Carney calls Aug. 31 federal by-elections in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney has called federal by-elections for Aug. 31 in three ridings spanning Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, launching a five-week campaign that will test the major parties in three markedly different political environments.

The votes will be held in Beaches—East York in Toronto, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord in the Saguenay region of Quebec and North Vancouver—Capilano on British Columbia’s North Shore. Elections Canada confirmed that advance polls will operate from Aug. 21 to Aug. 24. Voters seeking to cast a special ballot by mail must apply by 6 p.m. on Aug. 25.

The three vacancies were created for different reasons.

Former housing minister Nathaniel Erskine-Smith resigned as the Liberal MP for Beaches—East York after more than a decade representing the Toronto riding. Erskine-Smith had planned to seek the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party but lost a provincial nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest before leaving federal politics.

In Quebec, Conservative MP Richard Martel resigned from Chicoutimi—Le Fjord after being appointed to the Senate. Martel had represented the riding since winning a 2018 by-election.

North Vancouver—Capilano became vacant when former Liberal cabinet minister Jonathan Wilkinson left the House of Commons to become Canada’s ambassador to the European Union. Wilkinson had represented the North Shore riding since 2015.

The Liberal Party entered the campaign with candidates confirmed in all three districts. Tanveer Shahnawaz will carry the party’s banner in Beaches—East York, agricultural leader Daniel Gobeil will run in Chicoutimi—Le Fjord and former Prime Minister’s Office deputy chief of staff Braeden Caley will contest North Vancouver—Capilano.

The Bloc Québécois has selected Caroline Dubé for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord. Dubé has previously worked for elected officials in the region and ran provincially for the Parti Québécois in 2022. In North Vancouver—Capilano, the Conservatives are fielding Stephen Curran, who also represented the party in the 2025 general election.

The contests are not expected to determine whether the Liberal government retains its parliamentary majority. Three earlier by-elections held in April gave the Liberals their first majority in the House of Commons since 2015. However, the August votes could either enlarge the government’s margin or reduce it by removing one or both of the Liberal-held seats.

The previous results suggest the closest contest will be in Chicoutimi—Le Fjord. Martel won only 34.1 per cent of the vote in 2025, compared with 31.2 per cent for the Bloc Québécois and 31.1 per cent for the Liberals. Fewer than 1,600 votes separated the three leading candidates, and the Bloc finished just 37 votes ahead of the Liberals.

The two other ridings produced decisive Liberal victories in the last general election. Erskine-Smith captured 67.7 per cent of the Beaches—East York vote, finishing nearly 26,000 votes ahead of his Conservative opponent. Wilkinson won 59.8 per cent in North Vancouver—Capilano, defeating Curran by more than 16,500 votes.

Despite those margins, by-elections can produce lower turnout and give voters an opportunity to register dissatisfaction with the governing party. The races will also provide an early measure of whether the Liberals can transfer the personal support accumulated by Erskine-Smith and Wilkinson to new candidates.

For the Conservatives, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord will be a test of whether the party can retain a Quebec seat without an incumbent, while the Bloc will seek to consolidate the sovereigntist vote. North Vancouver—Capilano will offer the Conservatives another opportunity to improve their position in suburban British Columbia, and Beaches—East York will test whether opposition parties can make gains in a heavily Liberal Toronto district.

Election day is Monday, Aug. 31.