It’s official: Canada votes September 20 and here’s the debate schedule

OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 15, 2021 – Following Sunday’s official announcement that Canada’s federal election will take place September 20, 2021, the Debate Broadcast Group today unveiled the venue, dates and moderators for the leaders’ debates during the federal election campaign.

Canada’s federal election was originally scheduled to take place in October 2023 and leaders of the opposition have expressed concerns about holding an election during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. But this morning Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau visited with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon at Rideau Hall to receive approval to dissolve Parliament, signalling the beginning of the election campaign period.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated at the media conference outside Rideau Hall on Sunday that, “In this pivotal, consequential moment, who wouldn’t want a say? Who wouldn’t want their chance to help decide where our country goes from here?”

With this election, the Liberals, currently ahead in the polls. are hoping to form a majority government.

Canada’s 44th election campaign will take place over 36 days, and the English- and French-language debates will take place at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec.

The French-language debate will be held on Wednesday, September 8 from 8 to 10 p.m. EDT. It will be moderated by Patrice Roy (Radio-Canada), with the participation of journalists Hélène Buzzetti (Les coops de l’information), Guillaume Bourgault-Côté (L’actualité), Paul Journet (La Presse) and Marie Vastel (Le Devoir).

Journalist Noémi Mercier (Noovo Info) will moderate segments that include questions asked by Canadians directly to the party leaders.

The English debate will be held on Thursday, September 9 from 9 to 11 p.m. EDT. It will be moderated by Shachi Kurl, President of the Angus Reid Institute, with the participation of journalists Rosemary Barton (CBC News), Melissa Ridgen (APTN News), Evan Solomon (CTV News) and Mercedes Stephenson (Global News).

The leaders’ debates will focus on the issues that matter most to Canadians, with the topics being announced three days before each debate.

The debates will be made accessible to as many Canadians as possible. In addition to both official languages, the debates will be simultaneously translated into ASL [American Sign Language] and LSQ [langue des signes québécoise], as well as six Indigenous languages: Dene, Inuktitut (Baffin) and Plains Cree for the English debate, and East Cree, Innu and Ojibway for the French debate. OMNI Television will provide live translation for both debates in six languages: Arabic, Cantonese, Italian, Mandarin, Punjabi, and Tagalog.

A growing list of distribution partners will join the Debate Broadcast Group in broadcasting the debates, including OMNI Television and CPAC, with the debates free to be picked up by interested broadcasters and media organizations.

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