Ontario byelection set for Sept. 1 in east Toronto riding of Scarborough-Rouge River

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has called a provincialbyelectionSept. 1. for the Toronto riding of Scarborough-RougeRiver, but she did not schedule a vote for the vacant Ottawa-Vanierriding.

Wynne announced the Scarborough-Rouge River byelection Wednesday to replace former Liberal MPP Bas Balkissoon, who quit the legislature suddenly last March with no explanation.

Balkissoon still has not commented publicly on his resignation, which was announced by Wynne in a news release on the same day that Toronto Mayor Rob Ford died. The premier has never said why Balkissoon quit his seat.

The riding of Scarborough-Rouge River, which the Trinidad-bornBalkissoon held since 2003, has been Liberal since it was created in1999.

Liberal candidate Piragal Thiru, whom the party calls a community oganizer, is up against city councillor Raymond Cho, who's running for the Progressive Conservatives, and school trustee Neethan Shan, the NDP candidate.

"I want to get to work for Scarborough and continue to buildthis community up through investments in our hospitals, publictransit and our schools," Thiru said in a release.

Former city councillor Doug Ford will manage the byelectioncampaign for Cho, who has been on city council for 25 years andwon't resign his municipal post unless he wins a seat in the Ontariolegislature.

"Scarborough has been represented by Liberals for years, yetthis riding has been forgotten by the Liberal government," Cho saidin a statement. "They are tired of broken and empty promises whenit comes to subways, health care and affordable hydro."

Holding the vote on theThursdaybefore the Labour Day longweekend means the winner will likely be able to take their seat whenthe legislature returnsSept. 12for its fall sitting.

The premier usually schedules by elections for the same day when there is more than one vacancy, but there was no reason given Wednesday for the fact she did not announce a date for a vote in Ottawa-Vanier to replace former attorney general Madeleine Meilleur.

Wynne has until December to call the byelection in Ottawa-Vanier,which has elected Liberals both provincially and federally since1971, and was represented by Meilleur since 2003.

The 67-year-old Meilleur, who was also the Francophone affairs minister, resigned in June on the day the legislature rose for the summer recess, saying she wanted to spend more time with her family.

The Liberals still hold 57 of the 107 seats in the Ontariolegislature,compared with 28 for the Progressive Conservatives and20 for the New Democrats, so the results of the byelections will notchange the government's standing.