Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Monday that a byelection will be held on August 18 in the Alberta riding of Battle River–Crowfoot.Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is expected to run in the riding, aiming to reclaim a seat in the House of Commons.The Liberal party has wasted no time in naming Darby Spady, a professional engineer, as their candidate for the riding. “Darcy has deep roots in Battle River—Crowfoot, a successful career in Alberta’s energy sector, and a lifelong commitment to creating opportunities across the province,” said Sachit Mehra, President of the Liberal Party of Canada in an official statement. .Also named as one of the candidates, is People's Party of Canada's (PPC) Jonathan Bridges, who was raised in the area and ran in the spring election. The riding has historically been a Conservative stronghold, with party member Damien Kurek securing 83% of the vote in the spring election.Kurek announced his resignation last month to provide Poilievre a pathway back to Parliament after Poilievre lost the Ottawa riding of Carleton—a seat he held for over 20 years—to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy in the April election.Under Canadian law, Kurek had to wait until mid-June to resign, and Carney was required to call a byelection between June 29 and December 15 of this year. .The National Post reported an unnamed source stated, “The prime minister will honor his commitment to call it quickly with ‘no games,’ ensuring the byelection is completed well before the House of Commons returns in mid-September, rather than delaying it until December or January.”The source added, “The August election date will ensure the byelection occurs as soon as possible without interfering with Alberta Heritage Day.”
