Thousands of Liberals will be in Montreal this weekend for the party’s annual convention just as voters in the suburban riding of Terrebonne, about 40 km north, get ready to cast ballots in a key byelection on Monday.

The nearby location is coincidental, said Marjorie Michel, the minister of health and a longtime party organizer in Quebec.

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t helpful to have so many potential door-knockers in the neighbourhood.

“I can tell you, we are giving it our all,” Michel said.

The convention in Montreal was scheduled and planned long before the Supreme Court of Canada annulled the result of last April’s election in Terrebonne in February.

That also means Prime Minister Mark Carney knew where the Liberals would be on Saturday when he set the election date for Monday.

9:31
Carney criticized Air Canada CEO…to win Terrebonne? Here’s why it makes sense

Voters in two Toronto-area Liberal strongholds will also go to the polls on Monday, but the byelections in Scarborough Southwest and University—Rosedale are not seen as competitive races. Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner said recently on her own podcast that the Liberals are “expected to win hands down” in both.

In other words, barring something extraordinary, Carney’s year-old minority government will morph into a majority on Monday.

The question is whether the Bloc Québécois can win back its traditional stronghold in Terrebonne and make the Liberal control over the House of Commons more tenuous.

Both parties are working hard in a rematch between Liberal Tatiana Auguste and Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné.

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Wins in both Toronto ridings would give the Liberals 172 seats in the House of Commons, the minimum number for a majority government. But because the House Speaker is a Liberal, the government and opposition parties would each have 171 voting members.

Speakers do not ordinarily vote in the House. They can be called upon to break a tie, and in that case the Speaker will vote to maintain the status quo.

Sinclair-Desgagné said voters aren’t worried about that.

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Carney sets April date for 3 byelections

The fact that four MPs — three from the Conservative benches and one from the NDP — have crossed the floor to join the Liberals in recent months means the campaign isn’t about the government’s hold on power, she said.

People are focused on things like public transit, the cost of living, “and the proposed corridor for the Alto high-speed rail line, which encompasses more than half of the city of Terrebonne,” Sinclair-Desgagné said in a written statement in French.

Michel agreed people at the doors are focused on the price of gas and housing.

Carney tapped Michel to lead the Liberal efforts to win in Terrebonne. She said in an interview Wednesday that it’s a close race.

Dozens of Liberal MPs have stopped by Terrebonne to lend a hand, including all 43 from Quebec.

Carney’s office wouldn’t say whether he planned to campaign in Terrebonne on the weekend, but he was in the riding Feb. 17, shortly before calling the byelection.

Housing Minister Gregor Robertson and Quebec lieutenant Joel Lightbound are both scheduled to host announcements on Thursday in ridings next door.

“It means that Canadians are supporting Prime Minister Carney and his team if we win this election,” Michel said.

The governing party has a significant financial advantage over the Bloc.

North Star Public Affairs partner Fred DeLorey, a former Conservative campaign manager, was the first to point out that Elections Canada’s rules cap spending per byelection, but a party with candidates in more than one race is able to allocate that money as it sees fit.

The Liberals, who are running in all three races, could outspend the Bloc in Terrebonne three-to-one.

A spokesperson for the Liberal Party of Canada would not say whether the party has taken that option, only saying in an email that the Liberals follow all Elections Canada rules.

Michel said the vibe is very different from the last byelection in Quebec, when the Liberals lost a stronghold seat in LaSalle — Emard — Verdun in the waning weeks of Justin Trudeau’s government in 2024.

“We had an army, and you can see even with the army, we didn’t win it,” she said.

This time, Michel said, people are feeling positive. “I would say the difference is, now we are fighting to win.”

For its part, the Bloc has hosted events and press conferences in Terrebonne with Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.

Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet, who was not available for an interview, plans to hold a press conference on Thursday in Terrebonne flanked by his 21 MPs, before heading out door-knocking.

The push from both parties is to ensure their supporters actually get out to the polls.

Elections Canada reported some 18,200 people voted in advance polls over the weekend, about 20 per cent of those eligible to cast a ballot in Terrebonne.

Voters will be faced with a special write-in ballot, after dozens of candidates signed up as part of the Longest Ballot Committee protest, and Elections Canada has said that could slow the results on Monday.

Blanchet brushed off concerns about that last month.

“The easiest solution is for Nathalie to win with a very large majority,” he told reporters in the House of Commons.

Almost 38,000 people voted in the advance polls in three byelections that could give Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals a majority government, with the highest advance turnout in Terrebonne.

Preliminary data from Elections Canada says 18,200 people in the Quebec riding cast ballots in advance elections, which amounts to almost 20 per cent of people on the voters’ list.

The riding saw 68 per cent voter turnout in the 2025 election.

9:31
Carney criticized Air Canada CEO…to win Terrebonne? Here’s why it makes sense

The Toronto area ridings saw lower degrees of voter turnout at the advance polls, with 10,300 ballots already cast in Scarborough Southwest and 9,400 in University — Rosedale. This amounts to 12 and 10 per cent voter turnout respectively.

