The Liberals swept a trio of federal byelections on Monday night, adding one more member to the ranks of their majority government and picking up a seat that had been held by the Conservatives since 2018.
The Tories posted a disappointing showing in all three races, but none more than the loss of Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, where the party was relegated to a distant third-place finish.
“It’s a great time to be a Liberal in Canada and in Beaches-East York,” MP-elect Tanveer Shahnawaz told supporters in the east Toronto riding late Monday.
The Liberals’ strong showing comes in the shadow of an increasingly tense trade war with the United States.
Carney ended trade talks Aug. 21, pulling the pin on negotiations that appeared close to a deal to lower sectoral tariffs that have caused uncertainty in Canada for over 18 months.
Instead, both sides have pledged tariffs and counter-tariffs. Senior members of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration have traded barbs in the media with the likes of Ontario Premier Doug Ford and former Quebec premier Jean Charest.
“At this consequential time for Canada, voters have placed their trust in our government’s plan. We accept their support with humility and determination,” Carney said in a statement Monday.
My statement on the by-elections in Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, Beaches—East York, and North Vancouver—Capilano. pic.twitter.com/aHkKEaw7C7
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) September 1, 2026
Liberal Tanveer Shahnawaz has won the byelection in the Toronto riding of Beaches-East York.
Shahnawaz managed the constituency office for former Liberal cabinet minister Nate Erskine-Smith, whose departure from federal politics prompted the vote.
And The Canadian Press is projecting that longtime Liberal political staffer Braeden Caley will win the federal byelection in North-Vancouver Capilano.
Voters in the Saguenay region of Quebec, which includes Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, know all too well the impact of Trump’s tariffs. Aluminum, forestry and dairy farming make up a significant portion of the regional economy.
The Liberals chose Daniel Gobeil, a dairy farmer and a former head of the provincial dairy producers’ association, to carry their banner in the byelection.
Addressing supporters in French late Monday, Gobeil said the government would take care of people in the aluminum and forestry sector, and be a strong voice for supply management.
