Armies of election-campaign volunteers fanned out across Ottawa after the federal election writ dropped, staking signs, opening campaign offices and knocking on doors.

For some Ottawa candidates, knocking on doors was nothing new.

Liberal Ottawa Centre candidate Scott Bradley estimated he’d knocked on about 12,000 over the course of the last year as he prepared for the inevitable election.

“Now we’re really focused on the logistical details,” he said Thursday on the eve of the non-confidence vote. “Getting signs, getting the campaign office open.”

On Friday morning, hours before the government fell, Trevor Haché, the NDP candidate for Ottawa-Vanier, got a surprise.

The office his campaign had lined up turned out to be next door to an Elections Canada returning office, a violation of regulations. 

“We were told by our landlord that Elections Canada would not let him rent to us and so we were sent scrambling,” Haché said.

By yesterday morning, he’d found and moved into new digs.

Damian Konstantinakos, Conservative Party candidate for Ottawa Centre said he was disappointed that it had come to an election, but was excited to be running for office.

“The phone has been ringing off the hook with people looking to offer their support,” he said as he and campaign volunteers set up his headquarters.