Bergen's formal departure sets clock ticking down to Portage-Lisgar byelection

Former Conservative MP Candice Bergen has formally left the House of Commons, setting a clock ticking down towarda federal byelection insouthern Manitoba's Portage-Lisgar riding.

Bergen, who announced her resignation from politics at the beginning of February, formally left office on Feb. 28, according to Elections Canada.

In the absence of ageneral federal election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must announce a byelectionin Portage-Lisgar by Aug. 27. The latest possible date to hold thatbyelection is Oct. 17.

Portage-Lisgar is one of the most reliably Conservative seats in Canada. The Conservative Party and its forerunners have won every election in the riding since it was created in 1997.

This means whoever wins the Conservative nomination for Portage-Lisgarwill be the overwhelming favourite tobecome the riding's nextMP.

So far, five people have declared theirintention to seek that nomination: Former Manitoba PC finance minister Cameron Friesen, former Elmwood-East KildonanConservativeMP Lawrence Toet, former Friesen assistant Liz Reimer, former Bergen campaign manager Branden Leslie and former Bergen volunteer Don Cruikshank.

No nomination meeting date has been announced.

Winnipeg South Centre byelection

In the absence of any general federal elections, Trudeau also must announce a byelectionin Winnipeg South Centre by June 11. The latest allowable date to hold thatbyelection is Aug. 1.

Whoever wins the Liberal nomination in Winnipeg South Centre has a strongchance of becoming thenext MP for the Winnipeg riding, a reliably but not exclusivelyLiberal riding.

The Liberals have held Winnipeg South Centre for all but four years since the ridingwas created in 1988. Conservative Joyce Bateman represented it from 2011 to 2015.

So far, the only candidate to declare he's seekingthe Liberal nomination for Winnipeg South Centre is educator Ben Carr, the son of the late former MP for the riding, Jim Carr.

Charles Feaver, a spokesperson for the Winnipeg South Centre Liberal riding association, said no date has been set for a nomination meeting.

"I hope it's fairly soon, because it takes two weeks to get through all the paperwork," he said.