Conservatives take late lead to win Toronto byelection: Elections Canada
Hours after Canadians went to bed disappointed by a Stanley Cup loss Monday night, the Conservatives scored a stunning byelection upset to win in the longtime Liberal stronghold of Toronto-St. Paul's.
Conservative candidate Don Stewart eked out the win by just 590 votes over Liberal Leslie Church in an early morning upset, unseating the governing Liberals who have held the seat for more than 30 years.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre demanded the prime minister call a snap election after what he described as a "shocking upset" on social media Tuesday morning.
"Here is the verdict: Trudeau can’t go on like this. He must call a carbon tax election now," Poilievre said on X.
Stewart trailed Church for hours overnight as poll workers slowly counted ballots that were stacked with independent candidates, thanks to a protest group trying to make a point about the first-past-the-post system.
Stewart tried to sound upbeat when he visited his campaign office around 11:30 p.m., but he didn't quite succeed as the polls showed his opponent in a steady lead.
"Let's not give it up," he said.
Both Stewart and Church had closed up their campaign parties hours before the final results, when it became clear the vote count was going to extend into the early morning hours.
The results flipped just before 4 a.m. when Tories jumped into the lead with just three polls left to be counted.
The results represent a massive victory for party Leader Pierre Poilievre and his Conservatives, who haven't won a single seat in Toronto proper since 2011.
The race was considered a must-win for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the loss is a massive blow that could trigger calls for him to step down after 11 years as Liberal leader.
The contest was Stewart's first election. The financial executive has close ties to the Conservative party as a longtime organizer and a former colleague of Jenni Byrne, an informal Poilievre adviser.
Toronto-St. Paul's, in the city's midtown area, includes some of Toronto's wealthiest addresses as well as an above-average number of renters, and one of the largest concentrations of Jewish voters in the country.
Carolyn Bennett, the former Liberal cabinet minister whose resignation in January triggered this byelection, won the seat nine times for the Liberals, and all but once by more than 20 percentage points.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2024.
With files from Mia Rabson in Ottawa and Sheila Reid in Toronto
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6946231.1719664723!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
WestJet cancels at least 150 flights following mechanics union strike
WestJet says it's cancelled at least 150 flights beginning Saturday after the union maintaining the airline's planes announced it went on strike hours earlier.
Health Canada recalls brand of sunscreen product due to potential fungal contamination
Double check your sunscreen products before lathering up this long weekend, as Health Canada has recalled several lots across the country.
Tenants in 16-floor apartment building in Ottawa's west-end served eviction notices
More than 100 people in Ottawa's west-end are in the process of receiving eviction notices to vacate their 50-year-old apartment building for renovations.
opinion Practical tips for seniors who want to supplement their retirement income
Are you retired and looking for some ideas to help make some extra money? Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew has some tips to help you earn some income in your golden years.
The small French town where Newfoundlanders were heroes
It was a battle ripped from the pages of a storybook: Ten soldiers held off hundreds of German troops to save a small French village in the First World War.
As fall elections loom, are fears for the state of democracy in Canada justified?
Is Canada's democracy truly under threat? Political scientists say while Canadian politics and institutions are facing a myriad of concerns, the situation isn't dire overall.
Ontario woman loses $1,000 deposit in cottage rental scam
For many, the Canada Day long weekend is the official kick off of summer and many families will be spending time at a cottage.
Driver charged with DUI for New York nail salon crash that killed 4 and injured 9
A minivan slammed into a Long Island nail salon Friday, killing four people and injuring 9, a Suffolk County fire official said.
'We need new leadership': Liberal MP writes to caucus, says Justin Trudeau should resign
A sitting Liberal MP has written to the federal caucus to say he thinks Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should resign. 'For the future of our party and for the good of our country we need new leadership and a new direction,' said New Brunswick MP Wayne Long in the brief note.