List of federal by-elections in Canada
This is a list of by-elections in Canada since Confederation. By-elections are held to fill a vacancy in the Canadian House of Commons. Vacancies are caused by the death or resignation of a Member of Parliament or, more rarely, by the voiding of an election result by a court or as the result of an MP being expelled from the House of Commons. MPs have been expelled four times - Louis Riel (Provencher) was expelled in 1874 and again in 1875 for being a fugitive, Fred Rose (Cartier) was expelled in 1947 after having been convicted under the Official Secrets Act for having allegedly spied for the Soviet Union. In 1891, Thomas McGreevy (Quebec West) was expelled after being sentenced to a year in prison following his conviction for defrauding the government.[1]
When a seat becomes vacant the Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada issues a "Speaker's warrant" informing the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada of a vacancy. The Chief Electoral Officer must issue a writ of election "between the 11th and 180th days after the Chief Electoral Officer receives the warrant from the Speaker".[2] The election date is then set for not less than 36 days and not more than 50 days after the issuance of the writ. If a vacancy occurs less than nine months before a fixed election date, then no by-election us held and the seat remains vacant until the general election.[2]
This list below includes ministerial by-elections which occurred due to the requirement that Members of Parliament recontest their seats upon being appointed to Cabinet. These by-elections were almost always uncontested. This requirement was abolished in 1931.[3]
Notable by-elections
[edit]Notable by-election upsets in Canadian history include the 1942 York South by-election in which the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation's Joseph Noseworthy upset Conservative leader and former prime minister Arthur Meighen's attempt to return to the House of Commons, Defence Minister Andrew McNaughton's defeat in the 1945 Grey North by-election, the 1949 by-election in Kamouraska where the Liberals, who had won the riding by a 55.8 percentage point margin in the previous general election, were defeated by the Independent Liberal candidate in the by-election; the 1943 Cartier by-election which the Liberals lost to the Labor-Progressive Party's Fred Rose; Walter Pitman's 1960 by-election victory in Peterborough as a New Party candidate, which was a catalyst for the creation of the New Democratic Party; Deborah Grey's 1989 by-election victory in Beaver River in which she won the Reform Party of Canada's first seat, and Gilles Duceppe's 1990 upset by-election victory in Laurier—Sainte-Marie on behalf of the newly formed Bloc Québécois.[4]
44th Parliament (2021–present)
[edit]Electoral district | Date vacated | Date writ issued | By-election date | Previous incumbent | Party | Cause | Winner | Party | Retained | ||
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Mississauga—Lakeshore | May 27, 2022 | November 6, 2022 | December 12, 2022 | Sven Spengemann | Liberal | Resigned to accept a position with the United Nations | Charles Sousa | Liberal | Yes | ||
Winnipeg South Centre | December 12, 2022 | May 14, 2023[5] | June 19, 2023[5] | Jim Carr | Liberal | Death (multiple myeloma and kidney failure) | Ben Carr | Liberal | Yes | ||
Oxford | January 28, 2023 | May 14, 2023[5] | June 19, 2023[5] | Dave MacKenzie | Conservative | Retirement | Arpan Khanna | Conservative | Yes | ||
Portage—Lisgar | February 28, 2023 | May 14, 2023[5] | June 19, 2023[5] | Candice Bergen | Conservative | Resignation | Branden Leslie | Conservative | Yes | ||
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount | March 8, 2023 | May 14, 2023[5] | June 19, 2023[5] | Marc Garneau | Liberal | Retirement | Anna Gainey | Liberal | Yes | ||
Calgary Heritage | December 31, 2022 | June 18, 2023[6] | July 24, 2023 | Bob Benzen | Conservative | Resigned to return to the private sector | Shuvaloy Majumdar | Conservative | Yes | ||
Durham | August 1, 2023 | January 28, 2024 | March 4, 2024 | Erin O'Toole | Conservative | Resignation | Jamil Jivani | Conservative | Yes | ||
Toronto—St. Paul's | January 16, 2024 | May 19, 2024[7] | June 24, 2024[7] | Carolyn Bennett | Liberal | Resigned to accept appointment as Ambassador to Denmark | Don Stewart | Conservative | No | ||
LaSalle—Émard—Verdun | February 1, 2024 | July 28, 2024[8] | September 16, 2024[8] | David Lametti | Liberal | Resigned to join law firm | Louis-Philippe Sauvé | Bloc Québécois | No | ||
