OTTAWA — Byelections to replace members of Parliament who have resigned or plan to do so shortly, are expected to cost taxpayers upwards of $22 million, an Elections Canada estimate suggests. The election agency says while the cost of holding a byelection can vary due to multiple factors, including location and duration, a single byelection costs an average of $2 million to run. There were three byelections in April, all won by the Liberals, and three more are set for Aug. 31 in North Vancouver—Capilano, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord in Quebec and Beaches—East York in Toronto. Five more byelections will be needed to fill upcoming House of Commons vacancies in Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec. Assuming all vacancies are filled by Dec. 31, this year is set to see the highest number of byelections in years. The last year to see 11 byelections was 2017 and Elections Canada reported the cost of those contests at about $10 million. David Baxter, The Canadian Press
