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Voters in Elmwood-Transcona will go to the polls on Sept. 16 in one of two federal byelections Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Sunday.
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As well, a byelection will be held in the riding of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun in Quebec to elect a successor to former Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti, who announced his retirement from politics in January. He was expelled from cabinet six months earlier.
The riding of Elmwood-Transcona in Winnipeg’s east end has been vacant since the resignation of NDP MP Daniel Blaikie.
In May, the NDP selected Transcona BIZ executive director Leila Dance to carry the party’s banner in the byelection.
In a statement Sunday, Dance promised to “stand up to Justin Trudeau and fight back against Conservative cuts to their health care, childcare and the services they need.”
“They want someone who will defend workers, not the big bosses making money on the backs of hardworking Canadians,” said Dance. “I’m going to fight tirelessly to make sure your life is better and more affordable because New Democrats work for you, not wealthy donors or corporate insiders.”
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The Conservatives will be represented by electrician and self-professed proud union member Colin Reynolds while the Liberals have tapped retired teacher and union leader Ian MacIntyre to run in the riding which has been predominantly held by the NDP since it’s creation in 1988 as Winnipeg-Transcona.
Blaikie announced his resignation in February to take a strategic role in Manitoba’s new NDP government. He is Premier Wab Kinew’s senior adviser on intergovernmental affairs.
He had been the riding’s MLA since 2015. In 2021, he won the riding by a majority of 9,023 votes over Conservative Réjeanne Caron. Blaikie’s late father Bill was the area MP for almost 30 years before that.
– with files from the Canadian Press
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