Carney, Singh make Windsor stops in last weekend of the campaign

As parties look to shore up support in key ridings during the final weekend of the federal election campaign, the border city of Windsor, Ont., saw visits from two different leaders on the same day.

Both Liberal Leader Mark Carney and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh attended local events on Saturday before voters head to the polls on Monday. Carney held an evening rally, while Singh joined Unifor members at an afternoon rally in support of Canadian jobs.

Both leaders also came to Windsor in the first week of the 36-day campaign, while the Conservative leader held a rally in the city in early April.

Against the backdrop of the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit, Carney addressed a crowd of hundreds of supporters holding signs with messages such as "Never 51" and "Canada Strong."

Carney, who was joined by local candidates, told the crowd that he started his campaign in Windsor "because there's no place more important" against Donald Trump's tariffs.

Calling Windsor "literally the engine" of the automotive industry in Canada, he urged voters to elect a Liberal government. 

"On Monday, the people of Windsor can decide who can be the next prime minister of Canada," he said. "It's equivalent to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals."

Carney suggested Canada's counter tariffs are needed to fight Trump's tariffs.

"In a crisis, the first thing we do is, what we can do and what we can't do," Carney said. "We can't change Trump after 78 years."

He reiterated promises to get millions of homes built, get big polluters to pay, and ensure interprovincial free trade by July 1, among other pitches.

Singh did not hold a public campaign event, but attended Unifor's rally on the city's riverfront and gave interviews to some media outlets.

"I really want people in Windsor to know that we've got their back, that it's because the people of Windsor voted for New Democrats, because of you, that we were able to bring in things like dental care and pharmacare, workers' protection," said Singh, who grew up in Windsor.

"So giving New Democrats your vote again for the people of Windsor will send folks like (Windsor West NDP candidate) Brian Masse back to Ottawa to ... stand up and defend the things that matter to you."

Singh encouraged people to "vote with [their] heart" when considering their ballots — claiming the Conservatives won't have enough support to form government. 

"Canadians have spoken. There is no way for him to win," he said. "So now really in Windsor, it's a question of do you want to give Mark Carney all the power, or do you want to use your power to support New Democrats?"

'Final push' of the campaign, political scientist says 

Julie Simmons, an associate professor of political science at the University of Guelph, said, "At this stage, all the leaders will want to be making appearances in ridings where it's likely that it's a close race."

"And so they want to do their best to give that final push to engage the voters in a riding where there's a possibility they could win, but it's not a slam dunk," she said. 

Simmons pointed specifically to the Windsor West riding, where the Liberals and Conservatives are hoping to flip the seat away from Masse, who has held the seat since 2002. 

"It looks as though it's a tight race" between Masse and Liberal candidate Richard Pollock, she said. 

The fact that an NDP stronghold like Windsor West is now considered competitive is indicative of how this election "has really become a two-party race nationally," Simmons said. 

Carney's Liberals currently lead in national polling, followed closely by Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives, with Singh's NDP sitting in a distant third. 

"People are tending to vote more strategically," Simmons said. "And a lot of NDP voters, we're seeing it across the country, are perhaps throwing their votes behind a different candidate at this time."  

Poilievre made stops in B.C. and Sudbury, Ont., on Saturday. He visited Windsor about two weeks ago, drawing a large crowd to a local warehouse for a rally.

The Conservative leader also spoke about Trump's tariffs, but touched on a range of issues, including affordability, crime, and immigration, during a 45-minute speech.

Simmons said the importance of the tariff issue locally could also be drawing leaders back in the homestretch — particularly the Liberals, who have centred their campaign messaging around the Trump threat.

"Certainly, the residents in Windsor would be most acutely aware of those dynamics and have been more aware of, say, Poilievre's approach or Carney's approach to perhaps potential negotiations in the future," she said. "And they might be thinking about who between those two is better suited to take on those negotiations with the United States government."

As for effectiveness, Simmons said in-person visits by party leaders can shore up support because voters tend to know national figures better than their local candidates. 

"If a national leader is to come to a local community, then it brings visibility to that particular political party in that particular riding, so it can certainly do a lot to sort of boost people's knowledge and connection with one of the major parties," she said. 

Click here for the full list of candidates running in Windsor West and other ridings in Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent and Sarnia-Lambton.