Elmwood—Transcona | March 31, 2024 | July 28, 2024[8] | September 16, 2024[8] | Daniel Blaikie | New Democratic | Resigned to work in Premier of Manitoba Wab Kinew's office | Leila Dance | New Democratic | Yes | ||
Cloverdale—Langley City | May 27, 2024 | No earlier than June 14, 2024 No later than November 30, 2024[9] | No earlier than July 22, 2024 No later than January 13, 2025[9] | John Aldag | Liberal | Resigned to seek the BC NDP nomination for Langley-Abbotsford in the 2024 British Columbia general election. | |||||
Halifax | August 31, 2024 | No earlier than September 14, 2024 No later than March 2, 2025[10] | No earlier than October 21, 2024 No later than April 14, 2025[10] | Andy Fillmore | Liberal | Resigned to run in the 2024 Halifax mayoral election |
43rd Parliament (2019–2021)
[edit]By-election | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Cause | Retained | ||
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York Centre | October 26, 2020 | Michael Levitt | Liberal | Ya'ara Saks | Liberal | Resigned to become CEO of the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies | Yes | ||
Toronto Centre | October 26, 2020 | Bill Morneau | Liberal | Marci Ien | Liberal | Resigned to run for Secretary-General of the OECD | Yes |
42nd Parliament (2015–2019)
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41st Parliament (2011–2015)
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40th Parliament (2008–2011)
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39th Parliament (2006–2008)
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38th Parliament (2004–2006)
[edit]By-election | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Cause | Retained | ||
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Labrador | May 24, 2005 | Lawrence D. O'Brien | Liberal | Todd Russell | Liberal | Death (cancer) | Yes |
37th Parliament (2000–2004)
[edit]36th Parliament (1997–2000)
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35th Parliament (1994–1997)
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34th Parliament (1988–1993)
[edit]By-election | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Cause | Retained | ||
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Beauséjour | December 10, 1990 | Fernand Robichaud | Liberal | Jean Chrétien | Liberal | Resignation to provide a seat for Chrétien | Yes | ||
York North | December 10, 1990 | Maurizio Bevilacqua | Liberal | Maurizio Bevilacqua | Liberal | Election declared void | Yes | ||
Oshawa | August 13, 1990 | Ed Broadbent | New Democratic | Mike Breaugh | New Democratic | Resignation | Yes | ||
Laurier—Sainte-Marie | August 13, 1990 | Jean-Claude Malépart | Liberal | Gilles Duceppe | Independent | Death | No | ||
Chambly | February 12, 1990 | Richard Grisé | Progressive Conservative | Phil Edmonston | New Democratic | Resignation | No | ||
Beaver River | March 13, 1989 | John Dahmer | Progressive Conservative | Deborah Grey | Reform | Death (cancer) | No |
33rd Parliament (1984–1988)
[edit]By-election | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Cause | Retained | ||
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Lac-Saint-Jean | June 20, 1988 | Clément Côté | Progressive Conservative | Lucien Bouchard | Progressive Conservative | Resignation | Yes | ||
St. John's East | July 20, 1987 | James A. McGrath | Progressive Conservative | Jack Harris | New Democratic | Resignation | No | ||
Hamilton Mountain | July 20, 1987 | Ian Deans | New Democratic | Marion Dewar | New Democratic | Resignation | Yes | ||
Yukon | July 20, 1987 | Erik Nielsen | Progressive Conservative | Audrey McLaughlin | New Democratic | Resignation | No | ||
Pembina | September 29, 1986 | Peter Elzinga | Progressive Conservative | Walter van de Walle | Progressive Conservative | Resignation | Yes | ||
Saint-Maurice | September 29, 1986 | Jean Chrétien | Liberal | Gilles Grondin | Liberal | Resignation | Yes |
32nd Parliament (1980–1984)
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31st Parliament (1979)
[edit]By-election | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Cause | Retained | ||
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Prince Albert | November 19, 1979 | John Diefenbaker | Progressive Conservative | Stan Hovdebo | New Democratic | Death (heart attack) | No | ||
Burin—St. George's | September 19, 1979 | Don Jamieson | Liberal | Roger Simmons | Liberal | Resignation | Yes |
30th Parliament (1974–1979)
