Kayla Epstein
North America reporter

It was a busy day in Canadian politics, as its newly minted prime minister requested to dissolve parliament and call a snap election. Here's where things stand:

• Prime Minister Mark Carney called a snap election for 28 April, after meeting with Canada's Governor General

• Carney said he needed a strong mandate so he could deal with US President Donald Trump, saying the trade war was one of the "most significant threats of our lifetimes" and that Trump wanted "break us so America will own us"
• Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre ramped up his party's campaign, saying Canada experienced a "lost Liberal decade." He is running with the slogan "Canada First"

• Other Canadian political parties also kicked off campaigns. Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, warned the "promise of a great future is slipping further and further away" as the trade war intensifies
• Bloc Québécois, a party based in the primarily French-speaking province of Quebec, said residents would face a choice to preserve and develop a Quebec that reflects their identity

We're wrapping up our live coverage for the day but you can check out our guide to the election here.

And BBC's Toronto reporter Jessica Murphy has put together this list of five things to look for in Canada's election.

Which leader will stand up to Trump?published at 23:07 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March

23:07 GMT 23 March

Jessica Murphy
BBC News, Toronto

Image source, Reuters

Canadians know their next PM will have no choice but to deal with Donald Trump.

So the question on many voters' minds is: Who can most capably handle the unpredictable US president?

The contest essentially boils down to two men: Liberal Mark Carney and Conservative Pierre Poilievre.

Two other major parties will be contesting seats in Parliament - the left-leaning New Democrats (NDP) and the the Bloc Québécois - but Canadians have historically elected Conservative or Liberal governments.

Carney and Poilievre have very different resumes.

Carney is a former central banker who is new to politics - after taking over from Justin Trudeau, he became the first prime minister in Canada never elected to Parliament.

He brings experience on the world stage but lacks time spent in the cut and thrust of political campaigning, and will get his first real test in this general election.

Poilievre, 45, became party leader in 2022. First elected to the House of Commons at age 25, he has two decades of experience in federal politics, including time in cabinet, and is known for his political acumen.

He was quick to highlight the pain that inflation was inflicting on Canadian families, and capitalise on the broader anger at Trudeau and the Liberals on issues like immigration.

His tag line "Canada is broken" has in recent weeks become "Canada first". The shift in message from a country in decline to one of patriotism and strength comes as he tries to portray himself as able to stand up to Trump.

Cost of living concerns haven't gone awaypublished at 22:32 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March

22:32 GMT 23 March

Jessica Murphy
BBC News, Toronto

The major domestic concerns that Canadians have had in recent years - affordability, housing, healthcare - remain.

But pollster David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data, says they have been subsumed by the "existential threat" of the trade war with the US.

Two words - Trump and tariffs - "sum up the psyche of the country right now", he says.

He adds: "Even if the cost of living is still the top issue, it may not be as powerful a motivator to drive voting behaviour."

So the parties will need to come up with convincing policies to address these concerns - but frame them in the context of the wider economic threat.

The Trump levies on Canada's exports, the uncertainty caused by their on-again-off-again nature, and Canada's C$60bn in counter tariffs, are already being felt by businesses and communities across the country.

This week, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development more than halved its growth outlook for Canada this year and next due to the growing tariff threat.

• Read more: Five things to look for in Canada's election

Image source, X

There are 343 federal ridings - also called constituencies or electoral districts -across the country. Each has a corresponding seat in the House of Commons.

All the seats in the lower chamber, the House of Commons, are up for grabs during an election.

Members of the Senate, the upper chamber, are appointed and do not run for election.

Like the UK, Canada has a "first-past-the-post" electoral system.

The candidate who gets the most votes in each riding wins that seat and becomes an MP. They do not need to get the majority of all the votes cast in their area. Other parties win nothing in that area.

The leader of the party with the largest number of elected MPs normally forms the government. The second-placed party usually forms the official opposition.

If no party ends up with an overall majority of seats, the result is known as a hung parliament or a minority government.

Practically, it means the party with the most seats will not be able to pass legislation without the help of other parties.

To vote in a Canadian election you must:

• be a Canadian citizen
• be at least 18 years old, and
• have proof of your identity and address

Four main parties will contest the next election - the Liberals, the Conservatives, the New Democrats (NDP) and the Bloc Québécois.

