Carney calls April 13 by-elections in three federal ridings

(Horizon Weekly / OTTAWA) – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called federal by-elections in three ridings—Scarborough Southwest and University–Rosedale in Toronto, and Terrebonne in Quebec—with voters set to head to the polls on April 13.

The by-elections were triggered by recent vacancies in the House of Commons. The University–Rosedale seat became vacant after former finance minister Chrystia Freeland resigned earlier this year to take on a voluntary advisory role with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Meanwhile, the Scarborough Southwest riding opened after longtime Liberal MP Bill Blair stepped down to become Canada’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

In Quebec, the Terrebonne by-election follows a ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada that annulled the results of the 2025 federal election in the riding, where the Liberal candidate had originally won by a single vote. The decision effectively vacated the seat and forced a new vote.

The contests could carry significant political implications for the governing Liberal Party of Canada. With 169 seats in the House of Commons, the Liberals would need to win all three by-elections to reach the 172 seats required for a majority government.

Advance voting is scheduled to take place from April 3 to April 6, while mail-in ballots will also be available for eligible voters ahead of election day.