UPDATE, 4:24 PM: Ear­ly results from New­found­land and Labrador look good for the Lib­er­als. They are ahead in five rid­ings (a rid­ing is the Cana­di­an equiv­a­lent of a U.S. con­gres­sion­al district).

UPDATE, 4:32 PM: The Lib­er­als cer­tain­ly are doing very well in the ear­ly results. CBC reports that the Lib­er­als have won in three rid­ings in Atlantic Cana­da; they lead in three more. Some­thing for Trudeau & Co. to feel good about.

UPDATE, 4:33 PM: Polls have now closed in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Sco­tia. Fresh results due in soon.

UPDATE, 4:34 PM: The CBC has put the NDP up on the board; they’re ahead in one rid­ing. This is Jack Har­ris in St. John’s‑East.

UPDATE, 4:39 PM: CBC is now talk­ing about the rid­ing of Syd­ney-Vic­to­ria, where Lib­er­al Mark Eyk­ing leads. Despite what you might be tempt­ed to think, this rid­ing is in Atlantic Cana­da, not British Colum­bia. As many Wash­ing­to­ni­ans know, two of the largest cities on Van­cou­ver Island are Sid­ney, the only for­eign port of call for Wash­ing­ton State Fer­ries, and Vic­to­ria, the cap­i­tal of British Columbia.

UPDATE, 4:40 PM: The Con­ser­v­a­tives just got on the board; they lead in one rid­ing. Cur­rent score: Lib­er­als 7, Con­ser­v­a­tives 1, NDP 1. Remem­ber, these are all Atlantic Cana­da rid­ings, “where they tend to vote red”, as a CBC cor­re­spon­dent not­ed. (Red is the col­or of the Liberals).

UPDATE, 4:43 PM: More than sev­en­ty per­cent of the vote in Atlantic Cana­da has gone Lib­er­al so far, the CBC reports.

UPDATE, 4:45 PM: The Lib­er­als are now ahead in 12 rid­ings. Con­ser­v­a­tives and NDP still only lead in 1 each. The Lib­er­als are run­ning ahead in at least two rid­ings held by the NDP and the Cons.

UPDATE, 4:48 PM: The vote change in Atlantic Cana­da is stark. The Lib­er­als are up 40.3% (for a total of 69.7%). They’re pulling sup­port away from the Con­ser­v­a­tives (-23%) and the NDP (-17%).

UPDATE, 4:54 PM: Lib­er­als now run­ning ahead in 21 rid­ings. NDP and Con­ser­v­a­tives still have just 1 each. The Lib­er­als look incred­i­bly dom­i­nant in the mar­itime provinces.

UPDATE, 5:01 PM: Updat­ed score: Lib­er­als ahead in 26 rid­ings, Con­ser­v­a­tives in 2, NDP 1. Still ear­ly, but it’s sure look­ing like a rout for the Lib­er­als. 309 rid­ings to come.

UPDATE, 5:11 PM: It just gets bet­ter for the Lib­er­als. They’re ahead in thir­ty rid­ings now! Cur­rent score: Lib­er­als 30, Con­ser­v­a­tives 1, NDP 1.

UPDATE, 5:17 PM: WHOA! The Lib­er­als are now lead­ing in thir­ty-two out of thir­ty-two rid­ings in Atlantic Cana­da. This is just remark­able. It’s a red wave.

Here’s a CBC screen­shot show­ing the sig­nif­i­cant swing in Atlantic Canada:

The vote shift in Atlantic Cana­da (Analy­sis from the Cana­di­an Broad­cast­ing Corporation)

UPDATE, 5:19 PM: “In all my years, I’ve nev­er seen a region of the coun­try paint­ed in one col­or like this,” says CBC anchor Peter Mansbridge.

UPDATE, 5:25 PM: The Con­ser­v­a­tives have retak­en the lead in one rid­ing. Fif­teen races have been called at this juncture.

UPDATE, 5:45 PM: The Lib­er­als now lead in thir­ty-three rid­ings — includ­ing one in Que­bec. The Con­ser­v­a­tives have been trad­ing the lead with the Lib­er­als in one key rid­ing, but the Lib­er­als have it at the moment. The NDP is in big, big trou­ble… it looks like their six seats are gone. Among the NDP casu­al­ties could be young pro­gres­sive Megan Leslie, con­sid­ered to be a ris­ing star in the NDP.

