Four federal byelections to be held in December

OTTAWA — Voters in four ridings across the country, including that of former Public Services Minister Judy Foote, will head to the polls for byelections on Dec. 11. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the date of the federal byelections for the Newfoundland and Labrador riding of Bonavista-Burin-Trinity, the British Columbia riding of South Surrey-White Rock, Saskatchewan’s BattlefordsLloydminster and Ontario’s Scarborough-Agincourt on Sunday.

Foote stepped down as a cabinet minister in August and as the MP for BonavistaBurin-Trinity in September after learning that her two adult daughters were at risk of breast cancer, which she has survived twice.

And the B.C. riding became vacant when former-Conservative MP Dianne Watts stepped down to run for the provincial Liberal leadership.

The Saskatchewan riding is up for grabs after long-serving Conservative MP Gerry Ritz retired from federal politics in August.