For the fourth time in seven years, Canadians are preparing to elect a new government on Monday.

For weeks, it seemed that the outcome of the election was a forgone conclusion. Voters anticipated the third unstable Conservative minority government in a row.

But late in the campaign, opinion polls show that a party that usually finishes in third place has a sudden surge in momentum.

Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett reports from Toronto, Canada.