Black Candidates Go Virtual But No Conservatives online

"Black Voices Rise: Virtual Election Forum Predicts Record Candidacies"

By Stephen Weir

Warren Salmon isn’t saying who will be the next Prime Minister of Canada, but after organizing the Black Community Federal Election Meet and Greet Virtual Event last week, he’s predicting a record number of Black candidates will run across the country. The event was designed to showcase Black candidates and engage various political parties in a meaningful way.

Salmon was one of the principal organizers of the event, which was supported by 17 organizations from across Canada. Held virtually, the event created a space where Black Canadians could connect directly with federal election candidates. It aimed to boost political engagement by offering a platform for dialogue, sharing community concerns, and securing candidate commitments. The goal: to encourage informed voting and increase representation in government.

“It was an opportunity to learn more about each party’s platform highlights, as well as the personal motivations and commitments of the candidates seeking office and serving the community,” Salmon told The Caribbean Camera. “It creates an opportunity for community members to learn how they can support their candidate of choice.”

Warren Salmon is a well-known Toronto trailblazer, respected for combining tech expertise with deep community engagement. He is the driving force behind First Fridays Toronto—popular monthly meetups where Black professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs come together. With music, good vibes, and real talk, his events are all about connection, culture, and community building.

This election event broke free of traditional venues like lounges or meeting halls. Instead, it happened online, accessible to anyone with a computer—whether they were in Toronto or the far North.

“We had 719 registrants and 592 participants from across Canada,” Salmon reported. “They came from eight provinces and two territories.”

The virtual meeting featured two incumbent MPs and six additional candidates. In terms of audience reach, Ontario—likely the Greater Toronto Area—had the highest number of participants, followed by Quebec and British Columbia, based on the breakdown by province.

Although politics today can be confrontational, this online event was described as polite and respectful. That said, participants did take note of the parties that were absent. While invitations were sent to all political parties, only the Liberals and the NDP accepted. The Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois did not participate.

Organizers reached out to more than a dozen Black Conservative candidates and to Pierre Poilievre directly. According to the feedback received, those who replied cited prior commitments such as fundraisers and preparations for advance polling.

While Warren Salmon won’t speculate on the outcome of the upcoming election, he confidently predicts that we’ll see a record number of Black candidates running for office across Canada.