Both the Liberals and Bloc Québécois have been making a strong push in Terrebonne, where a single vote gave Liberal Tatiana Auguste the victory over Bloc incumbent Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné last year.

In February, the Supreme Court of Canada annulled the result of that vote, citing a clerical error on the return address on mail-in ballots.

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Nearly 1,200 absentee ballot kits have been requested for Terrebonne as of April 6, according to Elections Canada.

Just over 1,100 mail-in ballots were cast in the riding during the general election last year.

Elections Canada reported about 20,000 advance ballots were cast in Terrebonne in the 2025 general election, with more than 21,000 cast in University — Rosedale and more than 19,400 in Scarborough Southwest.

2:05
Terrebonne candidates expect a tight race leading up to April 13 federal byelection

An adapted ballot has been created for the Terrebonne bylection, as Elections Canada expected an influx of independent candidates running as part of the Longest Ballot Committee protest against first-past-the-post results.

That means in the two Toronto byelections, voters will receive a ballot with all candidate names already printed on it, while in Terrebonne the ballot will be blank and voters will have to write in the name of their preferred candidate by hand. A list of all candidates will be provided at each voting booth.

There are 48 candidates on the Terrebonne ballot, 41 of them running without a party banner.

An adapted ballot was previously used in the byelection last August in Battle River – Crowfoot in Alberta, when 214 candidates ran, more than 200 of them under the Longest Ballot Committee protest. Elections Canada opted to use the adapted ballot after protests during the general election and previous byelections led to difficulties for voters and vote counters, due to the sheer length of the physical ballot.

If the Liberals win all three byelections, they will have 173 seats in the House of Commons, giving them a clear majority where they would not need opposition support to pass legislation.

If the Grits only win two, they will have still hit the 172 seat threshold for a majority, but Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia, a Quebec Liberal, only votes in the case of a tie. This means the Liberals would have 171 voting members in the House, same as the opposition.

To maintain neutrality, the speaker traditionally maintains the status quo if they have to vote. This means they normally would not pass new legislation, but would support the government on confidence matters.

The Toronto area byelections are being held to replace former cabinet ministers Chrystia Freeland and Bill Blair, both of whom resigned to take other opportunities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2026.

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Supreme Court invalidates result from spring federal election in Terrebonne riding

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Voters in two ridings in Ontario and one in Quebec have until the end of the day to head to advance polls in upcoming federal byelections that could give Prime Minister Mark Carney a majority government.

Last month, Carney announced byelections in the two Toronto-area ridings of Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale and the Montreal-area riding of Terrebonne set for April 13.

Advance polls in the three ridings opened last Friday and will close at 9 p.m. Monday, and voters can also cast ballots at their local Elections Canada office before 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The byelection in Terrebonne comes after the Supreme Court nullified the Liberal candidate’s one-vote federal election win in the riding, after the Bloc Québécois candidate challenged the results when a supporter complained she tried to vote by mail using a special ballot that wasn’t counted.

Meanwhile, the University-Rosedale seat was left vacant after former Liberal MP Chrystia Freeland departed to serve as an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and become CEO of the Rhodes Trust.

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Bill Blair, also a former Liberal MP, left the riding of Scarborough Southwest vacant after he was appointed Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom.

1:53
3 byelections called as Liberals near majority

The Toronto ridings are considered to be safe seats for the Liberals, while Terrebonne was held by a Bloc Québécois MP before the last federal election.

Liberal wins in the two Toronto ridings would bring the party to 172 seats in the House of Commons, which is enough for a majority.

But because the Speaker does not typically vote, a government with 172 seats still needs at least one opposition member to vote with them or abstain from voting to pass legislation — which means all eyes will be on the race in Terrebonne, which could give the Liberals a critical extra seat.

Polling aggregator 338 Canada has said Terrebonne is a toss-up between the Liberals and Bloc.

Residents in the three ridings can also cast their vote by mail, if they apply to do so by Tuesday.

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A federal byelection in Terrebonne on April 13 could help the Liberals secure a majority government.

The vote was ordered after the Supreme Court of Canada overturned the Liberal candidate’s one-vote victory from the last federal election due to an uncounted mail-in ballot.

The rematch will see Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste face Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, who lost the seat by one vote last April.

“Every vote is equal, every vote should count,” Sinclair-Desgagné told Global News on Thursday. “Those are principles that are taught at a very young age.”

The outcome of the election was later challenged after it emerged that an Elections Canada employee had printed the wrong postal code on some mail-in ballots.

The Supreme Court of Canada officially annulled the result on Feb. 13.

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Auguste said the situation has been a rollercoaster, but that she is ready to return to the campaign.

“I feel like it’s been a rollercoaster with everything that’s happened,” she said. “But I feel this chapter is closed and now we’re on to a new election and we’re ready, and I am very motivated.”

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Carney sets April date for 3 byelections

Speaking in Terrebonne on Thursday, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said his party is ready for the new challenge.

“I often say that I want my adversaries as good as possible in order to force me, us, to be better and do better,” he said.

“I think we have learned that lesson. Watch us.”

