Mark Carney Calls Three Federal Byelections for August 31

Prime Minister Mark Carney called three federal byelections for August 31, 2026, to fill vacancies in the ridings of North Vancouver-Capilano, Beaches-East York, and Chicoutimi-Le Fjord. The seats became vacant following the appointment of Jonathan Wilkinson as ambassador to the European Union, the resignation of Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, and the appointment of Conservative MP Richard Martel to the Senate.

To maintain a technical majority in the House of Commons, the Liberal Party must win at least one of the three races. Carney drew scrutiny for bypassing traditional open nomination processes to directly appoint candidates, including former deputy chief of staff Braeden Caley for North Vancouver-Capilano and dairy farmer Daniel Gobeil for Chicoutimi-Le Fjord. In North Vancouver-Capilano, Caley faces Conservative nominee Stephen Curran and Green Party candidate Shelley Luce. In Beaches-East York, the Liberals nominated Tanveer Shahnawaz.

The contests occur amid mixed polling data. A Liaison Strategies poll shows the Liberal Party holding a nine-point lead over the Conservatives, with 44% and 35% support respectively. However, Carney's approval rating has slipped to 56%, and an Angus Reid poll indicates only 43% of Canadians believe he can successfully reach a deal with the Donald Trump administration.