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29th Parliament (1973–1974)
[edit]no by-elections
28th Parliament (1968–1972)
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27th Parliament (1965–1968)
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26th Parliament (1963–1965)
[edit]By-election | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Cause | Retained | ||
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Westmorland | November 9, 1964 | Sherwood Rideout | Liberal | Margaret Rideout | Liberal | Death | Yes | ||
Waterloo South | November 9, 1964 | Gordon Chaplin | Progressive Conservative | Max Saltsman | New Democratic | Death | No | ||
Nipissing | June 22, 1964 | Jack Garland | Liberal | Carl Legault | Liberal | Death | Yes | ||
Saskatoon | June 22, 1964 | Henry Frank Jones | Progressive Conservative | Eloise Jones | Progressive Conservative | Death | Yes | ||
Laurier | February 10, 1964 | Lionel Chevrier | Liberal | Fernand-E. Leblanc | Liberal | Resignation | Yes | ||
Saint-Denis | February 10, 1964 | Azellus Denis | Liberal | Marcel Prud'Homme | Liberal | Resignation | Yes |
25th Parliament (1962–1963)
[edit]By-election | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Cause | Retained | ||
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Burnaby—Coquitlam | October 22, 1962 | Erhart Regier | New Democratic | Tommy Douglas | New Democratic | Resignation to provide a seat for Douglas | Yes |
24th Parliament (1958–1962)
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23rd Parliament (1957–1958)
[edit]By-election | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Cause | Retained | ||
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Yukon | December 16, 1957 | James Aubrey Simmons | Liberal | Erik Nielsen | Progressive Conservative | Election declared void | No | ||
Hastings—Frontenac | November 4, 1957 | George Stanley White | Progressive Conservative | Sidney Earle Smith | Progressive Conservative | Called to the Senate | Yes | ||
Lanark | August 26, 1957 | William G. Blair | Progressive Conservative | George Doucett | Progressive Conservative | Death | Yes |
22nd Parliament (1953–1957)
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21st Parliament (1949–1953)
[edit]- ^ Massé defeated the official Liberal candidate.
20th Parliament (1945–1949)
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19th Parliament (1940–1945)
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18th Parliament (1936–1940)
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17th Parliament (1930–1935)
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16th Parliament (1926–1930)
[edit]By-election | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Cause | Retained | ||
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Brandon | February 5, 1930 | Robert Forke | Liberal-Progressive | Thomas Alexander Crerar | Liberal | Called to the Senate | No | ||
Bagot | January 27, 1930 | Georges Dorèze Morin | Liberal | Cyrille Dumaine | Liberal | Death | Yes | ||
Châteauguay—Huntingdon | January 27, 1930 | James Alexander Robb | Liberal | Dennis James O'Connor | Liberal | Death | Yes | ||
Prescott | July 29, 1929 | Louis-Mathias Auger | Independent Liberal | Élie-Oscar Bertrand | Liberal | Resignation following criminal charge | No | ||
Lanark | July 29, 1929 | Richard Franklin Preston | Conservative | William Samuel Murphy | Independent Conservative | Death | No | ||
Vaudreuil-Soulanges | July 29, 1929 | Lawrence Alexander Wilson | Liberal | Lawrence Alexander Wilson | Liberal | Resigned, intending to retire, but persuaded to run again | Yes | ||
Laprairie—Napierville | July 22, 1929 | Roch Lanctôt | Liberal | Vincent Dupuis | Liberal | Death | Yes | ||
Frontenac—Addington | July 22, 1929 | John Wesley Edwards | Conservative | William Spankie | Conservative | Death | Yes | ||
Lambton West | January 14, 1929 | William Goodison | Liberal | Ross Gray | Liberal | Death | Yes | ||
Joliette | December 17, 1928 | Jean-Joseph Denis | Liberal | Charles-Édouard Ferland | Liberal | Appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec. | Yes | ||
Victoria | December 6, 1928 | Simon Fraser Tolmie | Conservative | D'Arcy Plunkett | Conservative | Resignation to become Premier of British Columbia. | Yes | ||
York West | October 29, 1928 | Henry Lumley Drayton | Conservative | Earl Lawson | Conservative | Appointed Chairman of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. | Yes | ||
Maple Creek | November 25, 1927 | George Spence | Liberal | William George Bock | Liberal | Resignation to enter provincial politics in Saskatchewan | Yes | ||
