Meet Bruce Fanjoy, the man who unseated Pierre Poilievre in his riding of Carleton

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Good morning! 

It’s really starting to feel like spring out there. Fresh off the campaign trail, I’ve been getting outside to walk along the Rideau River and canal. It's amazing how quickly buds started turning on the trees. The bush outside of my apartment appeared to have bloomed overnight. Perhaps it’s because of all the rain we’ve been getting. 

On Wednesday, I travelled to Manotick to meet with Bruce Fanjoy, the man who unseated Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre in his riding of Carleton. The news came as a shock to many. Polling projections said it could be done, but many people — myself included — thought they could be wrong. I asked Fanjoy about why he thinks the switch happened and what Carleton residents can expect of him as their newest representative. 

I don’t get out to Manotick much these days, but every time I’m there, I’m always amazed by how kind everyone is. It was great to meet many readers who enjoy the Lookout. Thanks for coming over to introduce yourself and for the chat. 

Let’s get to today’s headlines!

— Charlie Senack, Ottawa Lookout managing editor, [email protected], X: @Charlie_Senack

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WEATHER

Friday: 22 🌡️ 5 | 🌤️

Saturday: 13 🌡️ 4 | ☁️ 

Sunday: 18 🌡️ 4 | 🌤️

Monday: 16 🌡️ 9 | ☁️ 

OTTAWA NUMBERS

😷 1: Well, it finally arrived in Ottawa. That’s the number of measles cases in the city, confirmed by Ottawa Public Health. It’s the first case since 2019. [CTV]

🐴 50: The number of calls firefighters had to deal with on April 29 due to the recent storm. They even had to help rescue a horse that was stuck. [CityNews]

🚍️ 60: The number of recommendations that the jury in the coroner’s inquest into the 2019 OC Transpo bus crash has recommended. These include changing Transitway speed limits and front-facing driver cameras, among other things. The jury also deemed the bus crash an accident. [CBC]

FEDERAL ELECTION

Meet Bruce Fanjoy, the man who unseated Pierre Poilievre in his riding of Carleton 

It’s spring on the shorelines of the Rideau River in Manotick and buds are starting to appear on the trees. In AY Jackson Park, a row of daffodils are starting to poke through the green grass. It’s a season of transformation, and it’s not the only change that’s happening. 

On Monday, Carleton residents were glued to their television screens wondering what the results would be in the rural riding of Carleton. Polling projections on 338Canada showed a 10 per cent lead for incumbent MP and Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, but some internal projections showed Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy trending upward with only about a five per cent difference. 

Could the riding that’s been Conservative since 2004 actually cross political lines? The Liberals came close in 2025 with candidate Chris Rogers, who only lost by about three per cent, but the party failed to make up much ground in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. 

But Liberals in the area believed it would be different this time around. Results throughout the night continued to show Fanjoy slightly ahead. At the Liberal Party headquarters on election night, Nepean MPP Tyler Watt, who took that riding from the Progressive Conservatives during the recent provincial election, told me he could feel a similar change happening in Carleton while knocking on doors with Fanjoy. 

Fanjoy ended up winning the race with 43,900 total votes, taking a narrow majority of 50.8 per cent. Poilievre came in second with 39,585 votes, or 45.8 per cent. 

The news was a shock to Conservative voters who thought this could never happen. Some blamed the new electoral boundaries, which took in parts of Kanata, which they said tended to vote Liberal. Others blamed the 91 names on the ballot — mostly made up of independent candidates who were part of the “Longest Ballot Committee" which was pushing for electoral reform. But it’s important to note that only about 1.2 per cent of votes went to the independents. 

The Liberals blamed Poilievre for his own demise. Fanjoy said he hadn’t been seen much in the riding. There was also support for the so-called “freedom” trucker convoy in 2022, and the “Canada is broken” rhetoric spewed through the election. 

In Manotick on Wednesday, I met with Fanjoy to hear about his election win and what Carleton residents can expect from their new MP. We met outside the Mill, and it quickly became obvious that people were excited to see him. Multiple people stopped to shake the Liberal's hand and say they voted for him. Later in the 692 coffee shop, a woman shrieked with joy when Fanjoy walked in. 

Answers have been edited for length and clarity. 

Lookout: It's been two days since your election win. How are you feeling and were you at all surprised by the results?

Fanjoy: I feel great. We knew that we could do this for a long time and we just worked hard. I had an amazing team of volunteers. Once the writ dropped, we had a small army of volunteers who stepped forward from within Carleton. 

People recognized how important this election was nationally, but also recognized how Carleton had a remarkable opportunity to do something special for Canada and I think that got people excited. 