UPDATE, 5:49 PM: The CBC projects that Megan Leslie, one of the most pop­u­lar mem­bers of the New Demo­c­ra­t­ic Par­ty cau­cus, has been defeated.

UPDATE, 6:06 PM: CBC tak­ing note of vet­er­an NDP MP Peter Stoffer’s loss in Sackville-Reston-Chezzetcook, a rid­ing he has held since 1997.

UPDATE, 6:28 PM: Fresh results from Que­bec are due very soon. In the mean­time, the Lib­er­als are still sweep­ing Atlantic Cana­da. If the Lib­er­als do well in Que­bec and Ontario, it could be all over before we get to British Columbia.

UPDATE, 6:32 PM: Results in two hun­dred more rid­ings, from Que­bec to Alber­ta, are now about to be count­ed. Here comes the big wave.

UPDATE, 6:33 PM: The Con­ser­v­a­tives are final­ly back on the board. They’re ahead in four rid­ings now. Lib­er­als still sweep­ing Atlantic Canada.

UPDATE, 6:36 PM: Stephen Harp­er described on CBC as “the most unpop­u­lar pop­u­lar Prime Min­is­ter ever” among le Québé­cois.

UPDATE, 6:37 PM: “Num­bers tum­bling in quick­ly now,” CBC says. Cur­rent score: Lib­er­als 42, Con­ser­v­a­tives 6, NDP 1.

UPDATE, 6:39 PM: Lib­er­als now up to fifty lead­ing and elect­ed. Con­ser­v­a­tives have eleven and NDP have two.

UPDATE, 6:42 PM: We have a pro­jec­tion! CBC projects that the Lib­er­als will form the next gov­ern­ment and Justin Trudeau will be the next Prime Min­is­ter of Canada.

UPDATE, 6:43 PM: Big moment for the Lib­er­als and Justin Trudeau.

UPDATE, 6:44 PM: Justin Trudeau is expect­ed be sworn in as Canada’s next Prime Min­is­ter with­in two weeks. Stephen Harp­er has been defeated!

UPDATE, 6:50 PM: Fresh score: Lib­er­als 75, Con­ser­v­a­tives 37, NDP 10, Bloc Québé­cois 1

UPDATE, 6:55 PM: Lib­er­als clos­ing in on one hun­dred seats. They lead or have won 98. Con­ser­v­a­tives have 61, NDP 12, Bloc 1.

UPDATE, 6:56 PM: Lib­er­als notch 100. Con­ser­v­a­tives at 63. NDP 12. Bloc 1.

UPDATE, 6:59 PM: The Lib­er­als seem to be doing rea­son­ably well in the Toron­to area. They lead or have won in 119 rid­ings. Con­ser­v­a­tives ahead in 67. NDP ahead in 13. The Bloc has 2 ridings.

UPDATE, 7:00 PM: Polls are about to close in British Columbia.

UPDATE, 7:05 PM: Lib­er­als appear to be cruis­ing towards a major­i­ty. They lead in 141 rid­ings. Con­ser­v­a­tives ahead in 88, NDP 21, Bloc 4.

UPDATE, 7:06 PM: It’s worth remem­ber­ing that in 2011 the Lib­er­als got evis­cer­at­ed. They went down to under forty seats. Right now, they lead in one hun­dred and fifty rid­ings. A stun­ning comeback.

UPDATE, 7:07 PM: The NDP is not doing well at all tonight.

UPDATE, 7:08 PM: Thomas Mul­cair is trail­ing in his own rid­ing of Out­remont, but hard­ly any votes have been counted.

UPDATE, 7:09 PM: Results are trick­ling in from British Colum­bia now.

UPDATE, 7:11 PM: One hun­dred and sev­en­ty seats are need­ed for a major­i­ty. At present… Lib­er­als have 156, Con­ser­v­a­tives 93, NDP 25, and the Bloc 8.

UPDATE, 7:16 PM: This is incred­i­ble. Lib­er­als 167, Con­ser­v­a­tives 95, NDP 24, Bloc 6.

UPDATE, 7:18 PM: Lib­er­als reach the pin­na­cle of 170. They’re lead­ing in a major­i­ty of the country’s ridings!

UPDATE, 7:22 PM: CBC isn’t quite ready to project a major­i­ty Lib­er­al gov­ern­ment, but if the cur­rent trend holds, that’s what Cana­da will end up. A vic­to­ry of his­toric pro­por­tions for Justin Trudeau. Lib­er­al strate­gists say he has out­done even his father’s vic­to­ry from deacdes ago.

