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       Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau speaks at a campaign stop in Brampton, Ont., on Sept. 14, 2021.

       CARLOS OSORIO/Reuters

       Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is defending holding a packed event in Brampton with 400 people on Tuesday evening, saying the event was in keeping with provincial guidelines despite criticism, including from Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole.

       Mr. Trudeau, who was in Halifax on Wednesday to emphasize his party’s health care plans, including COVID-19 vaccinations and efforts to put an end to the pandemic, said the Liberals followed all regulations around capacity because it is necessary to follow guidelines “as we get through this.”

       “At the same time, we need to recognize that close to 80 per cent of Canadians have done the right thing, gotten themselves vaccinated, those who are eligible,” Mr. Trudeau said. “That means, that for those people, being able to come back to doing the things we love is more and more of a possibility.”

       The pandemic has been a key element of this election campaign, including lingering questions about why Mr. Trudeau decided to trigger an election during the fourth wave of the pandemic. Other parties have said that the Liberal Leader’s decision was driven by self-interests and the pursuit of a majority government.

       The fourth wave of the pandemic is driven by those who are not vaccinated and are putting the recovery at risk, Mr. Trudeau added. The Liberal have not said whether there was a vaccination requirement in place for supporters to attend the event.

       Mr. Trudeau also said Wednesday it is “inconceivable” to him that Conservative Leader does not require his candidates to be vaccinated and that he is willing to support candidates “who are anti-vaxxers.”

       For his part, Mr. O’Toole said Wednesday that Mr. Trudeau’s event was in “contempt of common sense and social distancing guidelines.”

       “Once again, Justin Trudeau has put his entitlement and privilege on full display,” Mr. O’Toole said during his daily election news conference, held Wednesday in the Canadian Legion Hall in Jonquiere, a borough in the Quebec city of Saguenay, about 200 kilometres north of Quebec City.

       Mr. O’Toole said the as Liberal gathering held in “a packed room” in a “major COVID hotspot in Canada.”

       The Liberal event was held at a large venue in Brampton, known as the Speranza Banquet Hall, and 400 people were allowed in the space, the party said. It also noted that the usual capacity for the room is 1,000 and COVID-19 guidelines mean the maximum number that could be in the room was 500.

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       Ontario regulations also say members of the public must be able to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from every other person in the indoor portion of the event space.

       Liberal organizers created boxes on the ground with green masking tape to encourage people to practise physical distancing, but many stepped outside those lines in an attempt to get close to Mr. Trudeau. When he left the room, he was met by a crush of supporters.

       There were also seniors in the room, including 87-year-old former prime minister Jean Chrétien, who made an appearance at the event in support of Mr. Trudeau, and 100-year-old former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion.

       When asked Wednesday why he would hold an event of this kind, including with seniors, Mr. Trudeau said that “nobody tells Hazel McCallion or Jean Chrétien what to do or what not to do.”

       “I was so glad they chose to come join us in that event,” he said.

       Ms. McCallion, who is a supporter of Mr. Trudeau’s, told reporters on Tuesday evening that it is “unfortunate” an election was called during a pandemic. She said the government should be concentrating on the recovery instead and getting people back to work to get the economy moving.

       On Aug. 15, Mr. Trudeau visited newly minted Governor-General Mary Simon at Rideau Hall, where she accepted his request to dissolve the 43rd Parliament. Mr. Trudeau had previously promised not to hold an election during the pandemic but he has said he needs a new mandate.

       When asked if she felt comfortable in the crowded space in Brampton, Ms. McCallion said that is why she doesn’t believe an election should have been called during a pandemic.

       “Governments have been saying, ‘Stay home, stay away, including in groups,’” she said. “And then an election is called, which brings people together in groups.”

       On the issue of safety, Mr. Chrétien, 87, said he didn’t know the format for the event but felt safe because he has been vaccinated, adding he was happy he came.

       With files from Ian Bailey in Saguenay, Que.

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