It was standing-room only for fans of Liberal leadership hopeful Justin Trudeau in Cornwall Tuesday.
The charismatic son of popular Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau is on a whirlwind tour of Canadian cities trying to breath new life into the once-powerful Liberal party and drum up support for his leadership bid.
Trudeau spoke for nearly 30 minutes to more than 200 people, and talked briefly with the media before gladhanding with party faithful.
Trudeau took aim at the governing Conservatives during part of his address, and suggested "divisive" practices by the Tories need to be spotlighted by Canadians.
"We need to work hard, no Canadian has ever been afraid of hard work," he said. "Nobody can go it alone."
Trudeau also highlighted the Liberal's move to allow so-called "supporters" the ability to vote on who becomes the new party leader - so long as they are not members of an existing poltiical party.
“We need to be strong not in spite of our differences, but because of them,” Trudeau said.
In its heyday the Liberal party was a political powerhouse, running the table on legislation with a series of majority governments.
But support for the Liberals has dropped to the point where it lays claim to just 35 seats in the 308-seat House of Commons - well behind the governing Conservatives and New Democrats.
Nine individuals are battling to become the next Liberal party leader.
Liberal party deputy leader Ralph Goodale told Seaway News in the fall that the party was seeing tens of thousand new supporters via its "supporter" program.
The party intends to announce its new leader on April 14, in Ottawa.
