Federal Liberals unscathed, but denied growth in Quebec
Quebecers helped keep Justin Trudeau's Liberals to the status quo -- in Quebec, and with a minority government overall -- by awarding them many of the same seats they won in 2019, without the growth they coveted.
"We have the same kinds of results that we did in 2019," said McGill political scientist Antonia Maioni.
"The Liberal party has maintained its seats. It wasn't able to grow the number of seats in Quebec, and that's a problem if it ever wants to regain a majority."
The Liberals entered the election with 35 seats in the province, compared with 32 for the Bloc. It ended the night with exactly the same seat count, as of 2 a.m., with the Bloc steady at 32 as well.
The party held on to some of its most anxiety-inducing ridings, including Hochelaga, the only one seriously contested on the Island of Montreal.
However, it failed to make inroads in some others, losing primarily to the Bloc in a few that seemed within reach, including the Saint-Therese-Blainville riding, which was held by a Liberal MP until 2019.
The Liberals and Bloc have been battling it out for weeks, especially in the suburbs around Montreal and especially after the Bloc saw a surge of support after the English-language debate less than two weeks before Election Day.
The occasional seat was swapped between the two parties, but the overall count looks to end up back at square one. In Chateauguay-Lacolle, for example, Bloc candidate Patrick O'Hara ousted the Liberal incumbent Brenda Shanahan.
But the Bloc was barely holding on to another South Shore riding that the Liberals went after fiercely: Longueuil-Saint-Hubert, where the race still hadn't been called as of Tuesday morning, with incumbent Denis Trudel just 1,805 votes ahead of his Liberal challenger, Florence Gagnon.
The Liberals handily held on to the riding next door, the equally contested Longueuil-Charles-LeMoyne, with incumbent Sherry Romanado.
Other parties had mixed results.
The NDP held onto its single seat in Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie, where the MP is Alexandre Boulerice. But a second seat was in contention for the NDP, too: former MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau was within a few hundred votes in an attempted comeback in Berthier-Maskinongé that was too close to call untll Tuesday, when her loss was declared.
People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier lost in his riding of Beauce to the Conservative incumbent, Richard Lehoux, while Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet were re-elected in their Quebec ridings.
The Conservatives, hoping to expand their stronghold around Quebec City, didn't manage to do so -- but like the Liberals, they held on to what they had.
And some ridings are still too close to call, as of Tuesday morning, including Trois-Rivieres, where the Bloc and Conservatives are 60 votes apart, and Brome-Missisquoi, where the Bloc candidate leads the Liberal incumbent by just 94 votes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.