'Big load off' shoulders of many French expats in Toronto after long, tense election
Long lines of eager voters snaked around Toronto French Consulate ahead of Sunday's landmark election
After long and tense campaign, Sunday's conclusion to the French presidential election came as a welcome end for many expats of the country living in Toronto.
Just before 2:30 ET, 39-year-old former investment banker Emmanuel Macron was elected the new president of France defeating far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen, 48, whose "France-first" vision included an exit from the European Union and restricting immigration to the country.
"Well we're all hugely relieved because these presidential elections have been very difficult, they've been very lengthy, they've been very violent," said Francine Watkins, whose eyes were glued to the screen at the Madison Avenue Pub which was packed people watching for the results.
Hours-long wait times didn't deter voters
Ahead of the result, long snaking lines of eager voters could be seen outside the French Consulate in Toronto, which braced for a high turnout with added booths in polling stations. Many arrived early on Saturday hoping to avoid the crowds, but some found themselves waiting up to four hours.
Victoria Sauveplane was one of those who watched the polls with bated breath and said she was encouraged by the turnout.
"This is great in terms of mobilization," Sauveplane said, adding she was relieved by Macron's win.
"I feel like there's a big load off my shoulders. I mean, I think generally most French people feel that way," she said. "We're a very mixed culture in France and people from all over and to have principles of Le Pen moving forward I think it would have been a huge detriment to the French culture."
Record levels of support for opposition
Despite those feelings, Le Pen's party, the National Front, did see record levels of support.
With minutes to go before the polling stations closed, five projections showed Macron beating Le Pen by around 65 per cent to 35 per cent, a gap some 15 percentage points larger than the 20 per cent share she was anticipated to take.
"I'm reassured by the result because I was really worried that she could win," said Toronto expat Jonathan Le Quang.
"But anyway I'm really worried about the such high percentage that she got."
Watkins shared that sentiment, but spent Sunday celebrating.
"We're just elated," she said, adding Le Pen's defeat was important "especially for expatriates like us who are immigrants in this country."