UPDATE: 1:25 p.m.

With less than 24 hours ahead of Canada’s federal election, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said ending his campaigns in Penticton is a party tradition.

"I think every campaign, we've ended off in Penticton, so I feel I couldn't not continue the tradition," Singh said.

"I love the people of Penticton; I've had such great connections with people here. Richard [Cannings] has been such a dear friend to me. So, in honour of Richard being the MP, and we've got such a great candidate with Linda Sankey here, I think it's important to show our support."

The Similkameen–South Okanagan–West Kootenay riding has voted NDP since 2015, but recently saw its boundaries redefined, with areas like Trail, Warfied and Rossland being added.

In B.C.'s provincial election last fall, Conservatives swept the Okanagan Valley, turning most ridings blue.

Singh pointed to his Conservative opponent Pierre Poilievre and cuts to services such as healthcare as the reason voters would choose to vote NDP federally on election day.

"I think, more and more people are looking closely at Pierre Poilievre's plan, and what he's proposing is tax cuts for millionaires and spending billions of dollars," he said.

"But he wants to cut dental care, PharmaCare, childcare. So, he's gonna try to give you a couple hundred dollars of savings in tax in this first year, but then cut tens of thousands of dollars in benefits [...] If these are things that you care about, then Linda Sankey is your vote here in this riding."

During his meet-and-greet at the Dragonboat Pub, he also spoke about Saturday night’s mass killing in Vancouver, adding he was at the Lapu Lapu celebration shortly before the tragedy occurred.

Similkameen–South Okanagan–West Kootenay NDP MP candidate Linda Sankey also led the appearance with a moment of silence.

UPDATE: 10:25 a.m.

Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh fought back tears as he spoke in Penticton Sunday morning about the horrific mass killing at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Festival, which he had attended Saturday.

"Last night, horror struck in a place filled with joy," Singh said. "I was at the Lapu Lapu celebration just before the attack happened. I saw families gathered together, I saw children dancing, I saw pride in culture, in history, in community.

"It's heartbreaking to think that such joy could be torn apart so violently, so suddenly."

While acknowledging that the motive behind the deadly attack – that saw a man drive an SUV through a crowd, killing at least 11 people – remains unclear, Singh said hate has no place in Canada.

"Hate is a poison, it feeds off isolation, fear and despair," Singh said. "But the antidote is solidarity, the antidote is community, the antidote is the joy we create when we gather, the strength we forge when we stand together and the pride we claim when we honour the struggles that shape us.

"To the families, to the survivors, to everyone grieving today: we see you, we mourn with you, we stand with you and we will not let hate win, not now, not ever."

Singh was visibly shaken on several occasions as he spoke about attending the festival, leaving just minutes before the attack occurred.

"I keep on thinking about the kids that I met, the joy," he said. "I can't stop thinking about how much happiness was there, it was a family event, people were so positive and so joyful. I keep on replaying it."

With the election just one day away, Singh spoke little about politics during his stop.

"It's a dark day. It's hard to kind of bounce between talking about, I want people to vote for us, but I'm also really torn up about this. So it's a really tough day."

ORIGINAL: 9 a.m.

Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is in Penticton Sunday morning.

Singh is holding a press conference at 9 a.m., before returning to Vancouver. The press conference can be viewed live here.

He had previously planned to attend the Vaisakhi parade in Oliver following the Penticton press conference, but his plans were changed after the horrific mass killing in Vancouver Saturday night.

Singh attended the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver on Saturday and he had left shortly before an SUV drove through the crowd, killing nine people.

“I don't have the words to describe the pain that I'm feeling right now thinking about the lives that were lost,” Singh said Saturday night. “There were kids there, there were families there.”

Photo: Sarah Crookall

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh speaks in Penticton Sunday morning.