The Terrebonne vote is one of three byelections taking place the same day, with two Toronto seats also up for grabs after Chrystia Freeland and Bill Blair vacated their seats.

A Liberal win in Terrebonne could give the party a majority with 172 seats, something Blanchet said should not influence voters.

“The main argument for the Liberals is (telling voters) that a vote for us (means) there will be no more election,” Blanchet said. “What the hell is that?”

3:08
NDP floor-crosser brings Carney’s Liberals to brink of majority

Auguste, who has had almost a year as MP, said she hopes voters now see her as a familiar face and believe she has proven herself worthy of the role.

“Since the beginning I have been very anchored in this election,” she said. “It’s about the community of people here in Terrebonne, it’s not about what’s happening at the national level.”

The Terrebonne riding had been held by the Bloc Québécois since 1993.

Sinclair-Desgagné has represented the seat from 2021 to 2025.

For the full story, watch the video above.

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Supreme Court invalidates result from spring federal election in Terrebonne riding

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All eyes will be on three federal byelections in April as a sweep by the Liberals could put them in razor-thin majority territory.

Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday called byelections for the Ontario ridings of Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale, and the Quebec riding of Terrebonne. The votes will be held April 13.

The two Ontario ridings are those once held by former ministers Bill Blair and Chrystia Freeland, respectively.

Blair was appointed to be Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom, while Freeland stepped down after taking on a voluntary role as advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Freeland is also taking the helm as CEO of the Rhodes Trust educational charity starting in July.

People in Scarborough may be watching to see if former provincial NDP deputy leader Doly Begum holds the long-time Liberal stronghold. Begum triggered a wave of political activity last month when she made the shock announcement she would resign from the Ontario NDP to run in this byelection for the federal Liberals.

But it’s the Quebec riding of Terrebonne that will be a focus point for many, after Liberal Tatiana Auguste lost her Montreal-area seat when the Supreme Court of Canada invalidated last year’s election result.

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Elections Canada declared Auguste the winner over the Bloc-Quebecois’ Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagne by a single vote following the April 28 federal election.

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Where does Edmonton MP’s defection to Liberals leave Conservatives, Poilievre?

Sinclair-Desgagne challenged the results when a supporter complained she had tried to vote by mail using a special ballot that was never counted. She won her case at the top court on Feb. 13.

Following the ruling, the Bloc announced Sinclair-Desgagne as their candidate and the Liberals officially nominated Auguste the same week, setting up a face-off once again.

The stakes could be higher on April 13, as the Liberals are three seats shy of the 172 seats needed for a majority government.

If they win all three byelections, that would put them at 172. Yet they could still run into difficulty as the Speaker of the House is a Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia. He would only vote with his party on matters of confidence to keep the House running. To maintain impartiality, House Speakers typically do not vote on legislation.

The Liberals have been able to get so close to a majority, in part, due to three Conservative MPs crossing the floor to join the government. Chris d’Entremont joined in the fall, with Michael Ma becoming a Liberal prior to the Christmas break. Matt Jeneroux also crossed last month after initially saying last fall he planned to resign his seat altogether.

Should the Liberals win Scarborough Southwest, University-Rosedale and Terrebonne, they would still need one more floor-crosser in order to have a working majority and be able to pass legislation without the support of another party.

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The Bloc Québécois’ Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné will once again face off against Liberal Tatiana Auguste in the Montreal-area riding of Terrebonne after the Supreme Court of Canada recently invalidated last year’s result.

Elections Canada had declared Auguste the winner over Sinclair-Desgagné by a single vote following the April 28 federal election.

But Sinclair-Desgagné challenged the results after a supporter complained that she had tried to vote by mail using a special ballot that was never counted. She won her case at the top court on Feb. 13.

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Supreme Court invalidates result from spring federal election in Terrebonne riding

“The last few months have been particularly difficult. We had to fight hard for fundamental principles, for the principle of democracy and the principle that every vote counts,” Sinclair-Desgagné said.

Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet officially announced Sinclair-Desgagné as his candidate Thursday for the impending byelection, paying tribute to her tenacity.

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“The fact that we are here today is due to the determination and relentless drive of Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné,” Blanchet told supporters gathered at a local hotel on Thursday.

The Liberals, for their part, officially nominated Auguste on Wednesday night in the Montreal-area riding.

The Liberal Party of Canada is three seats short of a majority government, and Terrebonne is one of three ridings up for a byelection in the coming months.

The other two byelections will take place in Liberal strongholds in the Toronto ridings of Scarborough Southwest and University—Rosedale. Prime Minister Mark Carney has not yet announced a date for the byelections.

Currently, the Liberals hold 169 seats, the Conservatives 141, the Bloc Québécois 22, the New Democrats seven, and the Greens one.

Sinclair-Desgagné acknowledged people across the country will be paying attention to what happens in the riding since it could decide whether Carney gets a majority in the House of Commons. But she said Terrebonne residents will also want to discuss local issues such as the high-speed rail project between Quebec City and Toronto, which will pass through the Quebec riding and likely involve expropriations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2026.

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