Federal Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre visited Surrey on Tuesday to promote his "common sense" vision for Canada, emphasizing the need for stronger border security, a robust economy and a tougher stance on crime.

The Conservative Party leader made a stop Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 4) to tour Ledgeview, a Black Maple Construction site in Whalley. 

Poilievre told the crowd that Canada was not in the state it is now before the "radical woke liberals" were in power and it won't be like that after they are gone. 

He focused on what he calls his "common sense" plan to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget, stop the crime and put Canada first. 

Part of stopping the crime, he said, includes going after people trafficking large amounts of illicit drugs. Poilievre wants to ensure that people selling large amounts of fentanyl are sentenced to life in prison. 

"If you are selling large-scale amounts of fentanyl, you are killing more people than convicted murderers are. That's the truth. It's like spraying a bullet into a crowded stadium. You don't know who you're killing, but you're killing somebody," he said. 

Poilievre said he would also cut back on foreign aid and direct that money into the military.

"We will be guided by a warrior culture and not a woke culture," he said. 

"A stronger Canada will make for a more secure United States of America. We will never back down in standing up for our territorial integrity and our economy when we project this strength, and not only will we project strength, we will be able to get the respect to sign a real agreement with the Americans that protects our economy and theirs," he said. 

"They have a president who wants to put America first. Well, we're going to have a prime minister that puts Canada first on this side of the border." 

With the threat of tariffs from the United States looming amidst the 30-day pause, Poilievre said the first thing the government needs to do is to secure our border and strengthen our economy. 

"This is a wake-up call. We've become far too dependent on the Americans, and they know it. That's why they're walking all over us. So it's time for us to cut taxes, green-light massive resource projects, speed up home building permits, knock down interprovincial barriers, so we can trade with ourselves and become an independent, strong country that can stand on its own two feet," he said. 

Poilievre said he would stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump with strength if he were the next prime minister.

"We've got a weak prime minister, a weak government, a weak economy, weak borders, and when President Trump spots weakness, he seizes on it." 

He said he would present Trump with two options. 

"Either you attack the Canadian economy, and what you will have is your economy will be weakened," he said. 

"We will retaliate with tariffs, you will have a weakened and resentful northern neighbour, and that will make for a weaker and less secure United States, or you can have uninterrupted free trade with our country, and Canada will be bigger and stronger.

"We will rebuild our military and harden our borders against terrorists and crime. That latter option means that both our countries will be stronger, safer and richer, and I think when he looks at those two options, he'll pick the second."

The Ledgeview site, where Poilievre shared his message, is being developed by Quadra Homes. It will be a collection of 145 condominiums and 11 townhouses with 39 floorplans ranging from studios to three-bedroom townhomes.It's one of five active construction projects across the Lower Mainland for Black Maple Construction, a Mission-based family general contracting business that started in 2015.