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

Cdn economy stagnant in Q2

The latest G-D-P report showing the economy contracted at an annualized rate of 0.2 per cent in the second quarter may signal an end to the Bank of Canada's rate hiking campaign.

Cdn economy stagnant in Q2

Gasoline prices up from a year ago as drivers head into holiday weekend

Canadians planning to hit the road for the last long weekend of summer can expect to pay more for gasoline than they did last Labour Day. The national average gasoline price as of Friday was $1.67 cents per litre, according to fuel price tracking website GasBuddy.com.

Gasoline prices up from a year ago as drivers head into holiday weekend

Almost half of Canadians living paycheque to paycheque as Tory support grows: poll

A new poll suggests nearly half of Canadians are living paycheque to paycheque as the cost of living crisis continues to squeeze household budgets, and young people are more likely to say their finances are in poor shape. It also suggests the Conservatives, who are hammering home a message about affordability, are gaining popularity, with 38 per cent of respondents saying they'd vote for the Tories if an election were held today.

Almost half of Canadians living paycheque to paycheque as Tory support grows: poll

B.C. boosts childcare funding for preschool and school-aged kids

The British Columbia government is expanding measures to lower the cost of child care by introducing fee reductions for preschool and school-aged children. Premier David Eby says families with children in eligible half-day preschool, as well as before- and after-school programs, could save an additional $145 per month, per child, as the program gets underway in September.

B.C. boosts childcare funding for preschool and school-aged kids

Two key fires in Okanagan, B.C., are under control, but winds pose challenge to north

Two of the three fires making up a devastating wildfire complex that destroyed almost 200 homes around Lake Okanagan in the B.C. Interior are now under control. But the BC Wildfire Service says the region's most destructive fire, the McDougall Creek blaze in West Kelowna, continues to defy suppression efforts.

Two key fires in Okanagan, B.C., are under control, but winds pose challenge to north

Review finds at least 120 CRA employees claimed COVID benefits while employed

The Canada Revenue Agency says 120 people have been fired for claiming a federal COVID-19 benefit while employed there. The CRA is reviewing approximately 600 cases in which current employees received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit — or CERB — during the COVID-19 pandemic.