Poilievre gathers Conservatives in Penticton as caucus termed a fractured mess Federal Conservatives meet in Penticton, B.C. on Wednesday and Thursday as sources describe the caucus as a fractured mess and urge unity on the U.S. trade file. Federal Conservatives gather in Penticton, B.C. on Wednesday and Thursday for their caucus retreat, with Leader Pierre Poilievre facing pressure to unite factions ahead of the fall sitting of Parliament. Speaking to CTV News on background, one caucus source described the group as a fractured mess, saying many members see the retreat as a vacation from their ridings after a hard summer at home, worried about losing their seats. The source said that until last fall, caucus largely accepted the message that the 2025 election loss and low polling numbers were a temporary setback.Consistently lagging polling and internal division now make it increasingly difficult for caucus to believe the narrative that the party will be back on top one day, the source said. This is what it looks like when a leader is starting to really lose the room, said Stewart Prest of the University of British Columbia, adding the party appears to be struggling to gain traction on any major issue.There is especially tension over how to handle the U.S. file, according to several sources CTV News spoke with. Prest described a push and pull between Conservatives who feel the party is not finding ways to meet the moment and defend Canadian sovereignty strongly enough, and an offshoot that believes Canada should find a way to fall back in line with Americans.There is clearly going to be pointed criticism, and we may hear it more, and more publicly, of Pierre Poilievre and his leadership, Prest told CTV News about the retreat. Conservatives often hold their caucus retreats in Ottawa. A different Conservative source said this one is in scenic Penticton as a way to boost party morale.That senior source acknowledged the challenge is to get caucus united, particularly on how to respond to the trade war with the U.S. I think more unity is required in a stronger pro-Canada position, said Hamish Telford of the University of the Fraser Valley. I don't think other issues are really going to get play as long as we're in the midst of this trade dispute, and the president of the United States is constantly trolling us, Telford told CTV News.Poilievre faces questions about his leadership after one source spoke to 17 MPs from across the country. Since last fall, he has lost four members of caucus to the Liberals through floor crossings, a fifth left for the Senate, and two more announced they are stepping down earlier than planned. There has also been public criticism and grievance-airing from MPs and prominent members of the conservative movement, largely on social media.Poilievre's communications team declined to answer questions from CTV News about the caucus retreat and its goals over the past week and a half. James Moore told CTV News that getting the whole team together in one room ahead of the fall session and getting everybody aligned is a really important part of the duties of the leader of the official opposition.Moore pointed to a fall full of very big political moments, including the Quebec election, the Alberta referendum, the first federal budget under Prime Minister Mark Carney's majority, the U.S. midterms, and the ongoing trade war. The official opposition being co-ordinated, united and effective will be good for the country. It will be important for the country to have an opposition that is focused on the big issues, not sideshows, Moore said.Moore said whether the party can focus on an economy under duress from tariffs and American trade policies, rather than side issues, will determine whether Conservatives see a real rebound in their public opinion approval with Canadians. Poilievre has largely avoided weighing in on internal squabbles. The standout exception was his June remark about B.C. Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay winning in spite of Liberal lobbyists from out east.The comment was aimed at Ontario Premier Doug Ford's former campaign manager Kory Teneycke. Findlay is attempting to win a seat in the Abbotsford-Mission riding byelection on Sept. 26, targeting territory a few hours' drive from where her former federal caucus members meet this week. For better and for worse, for the Conservatives, B.C. is a kind of a microcosm for the debates and the problems that face conservatism in the country more broadly, said Prest.I don't think that Pierre Poilievre wants to be too closely attached to her or the turmoil in the B.C. Conservative Party. I think he's hoping that they can keep those two entities separate, and they might be able to do so with Kerry-Lynne Findlay focused on the byelection here, said Telford, speaking to CTV News from Abbotsford, B.C.Telford and several others CTV News spoke with for this story were quick to mention how hard hit the broader Okanagan region of B.C. has been in recent months by forest fires and mass evacuations. Conservatives from across the country meet in Penticton on Wednesday and Thursday before heading back to Ottawa later this month.The retreat comes after a summer of internal division and public criticism, with the party lagging in the polls and struggling to define its position on the U.S. trade file. The challenges are not limited to Ottawa. In British Columbia, the provincial Conservative Party has faced its own turmoil, and the federal and provincial wings are navigating overlapping battles in the same region. Poilievre's team has not answered questions about the retreat's goals.Sources say the coming days will test whether the leader can keep his caucus focused on the economy and the trade war rather than internal disputes. With the fall sitting approaching, MPs will return to Parliament facing major political moments at home and abroad. How the Conservatives position themselves on tariffs, sovereignty and the economy will shape whether the party can rebound with Canadians.