The man who unseated Poilievre: N.B.-raised Bruce Fanjoy had support from Maritimers

When federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre lost his long-held seat last week in the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton, the man who unseated him gained national attention.

Liberal Bruce Fanjoy, who beat Poilievre in an area the Conservative had represented since 2004, says he's feeling great as he transitions into the role.

He said he is "enormously grateful" to everyone who supported his campaign during the federal election, and that includes more than just those in his riding. 

Fanjoy, who grew up in New Brunswick and earned two university degrees in Halifax, said he had support from fellow Maritimers during the campaign. 

"One of the remarkable things in this campaign was how people from all over that I had grown up with reached out to me, including people from Saint John and Fredericton," he told Information Morning Saint John on Tuesday. 

"It's amazing how people were following the campaign and with a name like Fanjoy, people remember … if they met you before."

Fanjoy said his parents met in Saint John and moved to Millidgeville in the north of the city when he was a young boy. He attended elementary school there but when his father took a position with the provincial government, his family moved to Fredericton and then from there to Halifax. 

Fanjoy lives in the village of Manotick, where he built a carbon-neutral house. He worked in business and marketing before becoming a full-time parent, according to his campaign materials, and the recent election was his first foray into politics. 

But Fanjoy's father, Emery Fanjoy, was secretary to the Council of Maritime Premiers, and his uncle, Harold Fanjoy, was MLA for Kings Centre and a provincial cabinet minister. 

Although his father and uncle have died, Fanjoy said, "I did feel that they were watching actively, and had they been here, they would have just been tickled pink with what was happening," he said.

"Our family was one that, you know, you grew up with politics and public service around the dinner table. 

"It was, you know, some of that training, which I didn't realize would eventually lead me to this point."

The Carleton riding was the target of a ballot protest for electoral reform, with a whopping 91 candidates registered to run.

And by the time the huge ballots were counted, Fanjoy had garnered about 51 per cent of the vote to Poilievre's 45 per cent.

With Poilievre unseated, Damien Kurek, the MP-elect in the Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, announced he'll step aside so Poilievre can run in the there, a seat considered one of the safest Conservative seats in the country.

Poilievre has already visited the riding, though he'll have to wait at least 30 days or more for Kurek to legally resign his seat.

It was Poilievre who motivated Fanjoy to take the step into Canadian politics.

"It was never in my plans, but I realized that we were facing an historic election, and in Carleton, we had a unique opportunity," he said.

"I felt a responsibility to mount a strong challenge against [Poilievre].

"We were very present here, travelled all over the riding lots of times, meeting with people, and I think that we just managed to take advantage of a door that he opened for us."