‘Act one is over,’ says MP who defeated Poilievre in last election

OTTAWA — Liberal MP Bruce Fanjoy has a square glass case in his office that holds a spray-painted pair of sneakers he wore while campaigning for the federal election.

He calls it his “Stanley Cup.”

Fanjoy became the MP for the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton in the last election after defeating Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who had held the riding more than two decades.

“I think people in Carleton are excited about what happened,” Fanjoy said. “Even if people didn’t vote for me, they’re curious to meet me.”

Fanjoy spent almost two years meeting and speaking with community members leading up to the election, wearing down two full pairs of shoes and a pair of winter boots.

Now that he’s become an MP, Fanjoy said that won’t change, noting he plans to canvass through the winter. While going door-to-door, Fanjoy said he explains what the government is up to and learns about what issues matter to his constituents — such as affordability, immigration and concerns about changes within the public service.

“I tell people that (the election) was act one and act one is over,” Fanjoy said. “We’re on act two now and that is to do as much good with this opportunity as we can.”

“This was never about just defeating (Poilievre). It was about serving the country and the people of Carleton.”

Despite the election being over, Fanjoy said he still regularly deals with “trolls” on social media.

“I think that, in their own way, people who have tried to knock me down have lifted me up because they couldn’t knock me down,” said Fanjoy, who has a post from 2024 pinned to his page where he responds to a critic who said he couldn’t beat Poilievre, saying: “Watch me.”

Fanjoy added that he tries to be a positive voice on social media and that the “toxicity” that permeates “some political discourse” is not helpful for the country.

Asked how he felt when Poilievre became an MP again after winning a by-election in the rural Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot, Fanjoy said: “That’s our democracy. It’s imperfect.”

Fanjoy, who during the campaign was critical of Poilievre’s representation of the riding, argued that Poilievre has “learned nothing from his defeat in Carleton.”

“He’s ignoring Battle River—Crowfoot now,” argued Fanjoy.

Fanjoy, who is passionate about his role on the House of Commons standing committee on environment and sustainable development, said his job now is to do everything he can to assist residents in his riding.

“Service has been a constant theme in my life,” said Fanjoy, who previously worked in sales and marketing. “It’s core to who I am, being of service and seeing a situation and looking for ways that I can help. So, we’re doing that.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 25, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press