Maxime Bernier says he will stay on as PPC leader, despite loss in Quebec riding

montreal -

People's Party of Canada (PPC) Leader Maxime Bernier says he will remain as party leader despite the defeat Monday night in his Quebec riding.

Bernier gave a speech at a Saskatoon hotel following the loss.

Late Monday night, the People's Party had 5.2 per cent of the national vote, easily outstripping the Green Party.

Bernier says he is pleased to see the party grow and he is already preparing for the next election.

He delivered his speech indoors to a crowd of mostly unmasked people, even though his chief of staff encouraged people to wear them to stay in good standing with the hotel.

We see and hear many people’s tweets expressing concerns about masking at a local election event. As the concerns are regarding a public health order, we will work with our partners in Public Health to look into this further.

— Saskatoon Police (@SaskatoonPolice) September 21, 2021

After videos of the event were posted on social media, Saskatoon police issued a statement on Twitter saying they are looking into a local election event due to complaints.

However, they did not specify if it was the event involving the PPC party.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Sept. 21, 2021.