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List of federal by-elections in Canada
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This is a list of by-elections in Canada since Confederation. By-elections are held to fill a vacancy in the Canadian House of Commons. Vacancies are caused by the death or resignation of a Member of Parliament or, more rarely, by the voiding of an election result by a court or as the result of an MP being expelled from the House of Commons. MPs have been expelled four times - Louis Riel (Provencher) was expelled in 1874 and again in 1875 for being a fugitive, Fred Rose (Cartier) was expelled in 1947 after having been convicted under the Official Secrets Act for having allegedly spied for the Soviet Union. In 1891, Thomas McGreevy (Quebec West) was expelled after being sentenced to a year in prison following his conviction for defrauding the government.
When a seat becomes vacant the Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada issues a "Speaker's warrant" informing the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada of a vacancy. The Chief Electoral Officer must issue a writ of election "between the 11th and 180th days after the Chief Electoral Officer receives the warrant from the Speaker". The election date is then set for not less than 36 days and not more than 50 days after the issuance of the writ. If a vacancy occurs less than nine months before a fixed election date, then no by-election is held and the seat remains vacant until the general election.
This list below includes ministerial by-elections which occurred due to the requirement that Members of Parliament recontest their seats upon being appointed to Cabinet. These by-elections were almost always uncontested. This requirement was abolished in 1931.
Notable by-elections
Notable by-election upsets in Canadian history include the 1942 York South by-election in which the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation's Joseph Noseworthy upset Conservative leader and former prime minister Arthur Meighen's attempt to return to the House of Commons, Defence Minister Andrew McNaughton's defeat in the 1945 Grey North by-election, the 1949 by-election in Kamouraska where the Liberals, who had won the riding by a 55.8 percentage point margin in the previous general election, were defeated by the Independent Liberal candidate in the by-election; the 1943 Cartier by-election which the Liberals lost to the Labor-Progressive Party's Fred Rose; Walter Pitman's 1960 by-election victory in Peterborough as a New Party candidate, which was a catalyst for the creation of the New Democratic Party; Deborah Grey's 1989 by-election victory in Beaver River in which she won the Reform Party of Canada's first seat, and Gilles Duceppe's 1990 upset by-election victory in Laurier—Sainte-Marie on behalf of the newly formed Bloc Québécois.
45th Parliament (2025–present)
Main article: By-elections to the 45th Canadian Parliament
44th Parliament (2021–2025)
Main article: By-elections to the 44th Canadian Parliament
43rd Parliament (2019–2021)
Main article: By-elections to the 43rd Canadian Parliament
42nd Parliament (2015–2019)
Main article: By-elections to the 42nd Canadian Parliament
41st Parliament (2011–2015)
Main article: By-elections to the 41st Canadian Parliament
40th Parliament (2008–2011)
Main article: By-elections to the 40th Canadian Parliament
39th Parliament (2006–2008)
Main article: By-elections to the 39th Canadian Parliament
38th Parliament (2004–2006)
Main article: By-elections to the 38th Canadian Parliament
37th Parliament (2000–2004)
Main article: By-elections to the 37th Canadian Parliament
36th Parliament (1997–2000)
Main article: By-elections to the 36th Canadian Parliament
35th Parliament (1994–1997)
Main article: By-elections to the 35th Canadian Parliament
34th Parliament (1988–1993)
Main article: By-elections to the 34th Canadian Parliament
33rd Parliament (1984–1988)
Main article: By-elections to the 33rd Canadian Parliament
32nd Parliament (1980–1984)
Main article: By-elections to the 32nd Canadian Parliament
31st Parliament (1979)
Main article: By-elections to the 31st Canadian Parliament
30th Parliament (1974–1979)
Main article: By-elections to the 30th Canadian Parliament
29th Parliament (1973–1974)
no by-elections
28th Parliament (1968–1972)
Main article: By-elections to the 28th Canadian Parliament
27th Parliament (1965–1968)
Main article: By-elections to the 27th Canadian Parliament
26th Parliament (1963–1965)
Main article: By-elections to the 26th Canadian Parliament
25th Parliament (1962–1963)
Main article: By-election to the 25th Canadian Parliament
24th Parliament (1958–1962)
Main article: By-elections to the 24th Canadian Parliament
23rd Parliament (1957–1958)
Main article: By-elections to the 23rd Canadian Parliament
22nd Parliament (1953–1957)
Main article: By-elections to the 22nd Canadian Parliament
21st Parliament (1949–1953)
Main article: By-elections to the 21st Canadian Parliament
20th Parliament (1945–1949)
Main article: By-elections to the 20th Canadian Parliament
19th Parliament (1940–1945)
Main article: By-elections to the 19th Canadian Parliament
18th Parliament (1936–1940)
Main article: By-elections to the 18th Canadian Parliament
17th Parliament (1930–1935)
Main article: By-elections to the 17th Canadian Parliament
16th Parliament (1926–1930)
Main article: By-elections to the 16th Canadian Parliament
15th Parliament (1926)
Main article: By-elections to the 15th Canadian Parliament
14th Parliament (1921–1925)
Main article: By-elections to the 14th Canadian Parliament
13th Parliament (1918–1921)
Main article: By-elections to the 13th Canadian Parliament
12th Parliament (1911–1917)
Main article: By-elections to the 12th Canadian Parliament
11th Parliament (1909–1911)
Main article: By-elections to the 11th Canadian Parliament
10th Parliament (1905–1908)
Main article: By-elections to the 10th Canadian Parliament
9th Parliament (1901–1904)
Main article: By-elections to the 9th Canadian Parliament
8th Parliament (1896–1900)
Main article: By-elections to the 8th Canadian Parliament
7th Parliament (1891–1896)
Main article: By-elections to the 7th Canadian Parliament
6th Parliament (1887–1891)
Main article: By-elections to the 6th Canadian Parliament
5th Parliament (1883–1887)
Main article: By-elections to the 5th Canadian Parliament
4th Parliament (1879–1882)
Main article: By-elections to the 4th Canadian Parliament
3rd Parliament (1874–1878)
Main article: By-elections to the 3rd Canadian Parliament
2nd Parliament (1873–1874)
Main article: By-elections to the 2nd Canadian Parliament
1st Parliament (1867–1872)
Main article: By-elections to the 1st Canadian Parliament
References
Sources
References
- "4. The House of Commons and Its Members: Vacancies in Representation". Parliament of Canada.
- "The Calling of a Federal By-election".
- "House of Commons Procedure and Practice - 4. The House of Commons and Its Members - Rules of Membership for the House".
- Grenier, Eric. (November 19, 2012). "If Calgary Centre doesn't go blue, it would be a historic upset". Globe and Mail.
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