•In June, most polls indicated the Liberals on track to repeat their 2015 majority win under Justin Trudeau’s leadership. Now they're behind the Conservatives. With such a tight margin, either party could form a minority government. •The pandemic has laid bare 'fault lines' in which increasingly polarized views have emerged on issues, such as 'heightened attention to inequality at the very top; greater interest in climate change; a better balance between society and the economy; and social justice issues like systemic racism and Indigenous reconciliation.'