How To Watch The Debates

The Leaders' Debates begin tonight!

With the federal election just around the corner on April 28th, and national polls showing a thin margin between the Liberals and Conservatives, the debates could be a turning point in the campaign - and in the future of the country.

In what’s shaping up to be one of the most consequential elections in recent memory, voters across Canada are looking for answers on everything from inflation and housing to national unity, energy policy, and Canada’s role on the global stage. 

The debates will feature Liberal Leader Mark Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, and Green Party Co-Leader Jonathan Pedneault.

[Update: The Greens have been disinvited from the debates for failing to meet the criteria to be included.]

You’ll be able to hear directly from the people who want to lead the country and to judge for yourself who has the vision, the leadership, and the credibility to get Canada back on track.

There’s a good chance these will be among the most-watched debates in Canadian history - and they could actually shift momentum!

Here’s how you can watch:

French-Language Debate

Date: Wednesday, April 16th
Time: 6:00 pm EST / 4:00 pm MST

[Note: The time for the French debate was changed to two hours earlier, at the request of party leaders, to avoid conflicting with a potentially significant Montreal Canadiens playoff game.]

As the producer of the debate, CBC will air an English translation of this French-language debate on TV and all of its digital platforms, including on the CBC Website, on YouTube, and more.

But, for those wanting to avoid CBC, many other media will also be carrying the feed on TV and digitally, including CTV, Global, CPAC, APTN, OMNI, CityNews 24/7, Yahoo, C-SPAN in the United States, and BBC News.

For those who prefer to watch in French, the original French-language broadcast will also be available directly from Radio-Canada.

English-Language Debate

Date: Thursday, April 17th
Time: 7:00 pm EST / 5:00 pm MST

As the producer of the debate, CBC will air the debate on TV and all of its digital platforms, including on the CBC Website, on YouTube, and more.

But, for those wanting to avoid CBC, many other media will also be carrying the feed on TV and digitally, including CTV, Global, CPAC, APTN, OMNI, CityNews 24/7, Yahoo, C-SPAN in the United States, and BBC News.

For those who prefer to watch in French, a French translation of this English-language debate will also be available directly from Radio-Canada.

These debates are a rare opportunity to see the party leaders side by side, under pressure, and unscripted. 

With less than two weeks to go until Election Day, we hope you’ll tune in, get informed, and see for yourself where the leaders - and their parties - truly stand.

We also hope you appreciate our ongoing work to keep you fully informed on both provincial and federal affairs!

Regards,

- The Alberta Institute Team