MP Cathay Wagantall officially becomes 10th MP to resign this year

Saskatchewan Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall officially resigned from the House of Commons on Monday, marking her as the 10th MP to step down this year. Originally, she had planned to serve her term out but announced her departure in June. Wagantall had represented the Yorkton—Melville riding since 2015. Ontario Conservative Larry Brock is also anticipated to resign this month, having served as the MP for Brantford—Brandt South—Six Nations since 2021.

He intends to return to his former role as a Crown prosecutor upon his resignation. The House of Commons is scheduled to reconvene on September 21 with three new Liberal MPs elected in the recent byelections, all of which were prompted by resignations. On Monday, the Liberals successfully retained two seats that had been previously held by former cabinet ministers Jonathan Wilkinson and Nate Erskine-Smith.

Wilkinson stepped down to assume a diplomatic role as Canada’s ambassador to the European Union. Erskine-Smith had intended to run for the Ontario Liberal leadership, but this plan ended when he lost a nomination contest to contest the provincial party in a byelection in Toronto. He is now aiming to secure a seat on Toronto's city council.

Former Quebec Conservative Richard Martel's seat of Chicoutimi—Le Fjord is now under the control of the Liberals following Monday's byelection. Martel departed the House to accept a Senate appointment in July. The year of resignations commenced with former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland's formal departure in January, initially to take an economic advisory role with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

She began her work as CEO of the Rhodes Trust on July 1. Former cabinet minister Bill Blair subsequently left his Toronto seat for a position as high commissioner in the U.K. His appointment was announced in February and commenced in March. Both Bloc Québécois MP Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay and the NDP's Alexandre Boulerice resigned to contest in Quebec's election, set for October 5.

Toronto Liberal Shaun Chen resigned his seat last month due to a car crash last year that made it too challenging for him to commute to Ottawa. Chen is now running for city council in Toronto. Lastly, former Liberal cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault officially vacated his Montreal seat on Friday, voicing his opposition to Prime Minister Mark Carney's environmental and energy policies since quitting cabinet last November.

Elections Canada estimates that each byelection incurs approximately $2 million in costs, although these expenses tend to be higher in regions like Toronto, where facility rentals and advertising expenses are more significant.