On an overcast morning just hours after Justin Trudeau celebrated his landslide win in Montreal, Noelle Haris felt "happy and optimistic," about Canada's future.
"We definitely needed a change in government. [I'm a little] disappointed the NDP didn't do a little better, I was hoping for a closer tie, but I'm very happy, I'm very optimistic. I need a change, all Canadians need a change," said Haris, as she stood in line to board the VIA Rail service from Ottawa to Toronto on Oct. 20.
Hours later, a drizzly fall evening in Toronto failed to dampen the spirits of Jody James standing outside Union Station downtown, who was happy that Harper was gone in favour of "a young, fresh start," that Trudeau represented for Canada.
"Harper was a crook and I am looking forward to the future of Justin Trudeau," said James. "Hopefully he can live up to the expectations of his father."
She felt that helping the middle class should be at the heart of the new government's priorities, which Trudeau has promised to do by raising taxes on the wealthiest Canadians and cutting them for middle class people to help them get ahead.
"Middle-class workers are the cornerstone of this city," said James.
Back inside Union Station, Phillip Bates, who immigrated to Canada from the UK, said that he had just gained permanent residency and felt that a new Liberal government would better appreciate newcomers and their contributions to Canadian society.
"I thought Harper was terrible," said Bates. "I don't think he really liked [newcomers]. He didn't value them. If he can't even value his own Indigenous population, how can he value people who want to come here and work?"
Standing next to him in the station's main hall was Kate Tracey, who shared Bates's feelings on Harper, saying that she was "pretty stoked," that he was finally voted out on Monday.
"I think that hopefully we'll have some change, especially in the student loans section," she said with a chuckle.
The desire for a new start for Canada after the Harper decade was also palpable on the streets of Montreal just hours before Trudeau swept to victory.
"It's a time for a change and that's the important thing," said downtown busker Sebastien LeBlant, who wanted the new prime minister to provide more help for the needy compared to the rich.
A few blocks east, Alexandre Turp-Pelletier voted Liberal after expecting the NDP to pull off a victory against Harper throughout much of the election campaign, but cited the niqab row as a reason for their collapse and said that the Liberals had emerged as winner.
"It's been interesting as it's really been about who can [unite] the anti-Harper vote," said Turp-Pelletier of the election contest.
The only exception to the rule of change was Luke Austin, who was visiting Montreal from Ontario, and remained steadfast in his support for the Conservatives until their defeat on Monday night.
"It's been a long election and I'm not sure that anyone has persuaded me to change my mind from where I started," said Austin. "I started with the Conservatives and ended with the Conservatives."
Trudeau's Liberals won 184 seats — 14 above the 170 threshold needed to form a majority government — reducing the Conservatives to a rump of 99 seats, enough for them to form the official opposition.
Liberal supporters see a bright future
At Liberal Party election HQ in Montreal's Fairmont Hotel, Grit volunteer Gerard Pierre hailed the wave of politicians who will join Trudeau in parliament, hoping to see his party's platform promises enacted after he helped out in nomination campaigns before the election.
"I want to see Canada's position in the world restored. I want to see changes. You know, changes in our environment, I want to see a prime minister's office that's being open again to the media and more transparent," said Pierre.
His fellow visitor Sherri Levesque hailed Trudeau's stances on marijuana and women's issues.
"I cheered and voted and [I gave] him all of my love and support," said Levesque.
Sarah Pelletier wanted a less oppressive government and more public funding to help Canadians, as well as a Trudeau government ensuring greater well-being for its citizens.
"To be honest, this is my first time voting within my middle age," said Pelletier. "I feel proud to be able to make a difference in voting strategically."
Attendee Meena Khan witnessed Trudeau's nomination in Papineau when he first became an MP, describing her new prime minister as someone who believed in teamwork and consultation and building a better Canada.
"I think the first thing the Liberal government should do is go to every Canadian and say that 'We're all Canadians together.' There's no different classes of Canadians. It doesn't matter who you voted for, we're in this together, because Canada means 'Kanata', which is 'village' in the original [First Nations] language," said Khan.
Before being elected PM, Trudeau promised to scrap the Harper government's Bill C-24 that was rammed through Parliament despite opposition protest, legislation which allows dual nationals and those Canadians eligible for foreign citizenship to be stripped of their nationality without judicial oversight, a law that provoked widespread outrage.
Mount Royal's new Liberal MP-elect Anthony Housefather assured Canadians that a new attitude would prevail in Parliament, including an end to omnibus legislation and greater co-operation across party lines.
"I hope the people of my riding will be very happy with our government and very happy with the fact that they elected me and four years from now I'll be judged," said Housefather, already casting an eye toward the 2019 federal election.
Comments