Poilievre draws thousands in first Windsor visit of federal campaign

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on Friday made his first trip to Windsor since the start of the federal election campaign, bringing his "boots not suits" message to Canada's manufacturing heartland.

Poilievre spoke for more than 45 minutes to an energetic crowd of several thousand people at a local warehouse, reiterating campaign promises to cut taxes, accelerate homebuilding, and enact stricter crime laws. 

Early on in his speech, the Conservative leader also addressed Friday's "terrible news" that General Motors would lay off workers and pause production for months at its CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ont. The company said the layoffs were demand-related. 

Poilievre's visit came amid broader turmoil in southwestern Ontario's auto sector. Workers at Stellantis' assembly plant in Windsor are laid off this week and next as a result of U.S. President Donald Trump's 25 per cent tariffs on vehicle imports.

Poilievre denounced Trump's tariffs, saying "nobody can control" what the president does and arguing that Liberal Leader Mark Carney is running on the "false promise" that he can.

Poilievre touted his campaign promise to cut the GST on new Canadian-made cars and create a $3-billion "Keep Canadians Working Fund" designed to help businesses impacted by the tariffs. 

Poilievre, joined by local Conservative candidates and surrounded by Canadian flags of all sizes, sought to strike a hopeful tone at times during his remarks — something critics have previously said he should do more often.

It's something Gerry Hatton, a semi-retired worker at a local parts supplier, said he wanted to hear from the Conservative leader.

"I'm hoping to hear something positive," Hatton said on his way into the event. A former NDP and Liberal voter, Hatton said the country is "a mess." 

Hatton said he was drawn to Poilievre's message when the Conservative leader visited his workplace in 2023. "The housing has gotten stupid crazy, the border has gotten stupid crazy with too many immigrants coming over," Hatton said.

Julia Dion, another former NDP supporter, said she is worried about job security amid the tariffs, in addition to housing and food affordability. "Groceries are crazy," she said. "Everything's out of control, and we have a young daughter and we want a future for her in Canada."

Her husband Ray Dion, an electrician who has worked at Ford for 36 years, said they're simply "anti-Liberal."

"We need a change," Julia said. "We need a change for the generations ahead of us that have worked really hard in our communities."

The need for change from years of Liberal governments was a frequent refrain at the "Canada First" rally on Friday. Poilievre argued that despite Carney replacing former prime minister Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, the party would maintain many of its policies.

Carney has already ended one of those controversial Trudeau-era policies — the consumer carbon tax — but Poilievre said he would cut "the entire carbon tax," prompting loud cheers from the crowd.

"They expect to fool Canadians by hiding it at the gas pumps for 28 days, even though it is still on the books," Poilievre said.

Canada's industrial carbon tax remains in effect.

Some of the crowd's biggest cheers came for Poilievre's promises to cut income tax by 15 per cent, repeal a gun control law that Conservatives say wrongly targets hunters and sports shooters, and "unlock the power of Canadian energy."

Poilievre also took several opportunities to interact with members of the crowd, at one point calling out tradespeople and joking that he is doing an apprenticeship himself — as a "cabinet-maker." Poilievre said his government would boost training opportunities in the trades.

After the event, longtime municipal employee Rita Chappell said Poilievre's speech had "absolutely" sealed the deal for her. "Great energy, very positive and uplifting, and gives us hope," she said.

A former Liberal supporter, Chappell said she believes the country needs to move in a different direction, and liked what she heard from Poilievre more than what she has heard from Carney.

"We really do need a change and I like a lot of Pierre's policies and things he wants to do," she said. Among those things are lowering taxes and making housing more affordable.

Poilievre's Conservatives currently trail the Liberals, according to the CBC Poll Tracker. Poilievre has seen his poll numbers drop since Justin Trudeau resigned as prime minister and as Trump has escalated his trade war with Canada.

Carney travelled to Windsor early in the campaign, centring his visit on the region's automotive industry and the impact of tariffs on the local economy. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh visited just a day later, also speaking about Canadian jobs and meeting with autoworkers. 

People's Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier made a campaign stop in Windsor on Wednesday.