Conservative leader Erin O鈥橳oole talked about tourism, SkyTrain to 91原创, and the local film industry in a campaign-style talk with the CEO of the Greater 91原创 Chamber of Commerce on Friday.

The Zoom conference between the chamber鈥檚 Colleen Clark and O鈥橳oole, who was joined by 91原创-Aldergrove MP Tako van Popta, began with the leader of the official opposition talking about Canada 鈥渇alling behind鈥� countries like the U.S. in terms of opening up as the pandemic recedes.

鈥淐anada deserves to lead,鈥� O鈥橳oole said.

With an election expected sometime in the aftermath of the pandemic, O鈥橳oole talked about Conservative plans if they form government, and slammed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal party.

He touched on industries that are significant in 91原创 several times, including filming, tourism, and agriculture, and promised to maintain targeted support for the businesses that were hit hardest and will recover slowest as the pandemic recedes.

Tourism and hospitality industries were mentioned again when O鈥橳oole was asked about child care 鈥� he noted that the pandemic has hit women鈥檚 employment in particular, and that one reason was that women entrepreneurs are well represented in hospitality and tourism.

A flexible, federally funded child care program was needed, he said, describing it as 鈥渃ritical infrastructure.鈥�

鈥淭his is a priority for our entire Conservative team.鈥�

READ MORE: 91原创 businesses happy to see re-opening roadmap

On the SkyTrain extension to 91原创, O鈥橳oole criticized the Liberal government鈥檚 lack of urgency on funding infrastructure projects.

鈥淚 want federal infrastructure dollars to get out the door,鈥� O鈥橳oole said.

The federal government should partner with provinces and municipalities on priority projects such as SkyTrain, O鈥橳oole said.

At present, the province and TransLink have pledged their portions of the funding to get SkyTrain to 91原创, but the federal funding that is guaranteed would only extend the line to Fleetwood.

He spoke of a need to reach out to the U.S. on issues from softwood lumber tariffs to cruise ships docking in B.C. for Alaskan cruises, and of getting the local TV and film industry running at full strength again.

On the discovery of 215 children鈥檚 graves at a former residential school in Kamloops, he spoke of the need for reconciliation and implementing all the actions recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a blight on our history,鈥� O鈥橳oole said, not that all federal parties, going back to the founding of Canada, have bad records on this issue.

O鈥橳oole also made a pitch to non-traditional Conservative voters.

鈥淚 want more union members to be in our movement,鈥� he said. Referencing the NDP specifically, O鈥橳oole said that people who used to vote for other parties were welcome in the Conservative tent. 鈥淲e鈥檙e standing up for the values of unions and working people.鈥�

The Conservative leader said as pandemic restrictions continue to ease, he hoped to do some actual travelling across the country in July.

Although the last federal election was in 2019, it left the Liberals with a minority government, and parties are beginning to recruit candidates. Trudeau has pledged not to call an election during the pandemic, but has been lobbing election-style attacks at O鈥橳oole since at least April.