UPDATE, 7:23 PM: The lat­est… Lib­er­als: 177, Con­ser­v­a­tives 95, NDP 23, Bloc 9.

UPDATE, 7:24 PM: Gig­gling heard on CBC set as Peter Mans­bridge looks at rid­ings with ridicu­lous­ly low num­bers of votes count­ed. CBC cur­rent­ly look­ing at the rid­ing of Delta, which the Lib­er­als have a lead in.

UPDATE, 7:35 PM: CBC airs Olivia Chow’s con­ces­sion speech. She is the wife of for­mer NDP leader Jack Lay­ton, who died short­ly after his vic­to­ry four years ago in the 2011 elec­tion. She was run­ning as part of the NDP’s slate.

UPDATE, 7:40 PM: Big moment: CBC projects a Lib­er­al major­i­ty gov­ern­ment. Future Prime Min­is­ter Justin Trudeau will have a sol­id man­date to gov­ern Canada.

The moment the CBC pro­ject­ed that Justin Trudeau and the Lib­er­als would form the next gov­ern­ment of Canada.

UPDATE, 7:42 PM: “There’s no prece­dent for this elec­tion…. no prece­dent for what the Lib­er­als have done,” says a CBC ana­lyst. Lib­er­als ahead in 179 rid­ings, Con­ser­v­a­tives 101, NDP 33, Bloc 10, Green 1.

UPDATE, 7:43 PM: Over­heard on CBC: “Ter­ri­ble result for the Con­ser­v­a­tives… Not a good night for the pollsters.”

UPDATE, 8:01 PM: The Lib­er­als show no sign of relin­quish­ing strength. They lead in 186 rid­ings. Con­ser­v­a­tives ahead in 104. NDP win­ning 36. The Bloc has 10. Green Par­ty 1 (Eliz­a­beth May’s riding).

UPDATE, 8:09 PM: The Lib­er­als have real­ly out­per­formed expec­ta­tions tonight. The Globe and Mail notes: “Before the results start­ed stream­ing in, The Globe’s elec­tion fore­cast, based on recent polls and his­tor­i­cal data, said there was an 81-per-cent chance the Lib­er­als would get the most seats, but only an 18-per-cent chance of a Lib­er­al majority.”

UPDATE, 8:16 PM: So much for this being the clos­est elec­tion in Canada’s history…

UPDATE, 8:22 PM: Lib­er­als now lead­ing in 191 rid­ings. This is some­thing else. Con­ser­v­a­tives ahead in 104, NDP in 32, Bloc in 10, Green in 1.

UPDATE, 8:34 PM: Tom Mul­cair giv­ing his con­ces­sion speech. He’s speak­ing in both Eng­lish and French. He con­grat­u­lat­ed Trudeau on an “excep­tion­al” victory.

UPDATE, 8:36 PM: Mul­cair thanks all of the can­di­dates who cam­paigned under the NDP ban­ner. “We ran in this elec­tion with the most women and with the most indige­nous can­di­dates,” Mul­cair notes. “This is some­thing that makes me immense­ly proud.”

UPDATE, 8:38 PM: Mul­cair says the NDP will always be “a real choice” for the peo­ple of Quebec.

UPDATE, 8:39 PM: Mul­cair ends con­ces­sion speech with­out say­ing what his future plans are after speak­ing to a rather sub­dued crowd at NDP headquarters.

UPDATE, 8:48 PM: Stephen Harp­er expect­ed to con­cede in a cou­ple minutes.

UPDATE, 8:52 PM: Here comes Harper…

UPDATE, 8:57 PM: “It has been an unbe­liev­able hon­or to serve as your Prime Min­is­ter,” Harp­er says. “We gave every­thing we have to give and we have no regrets what­so­ev­er… We remain cit­i­zens of the best coun­try on Earth.”

UPDATE, 8:57 PM: “The peo­ple of Cana­da have elect­ed a Lib­er­al gov­ern­ment, a result we accept,” Harp­er says. He acknowl­edges hav­ing phoned Justin Trudeau. “I have assured him of my full coop­er­a­tion for the tran­si­tion in the com­ing days.”

UPDATE, 9:00 PM: “Tonight, friends, we have been able to elect a strong Offi­cial Oppo­si­tion to the Par­lia­ment of Cana­da,” Harp­er says, adding, “The dis­ap­point­ment you also feel is my respon­si­bil­i­ty, and mine alone.”

