Pierre Poilievre defeated in Carleton riding

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre was defeated in Carleton, ending his long tenure as MP in the Ottawa-area riding.

Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy was leading in the riding with more than 3,700 votes, with over 99 per cent of polls reporting by Tuesday.

Poilievre has represented the Carleton riding in Ottawa since 2004. Poilievre won the Ottawa-area riding in the 2021 election with 50 per cent of the vote.

Fanjoy’s campaign focused on building more homes and lowering the cost of living. A political rookie, Fanjoy tirelessly knocked on doors in his bid to unseat Poilievre, saying the riding deserved better.

In an address to supporters after midnight, Poilievre acknowledged the Conservative party’s defeat at the hands of the Liberals in the general election, but indicated he would continue as leader.

“Canadians have opted for a razor-thin minority government. A virtual tie in the vote count,” Poilievre said late on Monday night.

“I would like to congratulate Prime Minister [Mark] Carney on leading this minority government. We will have plenty of time to debate and disagree, but tonight we come together as Canadians.”

In an interview with The Associated Press, McGill University political science professor Daniel Béland said nothing prevents Poilievre from remaining the Conservative leader without a seat but, if he decides to stay, he would need to run in another district — perhaps by asking a Conservative member of Parliament from a safe Conservative district to resign.

“Still, losing your seat when some people within your own party think you’re the main reason why it failed to win is a clear issue for Poilievre,” Béland said.

Carney wins Nepean riding, Singh has rough showing in Burnaby

Conversely, Carney won his Nepean riding handily, securing 63.6 per cent of the vote. Conservative candidate Barbara Bal received 23,600 votes (33.4 per cent).

Carney then referenced Fanjoy by name during his late-night speech.

“Yes, Bruce Fanjoy. I’m looking forward to working with Bruce Fanjoy. He will be a great MP,” Carney told his supporters.

In British Columbia, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was defeated in his Burnaby Central riding, finishing third (9,104 votes) behind Conservative candidate James Yan (19,436 votes) and Liberal candidate Wade Chang (21,136 votes), who won with a 42.1 per cent voting share.

Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May won her own B.C. riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands, but she may be the only Green returning to Parliament.

Elections Canada says it has decided to pause counting of special ballots until later Tuesday morning.

The Liberals were leading or elected in 169 seats, three short of a majority. Elections Canada estimated that the uncounted votes could affect the result in about a dozen districts.

“We are cognizant of the fact that we didn’t get over the finish line yet,” Poilievre told supporters. “We know that change is needed, but change is hard to come by. It takes time. It takes work. And that’s why we have to learn the lessons of tonight — so that we can have an even better result the next time Canadians decide the future of the country.”

With files from Rob Gillies of The Associated Press