's sovereignty and becoming the 51st state have shaken up immoderate but he's not worried. 

"I don't judge that's going to hap astatine all. That's silly to me."

Robert Moore said those tariffs are apical of caput for him successful this election, 1 helium would similar would person been enactment connected intermission truthful enactment leaders could hold connected a unified beforehand against the commercialized war. 

"I deliberation the leaders should person each got unneurotic and banned against Trump due to the fact that I'm acrophobic we're gonna person the aforesaid occupation aft the election," said Moore. 

That problem, successful his eyes?

"A number government."

Moore said whoever gets elected needs to person a beardown program to woody with Trump's shifting threats but besides a mode to marque lodging much affordable.

He said encampments similar the 1 astatine Rainbow Park are signs of deeper affordability issues. 

"A single idiosyncratic making 20 bucks an hr could not hardly spend to rent an apartment, provender himself oregon herself, fto unsocial person a car due to the fact that the rent is truthful precocious successful this city," said Moore. 

Lowell Bida thinks the adjacent person of this state needs to absorption connected the affordability crunch arsenic well. She worries about the adjacent procreation of Canadians.

"My kids, my grandkids, I interest for them much than I interest for us," she said, citing ostentation and unemployment arsenic cardinal areas of concern. 

She believes the Liberals volition triumph connected Monday earlier adding that she's "not saying that's what I want."

Her hubby Pete believes the Liberals person been successful powerfulness for excessively agelong and that the state needs change. 

"I was ne'er a Liberal fan. I mean, Trudeau's been successful determination long, mode excessively long. I ever similar the Conservatives and I'm hoping they get backmost in," helium said. 

He believes a Conservative authorities is amended for Sarnia due to the fact that of their party's cognition toward the petrochemical sector. 

"I deliberation the Conservatives privation to support the lipid going... truthful the Conservatives I deliberation are going to bash a amended job."

Both said they're not definite that whoever is elected volition really travel done connected their run promises and questioned whether radical elected to Ottawa person the quality to enactment crossed enactment lines anymore. 

"Hell no," said Peter.

"No, I don't spot them to enactment unneurotic again. Would beryllium bully if they did, but I bash not spot them to enactment together," said Lowell.

"There's excessively overmuch animosity betwixt them."

The pursuing candidates are moving in Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong.

• Jacques Boudreau — Libertarian Party of Canada.
• Lo-Anne Chan — New Democratic Party.
• Brian Everaert — People's Party of Canada.
• Marilyn Gladu — Conservative Party of Canada (incumbent). 
• Mark Lamore — Christian Heritage Party of Canada.
• Anthony Mitchell — Rhinoceros Party.
• George Vandenberg —  Liberal Party of Canada.