Carney calls six byelections for Dec. 7 in three provinces

Voters in six federal ridings in Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan will go to the polls Dec. 7 after Prime Minister Mark Carney called byelections Sunday.

A news release from the Prime Minister’s Office said the contests will be held in three Quebec ridings: Laurier-Sainte-Marie, Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie and Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot-Acton. They were previously held by a Liberal, a New Democrat and a Bloc Québécois member, respectively, The Canadian Press reported.

The other three are Brantford-Brant South and Scarborough North in Ontario, and Yorkton-Melville in Saskatchewan. Conservatives held Yorkton-Melville and Brantford-Brant South, while Scarborough North belonged to the Liberals.

The Liberals hold 173 seats in the House of Commons, a thin majority, CBC News reported. Losing all six races would not affect their ability to govern, but wins would let the party add to its numbers.

The prime minister must call a byelection between 11 and 180 days after a member’s resignation. The Canadian Press said 13 of 343 MPs have stepped down since the 2025 election, for diplomatic appointments, provincial politics or retirement.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said at a news conference Sunday the byelections are an opportunity for Canadians worried about the cost of gas, groceries and housing to vote for his party, which he said would fight to save them money.

In Laurier-Sainte-Marie, vacated by former environment minister Steven Guilbeault, the Liberals are running former Desjardins Group chief executive Guy Cormier. The NDP has nominated epidemiologist Nimâ Machouf, and the Bloc is fielding Zumretay Arkin, a former vice-president of the World Uyghur Congress.

Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie, the only riding the NDP won east of Manitoba in the last federal election, opened up when Alexandre Boulerice resigned in August ahead of a successful provincial run for Québec solidaire. The Liberals are running human rights advocate Jean-Sébastien Vallée, and the NDP is fielding Pierre Céré.

Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot-Acton is open because Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay quit the Bloc caucus in June before a successful provincial run for the Parti Québécois. The Liberals are running former Coalition Avenir Québec member of the National Assembly Chantal Soucy, and the Bloc has nominated Caroline Émond, former director general of the International Dairy Federation. CBC News reported the Conservatives are running former Montreal Alouettes player Luc Brodeur-Jourdain.

In Scarborough North, Liberal Shaun Chen left the seat in August, citing ongoing medical issues related to a 2025 vehicle crash. The Liberals are running accountant James Li.

The Brantford-Brant South race has an added twist. The Conservatives appointed Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis as their candidate rather than hold a local nomination contest. Pastor and longtime Conservative Dave Carroll is running as an independent, which could draw votes from Davis. The Liberals are running Joy O’Donnell, president of the Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant.

Yorkton-Melville has been held by the Conservatives and their predecessors, the Reform Party and the Canadian Alliance, for more than 30 years, and the Liberals have never won it since it was created in 1968. Cathay Wagantall won it with more than 77 per cent of the vote in 2025 and resigned in August. The Liberals are running Yorkton Mayor Aaron Kienle against Conservative Nelson Pohl, a farmer.

Carney’s Liberals won three byelections in April, in Terrebonne, University-Rosedale and Scarborough Southwest, and swept three more on Aug. 31, flipping Chicoutimi-Le Fjord and holding Beaches-East York and North Vancouver-Capilano, The Canadian Press reported. Those wins followed five floor-crossings that cemented the government’s majority, as we reported in our earlier look at the Liberal byelection sweep. Earlier this year we also asked why Carney called just three byelections when four seats were vacant.

Sources: The Canadian Press and CBC News.

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