A by-election was held on June 23, 2026, to elect a member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly for the newly created provincial riding of Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay. The by-election was won by the governing Progressive Conservatives and its candidate Claude Bourgeois.

Background After a court ruled that the government had violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by not creating a Francophone opportunity seat on Cape Breton Island in 2019, the new district was created to represent traditional Acadian people in the area. The new district is the smallest riding in the province.

If the results of the 2024 Nova Scotia general election were to be redistributed to the district's boundaries, the Progressive Conservative would have won about 53% of the vote, with the Liberals behind at 34%. The NDP would have won about 13%.

Candidates The deadline for candidates to apply for this election was set as 2 PM on 3 June 2026.

Progressive Conservative Party The Progressive Conservative Party nominated local business owner Claude Bourgeois on 12 May 2026.

Liberal Party The Liberal Party announced on 4 May 2026 that it had chosen retired teacher Denis Cormier as its candidate.

New Democratic Party The NDP nominated Trevor Poirier, a long-term care worker and president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2031, as its candidate on 12 May 2026. Green Party The Greens nominated tattoo artist and small-business owner Nikki "Nik" Boisvert, whose candidacy was confirmed at the nomination deadline on 3 June 2026. Boisvert previously ran as the Marxist–Leninist candidate during two federal elections: first in Sydney—Victoria during the 2021 Canadian federal election where they finished last (6th) with 127 votes (0.3%), and then in Sydney—Glace Bay as part of the 2025 Canadian federal election, where they finished last (8th) with 85 votes (0.18%).

Results

Previous results 2024 Nova Scotia general election redistributed results Party Votes %   Progressive Conservative 946 53.2   Liberal 603 33.9   New Democratic 229 12.9

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