UPDATE, 9:02 PM: Harp­er ends speech with­out dis­cussing his future in politics.

UPDATE, 9:03 PM: CBC is read­ing a state­ment from Con­ser­v­a­tive par­ty offi­cials, in which it is revealed that Harp­er has left instruc­tion for the appoint­ment of an inter­im Con­ser­v­a­tive par­ty leader.

UPDATE, 9:14 PM: “This is what pos­i­tive pol­i­tics can do,” Justin Trudeau says tri­umphant­ly as he begins his vic­to­ry speech.

UPDATE, 9:14 PM: Trudeau says Cana­di­ans from all over have sent a strong, emphat­ic mes­sage of change.

UPDATE, 9:16 PM: Trudeau thanks his wife and chil­dren, say­ing he and his fam­i­ly are embark­ing on a new adven­ture togeth­er. “Dad will be there for you,” he says fondly.

UPDATE, 9:17 PM: Trudeau thanks his con­stituents for send­ing him to Parliament.

UPDATE, 9:19 PM: Trudeau salutes “the incred­i­ble vol­un­teers who made tonight happen”.

UPDATE, 9:20 PM: “We thank him for his ser­vice,” Trudeau says of Stephen Harper.

UPDATE, 9:21 PM: “Con­ser­v­a­tives are not our ene­mies, they are our neigh­bors,” Trudeau says. “Lead­er­ship is about bring­ing peo­ple of all dif­fer­ent per­spec­tives together.”

UPDATE, 9:22 PM: Speak­ing in French, Trudeau pays trib­ute to Thomas Mul­cair and con­grat­u­lates him for run­ning a vig­or­ous cam­paign, right up until the very end.

UPDATE, 9:23 PM: “We won this elec­tion because we lis­tened,” Trudeau says, telling sup­port­ers, “You built this plat­form, you built this move­ment. You told us what kind of gov­ern­ment you want.”

UPDATE, 9:26 PM: “You will be at the heart of this new gov­ern­ment,” Trudeau says to cheer­ing Lib­er­al supporters.

UPDATE, 9:27 PM: “I know that I am on stage tonight for one rea­son and one rea­son only: Because you put me here,” Trudeau says. “And you gave me clear march­ing orders.”

UPDATE, 9:30 PM: “I will be the Prime Min­is­ter of all Cana­di­ans,” Trudeau says in French. “We will form a gov­ern­ment of integri­ty that respects insti­tu­tions and will make col­lab­o­ra­tion with the provinces [a priority].”

UPDATE, 9:32 PM: Trudeau pledges to lis­ten to all three hun­dred and thir­ty-sev­en oth­er mem­bers of Par­lia­ment cho­sen by Cana­di­an voters.

UPDATE, 9:35 PM: “We know that our envi­able, inclu­sive soci­ety didn’t hap­pen by acci­dent,” Trudeau says. “Have faith in your fel­low cit­i­zens, my friends.”

UPDATE, 9:36 PM: “My friends, we beat fear with hope. We beat cyn­i­cism with hard work. We beat neg­a­tive, divi­sive pol­i­tics with a pos­i­tive vision that brings Cana­di­ans togeth­er”, Trudeau says. “Most of all, we defeat­ed the idea that Cana­di­ans should be sat­is­fied with less.”

UPDATE, 9:37 PM: Trudeau fin­ish­es his speech with a flour­ish and is joined by his wife on stage. They are all smiles and sup­port­ers are sim­ply euphoric.

UPDATE, 9:38 PM: Cur­rent stand­ings: Lib­er­als 184, Con­ser­v­a­tives 101, NDP 42, Bloc 10, Green 1.

UPDATE, 9:43 PM: That cer­tain­ly was a strong speech by Justin Trudeau. He will take office in about ten days. Tran­si­tions in Cana­da hap­pen pret­ty quickly.

Vic­to­ri­ous Trudeau waves

UPDATE, 9:44 PM: Won­der if we’ll get a read­out from the White House tomor­row of a call between Oba­ma and Trudeau. In all like­li­hood, Pres­i­dent Oba­ma will be call­ing Trudeau tomor­row morn­ing to offer his con­grat­u­la­tions and to dis­cuss next steps.

UPDATE, 10:02 PM: Well, that’s it for our live cov­er­age tonight. Thanks for fol­low­ing along.