Voters are gearing up for an eighth federal byelection scheduled between August 31 and mid-April following the announcement of the departure of Ontario Conservative MP Larry Brock. Brock, who won the southwest Ontario riding, now named Brantford–Brant South, in 2021, disclosed his decision to resign from the House of Commons to pursue a role at the Crown attorney’s office in Brantford, Ontario.
This marks the third Conservative MP resignation this summer, as Saskatchewan MP Cathay Wagantall and Quebec’s Richard Martel also made similar announcements. Wagantall plans to step down by the end of the month, while Martel has been appointed to the Senate.
Byelections are set to take place in Martel’s riding of Chicoutimi–Le Fjord, North Vancouver–Capilano, and Beaches–East York in Toronto. The North Vancouver–Capilano and Beaches–East York contests aim to fill the seats left by former Liberal cabinet ministers Jonathan Wilkinson and Nate Erskine-Smith. Wilkinson resigned to serve as Canada’s ambassador to the European Union in Brussels, while Erskine-Smith pursued politics in Ontario with no success.
Bloc Québécois MP Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay vacated his seat earlier this summer to participate in the Quebec election on October 5 under the Parti Québécois banner. The Saint-Hyacinthe–Bagot–Acton seat remains the sole vacant federal position without a scheduled byelection.
Byelections are required to be called by the prime minister between 11 and 180 days after a seat becomes vacant, with formal campaigns lasting between 36 and 50 days. This means that a byelection must be held within 47 days to seven months after the seat is declared vacant, contingent on the MP’s formal resignation.
Notably, Independent and former NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice is set to run for Québec solidaire in the provincial election but has yet to relinquish his Montreal seat. Meanwhile, former Liberal cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault announced his intent to resign as a Montreal MP back in May and is scheduled to step down on August 28.
Larry Brock is slated to resign on September 18, with the House of Commons expected to reconvene from its summer recess on September 21.