Federal Election 2025

Former Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is urging trade diversification in the face of American uncertainty.

While a lot of focus in the federal election campaign has been on dealings with U.S. President Donald Trump, Wall doesn't know if anyone is really prepared for Trump's approach.

"Either are going to be as able as the other one to deal with the President," Wall said. "It changes every day. I'm not sure if there's anybody including people in the President's own administration who are ready for that kind of volatility and the changes we've seen.

We spoke with Dr. Daniel Westlake, a USask faculty member in political science, about what drives polling shifts and how quickly polls can change — he said Canadians have switched focus from anger at an incumbent government to concern with tariffs and American hostility. 

The federal election campaign is in full swing with party leaders crisscrossing the country asking for residents' votes.

The Bow River riding is no exception, and as of March 27, the riding currently has three candidates vying to be the next Member of Parliament, (MP) with farmer David Bexte running for the Conservative Party of Canada, construction worker Louisa Gwin for the New Democratic Party, and financial planner and accountant Tom Lipp for the Christian Heritage Party.

Incumbent Member of Parliament Blake Richards with the Conservative Party of Canada has officially filed his nomination papers for re-election for the Airdrie-Cochrane riding.

Richards has represented Airdrie and Cochrane since he was first elected in 2008.

"It's always humbling to put your name on the ballot," explained Richards. "'I've worked hard for the people of our area, and it's always been an honour to represent our communities and our people within them."

He went on to share how excited he is to campaign over the next month leading up to the election.

Conservative Blake Richards is filing his nomination today at the Airdrie office for Elections Canada for his sixth federal election.

He was first elected in 2008 in what was then the Wild Rose riding. He's seeking re-election in what has become the Airdrie-Cochrane riding. Throughout his tenure, he has represented Cochrane in the House of Commons.

Most recently, he served as Conservative shadow minister for Veterans Affairs.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney is back in Ottawa today to deal with the fallout of new auto tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Carney said he was suspending his campaign plans for the day and would return to Ottawa to hold a meeting of the Canada-U.S. cabinet committee.

It's unclear when Carney will be back on the road to continue campaigning. 

Ted Falk is running again for the Conservative seat in Provencher. Not only is Falk personally looking to win a 5th consecutive election, but he is also hoping for a return to power, rather than serving in opposition as he has been doing for the last decade. 

Airdrie-Cochrane NDP candidate Sarah Zagoda wants to bring fresh leadership and integrity to federal politics.

The longtime Airdrie resident, mother of three, has 20 years of experience in the technology sector and works as a school technologist at Airdrie’s largest high school.

She ran for the NDP against Conservative Blake Richards in the 2021 election. She has since served as CEO of the federal Banff-Airdrie NDP and is president of the provincial Airdrie-East NDP.

Sean Secord, the Liberal candidate for the Airdrie-Cochrane riding, is eager to engage with residents to understand their concerns and share his passion for serving the community.

A two-year Cochrane resident, the 52-year-old brings deep-rooted family connections to Airdrie and other Alberta communities, positioning him to effectively represent local interests.​

He advocates for a comprehensive review and modernization of Canada's healthcare system and the Canada Health Act.

Correction: A previous version of this article had a typo in the email address to reach the candidate. It has since been modified and corrected. The email address to contact Robert Kreis is rob@roblyn.net