OTTAWA — Canada's federal political parties are actively carving out their final plans for the Oct. 19 election campaign, which is expected to get underway this weekend.
Sources familiar with the plans say Stephen Harper is expected to visit the Governor General on Sunday to ask that Parliament be dissolved.
The prime minister is also scheduled to attend a rally with Conservative supporters later that day in Montreal — the anticipated kickoff of a gruelling 11-week campaign.
That means parties must now brace for the prospect of one of the longest — and costliest — election campaigns in recent Canadian political history.
Federal law requires campaigns to be at least 37 days long, but does not stipulate a maximum duration.
The Conservative gover
