Voting begins for byelections as Trump trade war looms over Canadians

Voting commenced on Monday for three federal byelections in Canada, as concerns over the ongoing trade war with the United States weigh on Canadian voters. The elections took place in the Ontario ridings of Beaches-East York and Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, as well as the British Columbia riding of North Vancouver-Capilano. As of August 24, 39,500 Canadians had already cast their votes in advance polls, with the highest early turnout recorded in North Vancouver-Capilano at 16,700 votes, followed by Beaches-East York with 11,800 votes and Chicoutimi-Le Fjord with 11,000 votes.

The Liberal Party is aiming to retain North Vancouver-Capilano, a seat they've held since 2015. Former MP and minister Jonathan Wilkinson, who recently became Canada's ambassador to the European Union, vacated his position to make way for Nate Erskine-Smith, who now runs for Toronto city council.

Chicoutimi-Le Fjord became vacant after Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed Conservative MP Richard Martel to the Senate. A recent Ipsos poll for Global News revealed that 44% of Canadians would vote Liberal if an election were held tomorrow, compared to 33% for the Conservatives, 10% for the NDP, and 8% for the Bloc.

In terms of support for Canada standing firm against the U.S. proposed deal, despite potential higher tariffs and economic costs, 65% of British Columbians and Ontario residents agreed, with 57% in Quebec showing the same level of support.