The Liberal Party has been in power since 2015, when Trudeau became prime minister. It currently hold 153 seats.

The Conservatives are the official opposition with 120 seats.

The Bloc Quebecois, which only runs candidates in the province of Quebec, has 33 seats, and the NDP has 24.

The Green Party holds two seats.

During the latter stages of Trudeau's premiership, opinion polls consistently suggested the Conservatives had a strong lead.

But the numbers tightened after Trudeau stepped down.

Trump's decision to introduce steep tariffs against Canada has raised expectations of a closer vote.

Leaders have already scheduled rallies for tonight, just hours after Mark Carney called a snap election.

Carney, the Liberal Party leader, will hold his first event in the city of St. John's, the capital of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. He will give remarks and will be joined by local officials, according to his office.

Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party and the Official Opposition, will host a "Canada First" rally in Ontario at 18:30 local time.

Jessica Murphy
BBC News, Toronto

Image source, Getty/Reuters

National opinion polls have undergone a stunning reversal in recent weeks, erasing a roughly 20-point lead Conservatives had over the Liberals for the better part of a year.

As the race officially begins, it's a toss up.

Abacus Data's David Coletto said three factors led to the "perfect storm" in polling: the resignation of the deeply unpopular Justin Trudeau, the Liberal leadership race, and Donald Trump - the main driver "fundamentally shifting the trajectory of Canadian politics".

Both candidates now are trying to "bring their enemies to the battlefield", Coletto said.

Carney is seeking to paint Poilievre as a "Trump light", while Poilievre suggests Carney is "just like Justin".

Both campaigns have some natural advantages.

The Conservatives have "an animated base who desperately want a change in government", said Coletto, along with a well-funded political machine.

The Liberals currently "have the advantage on narrative" that has helped shift the polls more in their favour.

The other two official parties - the NDP and the Bloc - have both seen their popularity diminish.

As Canada gears up for an election this year, the BBC wants to hear from voters across the country. Tell us here if you would like to be part of our coverage. We may contact you for future stories.

You can also get in touch in the following ways:

Email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk, external

WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803

Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay

Now that the election has been called for 28 April, the major federal parties will enter a period of full-swing campaigning.

Candidates will door-knock in their respective ridings to raise awareness that the election is happening, as well as to deliver their party’s message and promises directly to voters.

Meanwhile, party leaders will be travelling across the country to hold events in key areas, especially where they could use more support.

It is likely that Liberal Party leader Mark Carney will hold one or two events in Alberta, the province where he was raised. It is seen as a Conservative stronghold.

Meanwhile, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre will likely put a lot of focus in Ontario’s 905-belt, a region just outside Toronto with a high number of seats that could make-or-break the outcome of this election.

An election too close to callpublished at 19:38 Greenwich Mean Time 23 March

19:38 GMT 23 March

Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent

Mark Carney called Canada’s trade war with its southern neighbour one of the “most significant threats of our lifetimes”.

Just nine days after he was sworn in, he announced that he had asked for parliament to be dissolved so Canadians could go to the polls on 28 April.

He said he wanted a strong, positive mandate to tackle tariffs, fix the economy, and take on President Trump.

The US is Canada’s biggest trading partner – 80% of its exports head across the border.

And not only is the US president imposing the swingeing tariffs that he has levelled in many parts of the world, but he also continues to speak of taking over the country that has long been America’s most trusted ally – leading Carney to issue this warning.

In the press conference that immediately followed his announcement, he took aim at his main challenger, Pierre Poilievre, who heads the Conservative Party. He described the opposition leader’s position as uncannily familiar to the White House.

Poilievre has recently changed his messaging, calling for a "Canada first" approach.

His party had looked set for a landslide in this year’s federal election. But when former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stepped down and President Trump took charge next door, the Liberals surged in the polls.

Now this election is too close to call.

Bloc Québécois, a party based in the primarily French-speaking province of Quebec, is gearing up for the upcoming election.

In a post on X, external, the party wrote that Quebec would face a choice to preserve and develop a Quebec that reflects their identity, and to ensure its residents are not set aside.

