CALGARY: Conservatives gather in Calgary for record-setting convention, projecting unity and readiness to govern
The Conservative Party of Canada opened its first in-person national convention since 2023 on Friday in Calgary, projecting an image of a vast, united, and election-ready movement eager to replace Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal government.
The opening ceremony, held before thousands of delegates in the packed Champions Ballroom of the Calgary BMO Convention Centre, served as a polished political rally. It was designed to celebrate the party's growth, hammer its core critiques of the Liberals, and showcase the diverse coalition of voters it says it has assembled under Leader Pierre Poilievre.
A Show of Force
“This is the largest Conservative Party convention in Canadian history,” declared one speaker, a claim that underscored the central theme of the night: momentum. The party establishment repeatedly highlighted its increase of 2.5 million votes and 25 new seats in the last election, framing it not as a victory, but as a stepping stone to the one that matters.
“We are the party of results, not of rhetoric, and we are ready to deliver,” the audience was told, setting a tone of focused determination.
The event was meticulously crafted to illustrate Poilievre's expanded reach; a parade of Conservative MPs from ridings once considered unwinnable for the party took the stage to testify to his appeal.
Newfoundland and Labrador MP Carol Anstey recounted winning the Long Range Mountains riding by connecting Poilievre's “message of hope” to local concerns, even if it meant having conversations “down in a septic field.” Quebec MP Luc Berthold, speaking in French, positioned Conservatives as champions of entrepreneurs against a Liberal government he said favours “big business.”
Perhaps the most pointed testimonial came from Ontario MP Arpan Khanna, who represents the Oxford riding in the GTA. He detailed significant Conservative gains in Brampton, Surrey, and York Region—key suburban battlegrounds—attributing them to Poilievre connecting with younger Canadians and diverse communities on housing affordability and safe streets.
“He doesn't say one thing behind one door and a different thing behind another,” Khanna said of Poilievre. “He tells their truth… And that's why they trusted him with their votes.”
Defining the Fight: Affordability, Crime, and Sovereignty
The policy contrasts drawn were stark and familiar. Speaker after speaker painted a picture of a Canada broken by a decade of Liberal rule: a country where young people have abandoned dreams of homeownership, where grocery bills are crippling, and where “repeat violent offenders” are prioritized over victims.
British Columbia MP Aaron Gunn, whose recent consideration of a jump to provincial politics was briefly acknowledged, took the critique in a historical direction. He framed the Conservative Party, from Sir John A. Macdonald forward, as the true defender of Canadian sovereignty and the national interest.
“We will take no lectures from Liberals on what it means to be proud to be Canadian,” Gunn said to loud applause, taking aim at what he characterized as a Liberal “ideology” that has left resources in the ground and cost forestry and resource workers their jobs. “With conservative leadership, Canada can realize its true potential… We just need the government to get out of the way.”
A Counter to Division, A Pledge of Unity
Acknowledging the intense scrutiny and frequent predictions of internal splits that have followed the party's growth, the messaging heavily emphasized unity.
Ontario MP Melissa Lantsman delivered a forceful rebuttal to critics. “They're trying to divide us because they know that when conservatives spend time fighting each other, conservatives don't spend time fighting the harmful liberal policies,” she stated.
“We are united,” Lantsman declared. “We will not be distracted by a government that desperately wants to hide its decade-long record of failure.”
This theme served a dual purpose: it aimed to reassure the base and present a disciplined front to Canadians, while also attacking the Liberals as divisive and reliant on distraction.
The Calgary Stage and the Road Ahead
The choice of Calgary as host city was symbolic. As MP Greg McLean, representing the host riding of Calgary Centre, noted, it placed the convention in the heart of a region that feels acutely at odds with federal Liberal energy and environmental policies. The warm welcome for Alberta-focused messaging was a given, but the convention’s clear mission was to broadcast a national vision from that platform.
The opening night contained little in the way of new policy; that work is slated for breakout sessions over the weekend. Instead, it was an exercise in political theatre and coalition management, a chance to let MPs from unexpected corners of the country share the spotlight and validate Poilievre's strategy.
The event also served as a massive warm-up act. All roads lead to Saturday evening, when Poilievre himself will take the stage for a primetime address. If Friday was about the army, Saturday will be about the general, offering him a direct line to his energized base and a national television audience to outline his case for change.
As delegates spilled out into the Calgary night, heading to receptions like the one at the Palomino Smokehouse, the mood was one of confident anticipation. The Conservative Party, riding high in public opinion polls, used its first convention of the 2026 political year to present itself not as an opposition, but as a government-in-waiting—unified, nationwide, and ready to fight the next campaign on the themes of affordability, security, and national pride that it believes will finally secure its return to power.
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