Pierre Poilievre takes early lead in Battle River-Crowfoot byelection in Alberta
Polls closed Monday night in a rural Alberta byelection that will determine whether Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre regains a seat in the House of Commons.
Article content
Battle River—Crowfoot was left vacant when Conservative Damien Kurek stepped down shortly after the spring election to make way for Poilievre to run for the seat. Poilievre lost after being elected in the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton seven straight times.
Article content
Article content
Article content
The byelection is in one of the safest Conservative seats in the country, and many expect the Tory leader to win by a large margin. Poilievre had an early lead as of 9 p.m. MT, with 85 per cent of the vote with just 12 of the 286 polls reporting.
Article content
Article content
'I think it's going to come out Pierre, because I think that's what everybody wanted to start with,' Martin said.
Article content
She added Western Canada has 'no say' and the area needs someone to represent their beliefs and values in Ottawa.
Article content
Martin said she and others in the riding were proud of Kurek when he gave up his seat.
Article content
'For me, it didn't make a difference if it was Damien or Pierre, I would have been just happy to have Damien in there.'
Article content
Martin also said she's 'disgusted' with the longest ballot protest.
Article content
Article content
A record 214 names are on the ballot, most of whom are part of a protest movement called the Longest Ballot Committee, which is pushing for electoral reform to replace the first-past-the-post system.
Article content
As a result of the number of people running, Elections Canada said voters must write the name of their preferred candidate on a modified blank ballot.
Article content
Poilievre is up against a few vocal challengers, including Independent candidate Bonnie Critchley. The military veteran has described Poilievre as a parachute candidate who only wants to represent the riding for his political career.
Article content
Poilievre was born and raised in Calgary but has lived in Ottawa for the last two decades.
Article content
Delphine Doerksen said she voted for Critchley because she's an 'awesome' candidate who lives in the area.
Article content
'I don't think Poilievre is going to represent this riding. He is just here to get a seat in Parliament, basically. And I don't think we'll see him again,' she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Province
an hour ago
- The Province
B.C. Conservatives call for action after leaked recommendations on expensive rare-disease drugs
Government has withheld report and can only point to two of 300 recommendations that have been acted upon Brennan Day, MLA for Courtenay-Comox. PNG The B.C. Conservatives have demanded the NDP government provide a 'clear' status update on a four-year-old review that urged changes to the province's expensive rare-disease drug system. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors They have also called for the public release of the review and timelines for implementing its recommendations. The review — which was not made public — was obtained by Postmedia independently after the B.C. government refused to provide a copy. 'The leak of this four-year-old review is frustrating — but it confirms exactly what we've been saying since February,' said Brennan Day, the Conservative critic for rural and seniors' health. 'Families like Charleigh Pollock's were left in the dark, forced to fight for life-changing treatments while bureaucrats sat on recommendations that could have prevented this. Transparency is not a website. It's real oversight, real engagement, and a system that works for patients — not just for the bureaucracy,' said Day, who is the MLA for Courtenay-Comox. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Premier David Eby and Health Minister Josie Osborne have called for an overhaul of the expensive drug treatment for rare diseases approval process after their government faced public backlash for discontinuing the $800,000-a-year drug treatment for 10-year-old Pollock, who has an incurable degenerative disease. When the government reversed their decision last month — against the advice of its own 58-member advisory committee — Eby said it was obvious the system was not working. But the B.C. government had already received recommendations in 2021 for better transparency, clearer communication and stronger decision-making when it comes to funding and treating rare diseases with expensive drugs. These are the same areas that Eby and Osborne said need to be addressed. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The review noted there was 'urgency' to making changes because spending on expensive rare-disease drugs was expected to grow significantly, to an estimated $600 million annually by the end of the decade. Day said the NDP government should release the full 2021 review with a status update on what has and hasn't been implemented. He also called for a public timeline to fully implement the outstanding recommendations, prioritizing oversight, transparency and patient engagement. Day also said that families need to be included in conversations and decisions that directly affect access to their expensive rare-disease drug treatments. Few of the 2021 review's recommendations have been implemented, according to those familiar with the report. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The B.C. Ministry of Health has told Postmedia the 'majority' of the report's recommendations have been implemented or 'are part of ongoing work.' However, officials pointed only to only two that have been completed out of more than 300 recommendations: an expensive drug for rare disease web page it said supports transparency; and the establishment of an appeal process. The recommendations on transparency in the report — there are 39 mentions — go well beyond a website. They also involve increasing oversight, setting standards, establishing public engagement and a major communication plan. ghoekstra@ Read More Vancouver Canucks World Local News Crime Crime
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Parliament should have discussed recognition of Palestine, open letter says
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with media during a news conference in Ottawa, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA — An open letter signed by dozens of community and business leaders says the Liberal government should not have decided to recognize a Palestinian state without debating the issue in Parliament. The letter from B'nai Brith Canada, whose signatories include former MP Rona Ambrose and television and radio host Ben Mulroney, says it is 'an affront to our democracy' that the government made such a significant change to its foreign policy while Parliament was not sitting. In July, Carney said Canada intends to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September, as long as the Palestinian Authority holds elections next year, without any involvement by Hamas. The letter to Carney today says Canada should 'continue to play a leading role' in supporting efforts to eventually recognize Palestinian statehood, but that such a move should not happen until there is a stable Palestinian government in place. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office declined to comment on the letter. Before Carney's announcement in July, dozens of former senior Canadian diplomats published a letter calling for Canada to recognize a Palestinian state. Pro-Palestinian groups expressed tepid support for Carney's announcement, arguing Palestine recognition was overdue but that Canada's caveats around Palestine needing to be demilitarized were inappropriate. With files from Dylan Robertson This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2025. Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Ford wants municipalities to end remote work
Ottawa Watch Doug Ford is pushing municipalities to end remote work as the City of Ottawa reports 85% of city employees work onsite. CTV's Austin Lee reports.