The post features their party's leader, Yves-François Blanchet, and the slogan, "Je choisis le Québec," or, I choose Quebec.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has just called a snap election. But what exactly is that?

A snap election is an election that occurs earlier than required by law. In Canada, elections must be held every four years, meaning Canadians had until 20 October, 2025 to head to the polls and choose their next government.

The snap election can be triggered in a number of ways.

It can be requested by the sitting prime minister - in this case Mark Carney - and then granted by the governor general, who is the representative of the British Monarchy in Canada (remember, Canada is a constitutional monarchy that is part of the Commonwealth).

It can also be triggered by a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons. This involves an opposing party putting forward a no-confidence motion before parliament. If the majority of members vote in favour of the motion - in other words, express no confidence in the sitting government - then an election is called.

Snap elections operate the same as a regularly scheduled election.

Image source, Getty Images

The Liberals and the Conservatives are essentially tied in the polls ahead of the expected election call today.

According to CBC's Poll Tracker, which averages multiple surveys, the Liberals are at 37.5% and the Conservatives at 37.1%, both nationally.

Still, Canadian pollsters have cautioned that the numbers have been volatile in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, polls suggest the left-wing NDP are at 11.6%, and the Bloc Québécois, which only runs candidates in Quebec, are at 6.4%.

In Quebec, the Bloc is polling at 28.4%.

The Green Party is at 3.8% nationally.

The People's Party of Canada, which is running its third campaign but has yet to win a seat in the House of Commons, is polling at 2.2%.

As Canada gears up for an election this year, the BBC wants to hear from voters across the country. Tell us here if you would like to be part of our coverage. We may contact you for future stories.

You can also get in touch in the following ways:

Email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk, external

WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803

Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay

Image source, Reuters

Meanwhile, Canada's Green Party is launching its campaign in Montreal.

The left-wing party currently holds two seats in the House of Commons.

Its primary message is sustainability, tackling climate change and growing the green economy.

But it's also pushing for higher taxes on the ultra-rich and cuts to corporate subsidies.

"We can house everyone, we can feed everyone, we can protect our land," says the Green Party's Jonathan Pedneault, standing next to his co-leader Elizabeth May at the campaign launch. "But that demands courage."

Pedneault is the youngest leader of the major parties in the election. The party won 2.3% of the national vote in 2021 – a drop from the previous election in 2019.

Image source, Getty Images

There are 343 federal ridings—also called constituencies or electoral districts—across the country. Each one has a seat in the House of Commons.

All seats in the House of Commons, the lower chamber, are up for grabs in an election.

Senators, who sit in the upper chamber, are appointed and do not run for election.

Like the UK, Canada uses a "first-past-the-post" electoral system.

The candidate with the most votes in each riding wins that seat and becomes an MP. Other parties win nothing in that area.

The leader of the party with the most elected MPs usually forms the government. The second-placed party usually forms the official opposition.

If no party wins a majority, it’s called a hung parliament or a minority government. This means the largest party won’t be able to pass laws without the help of other parties.

Much of Singh's remarks have focused on why Liberal leader Mark Carney is not the right choice for Canada.

"When times get tougher he won't step in, he'll step aside," Singh says of Carney.

He says Carney protects the wealthy, not ordinary Canadians.

"Only New Democrats can be trusted to look out for you," Singh says.

Singh, like all the candidates, also stresses that Canada won't become the "51st state".

Image source, CPAC

We're hearing from Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), as the parties begin their campaigns.

He starts by listing the party's accomplishments in recent years, including expanding dental care.

"Today the promise of a great future is slipping further and further away," Singh says. He calls Trump's trade war "illegal" and says Canadians are paying the price and losing their jobs because of it.

Kayla Epstein
US reporter

Mark Carney may have announced a Canadian election, but it was Donald Trump who dominated the day.

Trump's increasingly aggressive stance towards Canada has shaken up its politics.

The Liberal Party, recently struggling under Justin Trudeau, suddenly has an adversary to rally against.

Carney pointed to Trump's comments about Canada becoming America's "51st state" and his tariff threats as he made his case for leadership.

He called the current tensions with the US "the most significant threats of our lifetimes".

"He wants to break us so America will own us," Carney said. "We will not let that happen."