Continued from page 1 Trudeau says Liberals will win in Burnaby South byelection where Singh seeks seat

“In Burnaby South, we need a committed, local champion for our community,” he said, adding he has lived in the Metro Vancouver city for 32 years.

Singh is a former Ontario legislator who has been campaigning in the riding since last summer.

Trudeau was met by protesters on both sides of the political spectrum at the Burnaby event. Outside, demonstrators clad in yellow vests spoke out against his government’s policies on migration.

While Trudeau and Lee spoke inside the event, a small group of people began shouting anti-pipeline slogans. Burnaby is the terminus of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which Trudeau’s government has purchased and plans to expand.

“I think we also hear a reminder tonight that there are going to be people out there who choose the politics of anger, of fear and of division, and try to shout people out,” Trudeau said. “But Liberals will stay focused on serving Canadians, on bringing people together and building a better future for us all.”

A number of Liberal MPS stood behind Trudeau at the event, including Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr and Fisheries and Oceans Minister Jonathan Wilkinson. But absent was Wilson-raybould, who represents Vancouver Granville and earlier attended the city’s Chinese New Year Parade.

Trudeau later attended a Chinese New Year celebration gala at a restaurant in Vancouver’s Chinatown. He told the packed gala that the Chinese-canadian community has contributed greatly to the country over generations.

He also said racist, xenophobic policies such as the Chinese head tax or the exploitation of Chinese labour during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway constituted some of the most shameful chapters in the country’s history.

“We cannot forget, for they remind us of our collective responsibility to stand up to discrimination and persecution in all its forms,” he said. Trudeau did not take questions from reporters at either event. He is set to make an affordable housing announcement and hold a media availability at a rental housing development in Vancouver on Monday before meeting with Telus CEO Darren Entwistle.