Huron North | September 12, 1927 | John Warwick King | Progressive | George Spotton | Liberal | Death | No | ||
Victoria—Carleton | June 16, 1927 | James Kidd Flemming | Conservative | Albion Roudolph Foster | Liberal | Death | No | ||
Antigonish—Guysborough | January 18, 1927 | John Carey Douglas | Conservative | William Duff | Liberal | Death | No | ||
Kootenay East | November 9, 1926 | James Horace King | Liberal | James Horace King | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment | Yes | ||
Bruce North | November 9, 1926 | James Malcolm | Liberal | James Malcolm | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Trade and Commerce | Yes | ||
Dorchester | November 2, 1926 | Lucien Cannon | Liberal | Lucien Cannon | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Solicitor General | Yes | ||
Richelieu | November 2, 1926 | Arthur Cardin | Liberal | Arthur Cardin | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Marine and Fisheries | Yes | ||
Regina | November 2, 1926 | Charles Avery Dunning | Liberal | Charles Avery Dunning | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Railways and Canals. | Yes | ||
Middlesex West | November 2, 1926 | John Campbell Elliott | Liberal | John Campbell Elliott | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Public Works. | Yes | ||
Waterloo North | November 2, 1926 | William Daum Euler | Liberal | William Daum Euler | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Customs and Excise. | Yes | ||
Brandon | November 2, 1926 | Robert Forke | Liberal-Progressive | Robert Forke | Liberal-Progressive | Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Immigration and Colonization | Yes | ||
Kenora—Rainy River | November 2, 1926 | Peter Heenan | Liberal | Peter Heenan | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Labour | Yes | ||
Prince Albert | November 2, 1926 | William Lyon Mackenzie King | Liberal | William Lyon Mackenzie King | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Prime Minister. | Yes | ||
Quebec East | November 2, 1926 | Ernest Lapointe | Liberal | Ernest Lapointe | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Justice. | Yes | ||
Melville | November 2, 1926 | William Richard Motherwell | Liberal | William Richard Motherwell | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Agriculture. | Yes | ||
Shelburne—Yarmouth | November 2, 1926 | Paul Lacombe Hatfield | Liberal | James Ralston | Liberal | Called to the Senate to provide a seat for Ralston | Yes | ||
St. James | November 2, 1926 | Fernand Rinfret | Liberal | Fernand Rinfret | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Secretary of State of Canada. | Yes | ||
Châteauguay—Huntingdon | November 2, 1926 | James Robb | Liberal | James Robb | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Finance. | Yes | ||
Edmonton West | November 2, 1926 | Charles Stewart | Liberal | Charles Stewart | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Minister of the Interior and Mines. | Yes | ||
Gloucester | November 2, 1926 | Peter Veniot | Liberal | Peter Veniot | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Postmaster General. | Yes |
15th Parliament (1926)
[edit]By-election | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Cause | Retained | ||
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Middlesex West | March 29, 1926 | John Campbell Elliott | Liberal | John Campbell Elliott | Liberal | Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Labour | Yes | ||
Regina | March 16, 1926 | Francis Nicholson Darke | Liberal | Charles Avery Dunning | Liberal | Resignation to provide a seat for Dunning | Yes | ||
Prince Albert | February 15, 1926 | Charles McDonald | Liberal | William Lyon Mackenzie King | Liberal | Resignation to provide a seat for Mackenzie King | Yes | ||
Bagot | December 7, 1925 | Joseph Edmond Marcile | Liberal | Georges Dorèze Morin | Liberal | Death | Yes |
14th Parliament (1921–1925)
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13th Parliament (1918–1921)
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12th Parliament (1911–1917)
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11th Parliament (1909–1911)
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10th Parliament (1905–1908)
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9th Parliament (1901–1904)
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8th Parliament (1896–1900)
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