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Tonight’s federal leaders’ debate time changed due to crucial Montreal Canadiens game

by Lorraine Carpenter

The timing of the French-language leaders’ debate has been moved up from 8 p.m. to 6 p.m. so as not to lose Quebec viewers to a very important Habs game.

The first leaders’ debate ahead of the 2025 federal election in Canada is taking place in Montreal tonight, but the time has been moved up from 8 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET in order to reduce the conflict with the crucial Habs game at 7 p.m. The Montreal Canadiens need one point to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

The Bloc Québécois made the request to the Leaders Debates Commission yesterday to change the time of tonight’s French-language debate, which airs on Radio-Canada and will be streamed on the CBC, CTV and Global news websites, apps and YouTube channels.

The English-language leaders’ debate, which will also take place in the same Radio-Canada studio in Montreal, is scheduled for tomorrow night, April 17, at 7 p.m. ET.

The 2025 federal election is happening on Monday, April 28, with advance polls open in most ridings this weekend, from April 18 through April 21. Today is the last day for students to vote in advance on university campuses across Canada.

Tonight’s federal leaders’ debate time changed due to crucial Montreal Canadiens game

For more on the 2025 federal election, please visit the Elections Canada website.

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by Lorraine Carpenter

Editor in chief
Lorraine Carpenter was born in Montreal and studied communications and journalism at Concordia. She co-founded Cult MTL in 2012 following the closure of the alt weekly newspaper the Mirror, where she worked as a writer and editor for 12 years. She’s dedicated to supporting the cultural scene in Montreal and maintaining an independent voice in the Canadian media landscape.