You never know what's gonna happen on an election night, but we were confident that we were competitive and once numbers started coming in, it became apparent that we hit the mark. 

Lookout: The Liberals have been trying desperately to win over this riding. They came close in 2015 but it wasn’t meant to be. This has been a very Conservative riding both provincially and federally. What made this time different?

Fanjoy: Historically, the Conservative Party used to be a more progressive party, and I think they are very different today than they used to be. That made a lot of people uncomfortable and rightfully so. We won this because of progressive voters and moderate Conservatives who aimed together and decided they did not want divisive American-style politics to be represented here. 

I think that’s also true of Canadians, regardless of where they live — especially with the influence of Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. There are an awful lot of people who don't want anything to do with that in Canada, but it requires people to stand up, participate in their democracy, and that's exactly what happened here in Carlton. 

Lookout: You were knocking on doors for I think two years. What did you hear and were there many people who said they normally vote Conservative but were voting Liberal this time?

Fanjoy: Over and over again that was a big factor. We heard from people who also supported the NDP or Green Party in the past, but could see the importance of this moment. 

Lookout: I’ve spoken to a lot of Conservatives in Carleton who never quite forgave Mr. Poilievre for supporting the trucker convoy. Did you hear about that issue at all?

Fanjoy: It was a big factor for traditional Conservative voters because they never thought that their MP would do something that was so actively hostile to our community. It affected businesses, it affected the economy because let's not forget that the convoy and the occupation weren't just about Ottawa; we had border blockades around the country. It was not one of our finer moments as a country, but we were moving beyond that. 

Lookout: The Liberals were hoping to get a majority government but instead got a relatively strong minority. Does that concern you at all that an election could be held before four years from now?

Fanjoy: I think Parliament needs to work together. Voters have chosen the representatives and this is a critical moment in our history. We need to stay strong against the Trump administration and then the tariffs, and also their threats to annex Canada. It’s utter nonsense, but it does require serious leaders to stand up and defend Canadian interests. 

We’ve got to defend our industries. We have to defend workers, families and individuals. This is not a time for partisan gamesmanship. It's a time when Canadians expect us to work together and that's exactly what we're gonna do. 

Lookout: Throughout the campaign, you said multiple times you thought you’d win because Mr. Poilievre hadn’t spent much time in the riding. What kind of politician can Carleton residents expect from you? 

Fanjoy: Well, first and foremost, my priority is to be a strong representative for Carleton. I want people to know that they have a representative who cares about them, cares about issues that matter to them, is listening to them and will advocate for them. 

Lookout: An easier question to end with. Where are some of your favourite places to go in Carleton?

Fanjoy: This is a hard question because it does end where I am in the riding and I have so many! But I do love coffee shops. In Manotick, you have 692 Coffee and Bar and Morning Owl. In Stittsville, you have Ritual on Main Cafe. In Riverside South, you have Annie’s. 

Questions remain over the future of the Conservative Party 

Immediately after it became evident that Poilievre was going to lose his seat, questions began to circulate over whether he'd stay on as Conservative Party leader. 

During his election night speech at the Rogers Centre in Downtown Ottawa, Poilievre said he was excited to get back to work, noting the fight wasn’t over. 

• The party did see some wins: It made gains in terms of seat numbers and popular vote. But so did the Liberals. On the negative, his approval ratings worsened throughout the campaign, unlike those of his previous predecessors Andrew Scheer and Erin O’Toole. 

Scheer was quick to offer his support to Poilievre and seemed to hint he should stay on as party leader. So did former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. 

Without a seat in Parliament, Poilievre would struggle to get his messaging out the same way he did in the past. There would be no more standing up in the House of Commons to ask or answer questions. Instead, he would need to watch the proceedings on television and then meet with journalists later in the hall. 

While a seat is not technically needed to be the leader of a party, it’s certainly encouraged with rules stating you act quickly to get one as soon as possible.

• Sources have told various news outlets that calls are already being made to find Poilievre a new seat — most likely in Alberta. What would happen then is a recently elected MP would need to resign and then a by-election would need to be called. If that did occur, it would be up to Prime Minister Mark Carney to call one — and he could wait upwards of six months. 

According to Press Progress, Poilievre will also need to move out of his taxpayer-funded Stornoway home, which has been home to the Leader of Official Opposition in the House of Commons since the 1950s. But because the party leader does not have a seat, he will no longer have that title. Another sitting Conservative member would need to hold that role instead. 

