Start-up party Strength in Democracy deregistered by Elections Canada

Strength in Democracy, a party launched in 2014 by former Bloc Qubcois MP Jean-Franois Fortin, has been deregistered by Elections Canada.

The party, better known in French as Forces et Dmocratie, focused primarily on regional issues. Itwas launched by Fortin after he left the Bloc caucus over disagreementswith the "radical" and "divisive" leadership ofMario Beaulieu. He was joined byNDP MP Jean-Franois Larose,who left the New Democrats to sit with the new party.

• Strength in Democracy taps into voter dissatisfaction with main parties
• Fortin, Larose form new political party

Deregistrationbars a party from issuing tax receipts for contributions and strips it ofother benefits registered parties receive including having a party'sname on a ballot.

Elections Canada said it deregistered Strength in Democracy for failing to file an administrative form containing a declaration by the leader, as required by the Elections Act, that "one of the party's fundamental purposes is to participate in public affairs by endorsing one or more of its members as candidates and supporting their election."

In its release, Elections Canada said the Canada Party was also being deregistered. The party was founded in 2015 by former Saskatchewan MP Jim Pankiw.

Strength in Democracy ran candidates in 17 ridings in the 2015 federal election, including outside of Quebec. The party received just over 8,000 votes nationwide, about half of those in Fortin's own riding where he sought re-election under his new party's banner.

Fortin finished in fourth place with 11.6 per cent of the vote in AvignonLa MitisMataneMatapdia, the closest the party came to electing a candidate.

Fortin announced he was leaving politics and stepping down as leader of Strength in Democracy in January.