‘It is impossible to overstate the impact of the U.S. president's actions on Canadian politics, on Canadian psyche, on Canadian business,’ Chief Strategy Officer and Managing Director Marci Surkes tells the BBC following the #elxn45 call.

Canadians head to the polls on April 28.

Marci Surkes spoke to BBC reporter Jessica Murphy about what to watch for in the election campaign, which kicked off March 23 following Prime Minister Mark Carney visiting Rideau Hall seeking a dissolution of Parliament.

The Trump effect

"It is impossible to overstate the impact of the president's actions on Canadian politics, on Canadian psyche, on Canadian business," said Marci Surkes, chief strategy officer at public affairs firm Compass Rose and a former policy director to ex-prime minister Justin Trudeau.

That means this general election is as much about the US's relationship with Canada as it is about domestic policies within Canada itself.

Which leader will stand up to Trump?

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is “the consummate retail politician,” Ms Surkes said, but “suffers from having - right now - a brand and a narrative that no longer fits the moment.”

Who can present a compelling vision for Canada?

This election is about the big, national questions: Canada's sovereignty and what the country must do to face an uncertain future with uncertain allies.

It's the first time in decades that an election is not focused mostly on domestic issues, said Ms Surkes. She pointed to the 1988 election, when Canada's relationship with the US was also at the centre of debate as the country mulled joining the North American Free Trade Agreement, a trade pact that was the precursor to the current trilateral USMCA.

“The same types of questions were being asked in terms of whether there would be a forfeiture of Canadian sovereignty, economic sovereignty, economic independence,” she said.

This time, both parties are pushing a vision of growth - building much-needed housing, moving forward on major energy and resource projects, and bolstering Canada's defence capabilities.

Cost of living concerns haven't gone away

The major domestic concerns that Canadians have had in recent years - affordability, housing, healthcare - remain.

Will the election stay too close to call?

National opinion polls have seen a stunning reversal in recent weeks, with the Conservatives losing the 20-point lead they had over the Liberals for the better part of a year.

As the race officially begins, it's a toss-up.