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THE AGENDA

🏒 Well, at least they put up a fight in the end. The Senators lost 4-2 against the Maple Leafs, though there was a tie until the last period. The team should feel proud about how the season went and fans will have something to look forward to. [Senators] 

👍️ Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says he feels optimistic after the Liberal victory, saying he has many close working relationships with many re-elected MPs. He also says Carney is ready to listen when it comes to what the federal government pays Ottawa in lieu of property taxes for the buildings they own. [Ottawa Citizen] 

👮 A student from india was found dead in the Ottawa River, near Dick Bell Park, on Sunday. The police are investigating and have not released the cause of her death. [CityNews]

🌊 If you live near the Ottawa River, be sure to keep an eye out this weekend, as the river water levels are expected to increase 25-30 cm in the Britannia and Cumberland areas. A flood warning has also been issued for Arnprior and Hawkesbury in the Lower Ottawa River area. Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board says they don’t expect it to be higher than the 2019 and 2023 flooding. [CTV]

📈 It turns out that Pierre Poilievre’s riding had the highest turnout in Ontario. Carleton saw 81.57 per cent of voters cast a ballot, compared to 69.1 per cent in the rest of Ontario. Carleton has always been high, though last election 74.4 per cent of voters turned out. [Global]

Outside Ottawa

💉 The Ontario government plans to force people with addictions who are in jail, on probation or parole into treatment. The details are still scarce for the plan, and involuntary treatment is controversial because it doesn’t usually work — people are far more likely to quit when they are ready to do so. [CityNews]

CAPITAL EATS

Affordable and delicious: Where to snag a meal for under $10 in Ottawa

Cheap (and good) food can still be had in Ottawa. We break down six spots you can grab an affordable meal

Read the story and subscribe to our food newsletter in one click

EVENT GUIDE

Cinderella: Presented by Les Petits Ballets | Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe, 101 Centrepointe Dr. | May 2, 7 pm | Classic fairy tale with dance and live music | Tickets $38

Silent Film Ben-Hur in Concert | St. Matthew's Anglican Church, 130 Glebe Ave. | May 2, 7 pm | 1925 epic film with live choir performance | Tickets $40

Andrew Vincent |  Irene’s, 885 Bank St | May 2 | Singer-songwriter known for his witty, heartfelt indie folk-rock, blending confessional lyrics with lo-fi charm. Tickets $20.

Ottawa PoutineFest and Mac My Cheese | Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West | May 2, 11 am | 30+ poutine vendors take over downtown | Free.

Ottawa Clay Festival | Horticulture Building, 1525 Princess Patricia Way | May 2 at 10 am | Ceramics market, demos, kids’ clay zone | Free

Arts Carleton Place Fine Art Exhibition | Art Carleton Place Art Hub, 50 Bennett St. & Carleton Place Arena, 75 Neelin St. | May 2, 10 am | Art show with 65 juried artists | Free admission

Ottawa Regional Air Guitar Championships | House of Targ, 1077 Bank St | May 3 | Bring your own air axe skills or watch others compete for the chance to progress to the Toronto finals, all for charity. Tickets $15.

Hintonburg Fabric Flea Market | Fisher Park Community Centre, 250 Holland Ave. | May 3, 9 am | Bargain prices on fabric, patterns, tools & more | Free

Jane’s Walk Ottawa | Various locations | May 3, 10 am | Free local walking tours by community members | See events

Cranium Showcase 2025 | NAC, 1 Elgin St | May 3 | See nine artists showcase the best of emerging Afrobeat, R&B, Hip-hop, Soul and more. Tickets $20.

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta | ByWard Market, Ottawa | May 4, 12 pm | Live music, Mexican food, and folk art | Free

May the 4th be With You | Bytowne Cinema | May 4, multiple times | The first three Star Wars movies, celebrating May the 4th day | Tickets

Dumpling Fest Ottawa | K2P 2E3, Ottawa | Jun. 11, 5:30 pm | Tasting tour of global dumplings across Ottawa | Tickets $55+

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Ottawa's Deploy Software Solutions specializes in climate change software R&D. We are facilitating a free participant-led event in Ottawa at Carleton University on Friday May 23: "Building Climate Resilience with Software and Data".

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The exact agenda of this event will be determined by its participants - including you!

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

A Reddit user captured this beautiful sunset a few days ago.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• There’s a new pizza place in town that wowed our food editor.

• It’s free OC Transpo all weekend long!

• For all you bowling fans, Kanata has a new bowling spot.

• Be aware that on May 7-8, Laurier Avenue West, between Bronson Avenue and Bay Street, will be temporarily closed.

• There’s no better place in Ottawa to discover German beer

• Excited about theatre this summer? This interview with the managing director of the Great Canadian Theatre Company is worth reading.

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.