Liberals win byelection in Beaches-East York, keeping seat vacated by Erskine-Smith

TORONTO – Tanveer Shahnawaz walked onto an east-end Toronto stage late Monday, decorated with Liberal red election signs bearing his name, amid deafening chants and cheers from his supporters.

The 30-year-old, who was declared the winner of a federal byelection in Beaches-East York, told the crowd gathered at the Stone Lion Pub that it means a lot to him to represent where he grew up.

“It is going to be an honour of a lifetime, with community experience, hard work and representation that we continue building Canada Strong, that we continue building Beaches-East York stronger,” he said.

“Let’s get to work.”

During his brief victory speech, Shahnawaz also took aim at U.S. President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order last week to change Lake Ontario’s name to “Lake America.”

“I think it’s very fitting that we had our Prime Minister Mark Carney right here at Stone Lion a few weeks ago where we’re steps away from Lake Ontario,” he said, smiling and shaking his head as the crowd responded with loud applause.

The Liberals won two other byelections Monday. Dairy farmer Daniel Gobeil flipped a Conservative seat in the Quebec riding of Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, while Braeden Caley, Carney’s former deputy chief of staff, won in North Vancouver-Capilano.

Shahnawaz’s victory solidifies and extends the Liberal reign in Beaches-East York.

He takes the reins from his former boss, Nate Erskine-Smith. Shahnawaz worked in the outgoing MP’s community office for nearly a decade.

The Liberals have won all but one of the last 12 elections in the riding, with Jack Layton’s NDP responsible for a breakthrough during the Orange Wave in 2011.

Erskine-Smith won the seat in the 2015 election and held it until his July resignation.

Erskine-Smith developed a reputation as an independent-minded backbencher willing to challenge the Liberal party orthodoxy from its left-wing flank on issues from medically assisted death to drug policy.

More recently, he was the lone Liberal MP to vote against his own government’s motion to limit debate on the major projects legislation, questioning the expanded powers it granted to cabinet.

Shahnawaz credited that principled outspokenness as a key ingredient to Erskine-Smith’s electoral success.

“At the same time though, I think we’re also living through a very interesting and volatile time for our national economy and how all that trickles down,” he told The Canadian Press ahead of the win.

“I’m also very happy to know and agree with many folks at the doors that Mark Carney’s leadership has been also very uniting for us here.”

Asked if he would have voted the same way as Erskine-Smith on the legislation, Shahnawaz said he had “not given it as much thought.”

He suggested it was not among the top concerns he heard from constituents.

Pressed on whether there was any daylight between him and the Liberal leadership on policy issues, he noted the repeal of the electric vehicle sales mandate.

“We live in a riding where I think there’s an appetite to see more EV charging infrastructure,” he said.

The NDP had long been the main Liberal challenger, but the Conservatives moved into a distant second place during the 2025 election amid a wider collapse in New Democrat support.

With a majority of polls reporting, Shahnawaz had about 55 per cent of the vote, followed by Devine at over 25 per cent and Syrbos at over 16 per cent.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 31, 2026.

— With files from Jordan Omstead

Note to readers:This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously said polls were open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.