After months of turmoil within his party, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he was stepping down as leader of the Liberal party on Monday morning.
“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” Trudeau said during the announcement.
Trudeau’s meteoric rise to power began in the riding of Papineau in 2008, when the former schoolteacher was elected MP of the district.
Five years later, he was leading the Liberal party, which was in shambles following a 2011 election and saw them fall behind the NDP in seat numbers in the House of Commons.
Then in 2015, he followed in his father’s footsteps as he became the second-youngest prime minister in Canadian history.
While many people who live in the Montreal riding of Papineau have fond memories of the prime minister, they also believe he made the right decision to step aside.
Giovanni Bonadonna’s barber shop has been a fixture in Papineau riding for decades and the Italian immigrant is proud to say he’s met the prime minister several times.
“Very nice guy. Gentleman number one,” he told Global News. “He was around a lot in the neighbourhood, meeting people and everything. He was very nice.”
Trudeau was first elected to the riding in 2008. It’s considered one of the most diverse and immigrant-rich ridings in the country.
Bonadonna explained that the polls were an indicator that it was time for his MP to step down.
“I feel bad for him, but that’s a good decision,” he said.
A local coffee shop owner said Trudeau left immigrants like him struggling.
“Everybody, all the people around, all the talking about the immigration. He brought a lot of people over here and they stopped the good ones,” he said.
Faisal Amin, who owns a produce store in the area, told the Canadian Press that he is a big fan of Trudeau on a personal level but thinks it is time for him to go.
“He’s a good guy and I like him, but economically we are very, very stressed,” said Amin, who met Trudeau at a Greek community parade in the riding four years ago. “In this situation I think it’s better to resign and give other people, another guy (a chance) to perform.”
Amin said there are too many immigrants for too few jobs, and that people have become depressed, especially since COVID-19. “We can’t say it’s completely his fault, but it’s time,” he said.
Amin said Canadians are economically stressed and it will be best for the country to bring in someone with new ideas.
Eric Tremblay, who stopped to talk on his way into a grocery store, said he was saddened by the resignation and by how it came about. He felt Trudeau had been a good prime minister, for the most part. “He was basically kicked out,” Tremblay said. “That’s sad for any leader.”
–with files from The Canadian Press