Trudeau expected to trigger fall election this weekend

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is intending to visit Gov. Gen. Mary Simon on Sunday and ask her to dissolve Parliament, triggering an election.

The expectation is that the election would take place Sept. 20.

The plan was confirmed by a senior Liberal Party of Canada source, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss these matters publicly.

There has been speculation about a coming election for months, but the exact timing has been up in the air given the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Canada is now in the midst of a fourth wave of COVID-19, driven by the troublesome Delta variant.

Dr. Tam declined to say whether she would advise against holding a federal election now, but said she expects all campaigns to follow local health rules.