Prime Minister Mark Carney calls six federal byelections for Dec. 7
Canada will vote in six ridings across Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan on Dec. 7 after the prime minister called the contests following recent resignations.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Sunday that six federal byelections will be held on Dec. 7, 2026. The elections cover three Quebec ridings – Laurier—Sainte‑Marie, Rosemont—La Petite‑Patrie and Saint‑Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton – two Ontario ridings – Brantford—Brant South and Scarborough North – and one Saskatchewan riding, Yorkton—Melville, according to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Riding breakdown
The Quebec seats were previously held by the Liberals (Laurier—Sainte‑Marie), the NDP (Rosemont—La Petite‑Patrie) and the Bloc Québécois (Saint‑Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton). Ontario’s Brantford—Brant South and Saskatchewan’s Yorkton—Melville were Conservative seats, while Scarborough North was held by the Liberals. The Liberals have a majority government after winning three byelections earlier this year, the ministry said.
Candidates and controversies
In Brantford—Brant South, a longtime Conservative pastor is running as an independent after the party appointed Brantford mayor Kevin Davis without a local nomination. The independent, Dave Carrol, said, "Party leadership chose to appoint another candidate, skipping the process we have valued for decades." In Yorkton—Melville, Liberal candidate Aaron Kienle, mayor of Yorkton, will face Conservative farmer Nelson Pohl. The riding has been Conservative‑held for more than 30 years, the ministry noted.
Party reactions
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre tweeted that Canadians should choose a different path, promising a plan to save money, protect jobs and reform immigration. He added at a news conference, "I think it's an opportunity for hard‑working Canadians who think it’s unacceptable for Mark Carney to drive up their cost of gas, groceries and housing to vote for a party that will fight to save you money."
Context
The byelections follow 13 resignations since the 2025 federal election, triggering the prime minister’s constitutional duty to call elections within 11 to 180 days of each vacancy.