Voters are gearing up for another federal byelection set to occur between August 31 and mid-April following the announcement of the departure of Ontario Conservative MP Larry Brock. Brock, who won his seat in 2021 to represent the Brantford–Brant South riding in southwestern Ontario, revealed his decision to leave the House of Commons to join the Crown attorney’s office in Brantford, Ontario.
This marks the third Conservative MP resignation this summer, with Saskatchewan’s Cathay Wagantall and Quebec’s Richard Martel also stepping down. Martel’s Chicoutimi–Le Fjord riding, along with North Vancouver–Capilano and Beaches–East York in Toronto, are scheduled to have byelections at the end of the month.
The North Vancouver–Capilano and Beaches–East York races aim to fill the void left by former Liberal cabinet ministers Jonathan Wilkinson and Nate Erskine-Smith. Wilkinson resigned to take on the role of Canada’s ambassador to the European Union in Brussels, while Erskine-Smith made an unsuccessful attempt in Ontario politics.
Additionally, Bloc Québécois MP Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay resigned earlier in the summer to contest in the Quebec election on October 5, leaving the Saint-Hyacinthe–Bagot–Acton federal seat vacant without a byelection announcement.
Byelections must be called by the prime minister within 11 to 180 days after a seat becomes vacant, with campaigns running for 36 to 50 days. Consequently, a byelection vote is expected to take place between 47 days and seven months after the seat is vacated, pending the formal resignation of the MP.
Meanwhile, Independent and former NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice is eyeing a run for Québec solidaire in the provincial election but has yet to relinquish his Montreal seat. Former Liberal cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault, who announced his resignation as an MP on May 27, is set to leave his Montreal seat on August 28.
Brock has announced his resignation date as September 18, with the House of Commons scheduled to reconvene from its summer break on September 21.