North Vancouver–Capilano in British Columbia, Beaches–East York in Ontario, and Chicoutimi—Le Fjord in Quebec. The votes are set to take place on August 31, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The upcoming byelections aim to fill vacancies left by former Liberal MPs Jonathan Wilkinson (now Canada’s ambassador to the European Union) and Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, as well as former Conservative MP Richard Martel, who was recently appointed to the Senate.
The races carry high stakes for the governing Liberals, who need to win at least one seat to maintain a technical majority in the House of Commons. Without counting Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia, the Liberals currently hold 171 seats. However, their tally is set to drop to 170 when Cabinet Minister Steven Guilbeault steps down on August 28. Meanwhile, the combined opposition count is expected to settle around 165 seats following upcoming resignations, including Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall on August 31. A single win on August 31 would bring the Liberals back to 171 seats, allowing them to retain control with the Speaker breaking any potential ties.
To secure these key ridings, the Liberal Party has named Braeden Caley for North Vancouver–Capilano, Tanveer Shahnawaz for Beaches–East York, and Daniel Gobeil for Chicoutimi–Le Fjord. Opposition parties, including the Conservatives and the NDP, are finalizing their nomination slates to challenge the Liberals ahead of the vote.
