National

Voters head to polls for Toronto byelection, all eyes on whether Liberals hold seat

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 24 Jun, 2024 10:17 AM

Residents of Toronto—St Paul's will head to the polls today to vote for a new member of parliament for their riding, with observers watching to see if the Liberals can hang on to the seat they've held for the last 10 elections.

The byelection was prompted by the resignation of former Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett, who held the seat for more than 25 years and was recently appointed ambassador to Denmark.

🚨Toronto St—Paul’s: tomorrow is by-election day! If you haven’t already, please make a plan to vote for our amazing Liberal candidate @lesliechurch to be your next MP. Polls are open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 🗳️ pic.twitter.com/L9gjx4qw1Z
— Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) June 23, 2024

As the Conservatives maintain a double-digit lead over the Liberals in national polls, political watchers will have a close eye on today's race, which appears to be tighter than expected for a Liberal stronghold.

Liberal candidate Leslie Church has spent most of her career as a political staffer, including as chief of staff to multiple ministers, most recently Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Her primary opponent, Conservative candidate Don Stewart, is a financial and marketing specialist.

Stewart previously worked for the public affairs firm owned by Jenni Byrne, a longtime Conservative campaign director and a key, if currently unofficial, adviser to party leader Pierre Poilievre.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. government to pay for COVID-19 drug Paxlovid after feds drop coverage

British Columbia will cover the cost of an antiviral drug aimed at treating mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 as the federal government ends its coverage. A statement from B.C.'s Health Ministry says the province will provide 100 per cent coverage for the treatment sold under the brand name Paxlovid, for B.C. residents with an active medical services plan.

B.C. government to pay for COVID-19 drug Paxlovid after feds drop coverage

Police clear road, arrest one pro-Palestinian protester on University of B.C. campus

Police have arrested one person during the clearance of pro-Palestinian protesters who were blocking a main intersection at the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver. But there was no obvious move against a protest encampment that has occupied a sports field at the campus for a month.

Police clear road, arrest one pro-Palestinian protester on University of B.C. campus

Lawyer for trucker who caused deadly Broncos crash says families have no right to sue

Sixteen people were killed and 13 were injured when the rookie trucker went through a stop sign and into the path of the junior hockey team's bus at a rural intersection near Tisdale, Sask., in 2018. The truck driver, Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, was sentenced to eight years in prison for dangerous driving offences. Last week, Sidhu, who had permanent resident status, was ordered to be deported to India.

Lawyer for trucker who caused deadly Broncos crash says families have no right to sue

Remains identified, questions linger in Dawson Creek, B.C., where four went missing

Police announced Monday that the BC Coroners Service had identified remains discovered along the Kiskatinaw River on May 18 as belonging to Didier. They say she is one of four people who have vanished from the area since March 2023, when Supernant went missing.

Remains identified, questions linger in Dawson Creek, B.C., where four went missing

Fewer immigrants could have economic impacts as Canadians age

An RBC economist says high levels of immigration are helping blunt the economic impact of Canada's aging population even though it's causing concerns about housing affordability and other challenges. RBC economist Carrie Freestone says fewer immigrants could have economic impacts as Canadians age and retire gradually.

Fewer immigrants could have economic impacts as Canadians age

Largest vaccine production plant in Canada opens in Toronto

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is announcing the opening of a major vaccine production plant in Toronto today — part of Canada's efforts to build up the domestic biomanufacturing sector in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new Sanofi facility is the largest in Canada and is expected to significantly increase Canada's domestic production of pediatric and adult vaccines for whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus.