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
WATCH LIVE PM Trudeau announces massive cuts to Canada's immigration targets
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government is slashing immigration targets as he admits the government did not get the balance right following the COVID-19 pandemic.
'Frustrated': Ontario family loses dream home after $38K deposit falls through
It's a dream for many Canadians, trying to save up enough money for a down payment on their very first home. That was also the dream for the Esmeralda family, a family of five with two dogs who currently live in a Scarborough apartment building.
W5 Investigates Heists, arson and a baseball bat brawl: police allege organized crime fought over clothing donation bins
In part three of a four-part investigation into the seedy underbelly of the lucrative clothing donation bin industry, CTV W5's Jon Woodward and Joseph Loiero look into allegations that the industry is rife with organized crime activity.
This radioactive gas is a leading cause of lung cancer. Here's how to check if it's in your home
Radon is a radioactive gas found in nearly every Canadian home. A new research study is putting a renewed spotlight on the invisible, odourless element that is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Canada.
'Came to Canada with big dreams': More than $80,000 raised for family of employee found dead in Halifax Walmart
Donations are quickly pouring in for the family of a young woman who was found dead inside a Walmart in Halifax last weekend.
How many Canadians are without a doctor? Just-released report outlines health-care situation
A new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says 83 per cent of adults in this country have a regular primary-care provider, but that still leaves 5.4 million adults without one.
Town bylaw requests Innisfil, Ont. family move Halloween display but homeowner refuses
A haunted house in the Ontario Town of Innisfil is causing a real scare for some people a week before Halloween.
Used car market expecting supply crunch as fewer off-lease cars return
Already low on inventory, the used car market is facing an additional supply crunch as fewer off-lease vehicles return to dealership lots — and that's contributing to higher prices.
'Horrific': Four people dead after Tesla slams into pillar and catches fire on Lake Shore Boulevard in Toronto
Four people are dead and another is in hospital after a Tesla driving through downtown Toronto at a high rate of speed crashed into a guardrail and struck a concrete pillar on Lake Shore Boulevard.