Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Inside the Palais des congrès, the light turned everything red. A circular fixture overhead glowed with the party’s single-letter emblem, rows of Canadian flags framed the main stage, and the hum of several thousand voices filled a hall dressed wall to wall in crimson. Delegates moved through the concourse in red lanyards, past tables stacked with shirts and caps reading “Canada Strong,” while volunteers handed out narrow placards on tall sticks for the crowd to wave. Many in the room called the atmosphere electric. Running through that national gathering was a current that carried particular meaning for readers of this newspaper: a group of members of Parliament of Greek heritage, present among the faithful and ready to speak about country, community and the long Hellenic contribution to Canadian life.
The 2026 Liberal National Convention brought more than 4,500 Liberals to Montreal from April 9 to 11, the largest policy convention in the party’s history. Over half of those who attended were taking part for the first time, gathering for plenary sessions, campaign trainings and policy debates, and to elect members of the next national board of directors. It was the first convention since the federal election of April 2025 and the rise of Mark Carney to prime minister, and it unfolded as the party sat within reach of a majority in the House of Commons.
“This convention showed the strength and momentum of our party,” said Sachit Mehra, president of the Liberal Party of Canada, in a statement marking the convention’s close. He said that from first-time participants to long-time organizers, Liberals had stepped up to share ideas, connect with one another and chart the party’s path forward.
For Emmanuella Lambropoulos, a Liberal member of Parliament from Montreal, the gathering carried the warmth of a home crowd. “It’s a great convention this year. I think it’s the biggest convention that we’ve seen, the biggest Liberal convention,” she told The Montreal Greek Times. “A lot of people from out of town are here today, and what’s really nice is how many young people have decided to come to the convention and join the Liberal Party. We can see a renewal for sure.” She credited the past year of work for the surge in interest. “Mark Carney and the work of our team in the last year has really inspired a lot of people to come out and to join the party, to be part of the movement,” she said, pointing to Conservatives who had crossed the floor as a sign of the moment. “It was a very successful convention.”
Annie Koutrakis, who represents the Laval riding of Vimy, described a hall charged with purpose. “At the convention of the Liberal Party of Canada in Montreal, more than 4,500 people came together, many attending for the first time,” she said. “Under the leadership of Mark Carney, the energy and optimism were clear as we focus on building a stronger economy and supporting families.” She tied the weekend back to the work that follows it. “I am proud to serve my constituents in Vimy, in Laval, and to help deliver opportunities so Canadians can get ahead and feel confident about the future,” she said.
The longer arc of Greek-Canadian participation in public life was present in the room as well, in the person of Eleni Bakopanos, a former member of Parliament and the first Greek-born woman elected to the House of Commons. “It’s a great pleasure to be in another Liberal convention. I’ve been to a few, but this is the biggest,” she said. She spoke of a party that struck her as united, “working together to make a better Canada, because Canada is a big country,” and said she had been impressed by what cabinet ministers shared about the scope of their work. “I’m very proud to be a Liberal, and I’m very proud to be a Canadian,” she said.
That dual pride, in Canada and in the heritage that several of these members carry, was put most plainly by Peter Fragiskatos, a member of Parliament of Greek descent. “All of us who have the honour of serving this country as members of Parliament, of Greek heritage, love Canada. We are Canadian, but also we are very, very cognizant of the fact that the Greek community has helped to build this country,” he said. “And that is something we carry with us.” He framed that inheritance as a responsibility owed to earlier generations of Greek immigrants. “Those stories of those who came before us, we stand on their shoulders, and we want to do right by them by contributing to the country. So we’ll continue to do that,” he said.
The convention’s central moment came on the afternoon of April 11, when Carney delivered the leader’s keynote to a standing-room crowd. He was introduced by Diana Fox Carney, who told the hall that in her travels she heard people thank Canada for its leadership, describing the country as “a beacon of hope, a pathway forward in a confounding world.” She offered a portrait of Canada seen through international eyes as one of “unity, strength and pragmatism.”
Carney opened by telling Liberals they were “remarkable because of what we will do together,” saying they “show up for a better future for all Canadians.” He cast the present as a hinge in the country’s history, telling the room that “the world’s changing not gradually but suddenly,” and that Canada was “in the middle of a transformation that will define our country for generations.” He returned often to the idea of shared purpose. “Canadians are being called to serve … for something, for each other,” he said, adding that “kindness is a virtue not a weakness.” Switching between official languages, he told delegates in English, “We are the masters of our destiny,” and in French used the phrase that translates as “masters in our own home.” The crowd rose to applaud several times.
Much of the speech wove together a year of policy under the banner of “Canada Strong.” Carney spoke of building a stronger and more affordable economy, of boosting competition in telecommunications, banking and grocery stores, and of expanding the country’s electricity grid to “power homes and businesses and Canadian sovereignty.” He pointed to 14 major national projects, to increased defence spending, and to Canada’s support for Ukraine and its work with Nordic partners and the United Kingdom to protect the Arctic. He described artificial intelligence as “the defining technology of our era” and set out a goal of “AI for all,” governed by Canadian values and accountable to Canadians. Recalling Canada’s postwar willingness to build at speed, he said the country was being asked to take risks again, and noted the recent Artemis II mission that carried Canadian astronaut Col. Jeremy Hansen on a flight around the Moon and back.
The gathering opened, as it began each day, with O Canada sung in both official languages and a land acknowledgment offered by an Elder. Organizers said the strong turnout in Montreal built on a year of record engagement, including a leadership race that drew nearly 300,000 Canadians into the party and the party’s best year of grassroots fundraising.
The convention closed on April 11. By-elections in three ridings followed on April 13, and the Liberals won the seats that gave Mark Carney’s government a majority in the House of Commons. The Carney government’s shift to a majority is a unique occurrence in Canadian political history, achieved mid-mandate rather than through a general election.
