Former CAQ MNA Chantal Soucy will run for office under the banner of the Liberal Party of Canada in Saint-Hyacinthe–Bagot–Acton, a riding left vacant by the candidate who took her seat in the last provincial election. Soucy, who represented the Saint-Hyacinthe riding in the National Assembly since 2014, was defeated on Oct. 5 by PQ candidate Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay. Savard-Tremblay previously represented Saint-Hyacinthe--Bagot--Acton at the federal level for the Bloc Québécois. Savard-Tremblay represented that federal riding since 2019. However, the former Bloc Québécois MP announced his resignation last May to run as a candidate for the sister party in Quebec City. He was elected and was appointed on Wednesday as Minister Responsible for Relations with First Nations and Inuit. In a news release issued Thursday, the Liberal Party of Canada confirmed the nomination of Soucy, who has long served as vice-president of the National Assembly. “Chantal Soucy has dedicated her career to defending the interests of the people in her community. She has the experience needed to be the strongest voice for Saint-Hyacinthe–Bagot–Acton within Mark Carney’s Liberal team,” said Liberal Party of Canada president Sachit Mehra. “I’ve had the privilege of serving the people of Saint-Hyacinthe and advocating for their interests for over 12 years. I understand the challenges facing our families, our farmers, and our businesses, and I know the full potential we have right here at home.” For its part, the Bloc Québécois is counting on former diplomat Caroline Emond to win back its riding. The byelection in Saint-Hyacinthe--Bagot--Acton has not yet been called by Carney. Two other byelections are set to be called in Quebec: Laurier–Sainte-Marie, to replace former Liberal MP and minister Steven Guilbeault, and Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, after former NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice decided to switch to Québec Solidaire. In Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, the Liberal Party announced that it will be represented by Jean-Sébastien Vallée, a human rights activist who ran as the party’s candidate in the 2025 general election. The Bloc Québécois announced a few months ago that Alexandre Curzi, executive director of the Union des artistes (UDA). As for the New Democratic Party (NDP), it will attempt to regain its seat with Pierre Céré, who has long served as coordinator of the Montreal Unemployment Committee. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 22, 2026.
