Third federal election recount to proceed in Quebec City riding

A request from the Bloc Qubcois for a recount in a Quebec City riding was grantedin Quebec Superior Court on Friday.

Judicial recounts will now be held in three ridings, following allegations of discrepancies in the results of the Oct. 21 federal election.

In the riding of Quebec, Liberal candidate Jean-Yves Duclos was re-elected by a narrow margin of only 325 votes over his closest challenger, former Bloc Qubcois MP Christiane Gagnon.

Gagnonheld the riding from 1993 until 2011, when she was defeated by the NDP's AnnickPapillon. Duclos defeated Papillon in 2015andwent on to serve in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet as the minister for families, children and social development.

On Thursday, the court granted another request from the Bloc for a recount in the Montreal riding of Hochelaga, where LiberalSoraya Martinez Ferradabeat another BQcandidate, Simon Marchand, by 328 votes.

Elections Canada said Friday the recount in Hochelaga will beginon Monday, Nov. 4, and the Quebec recount will take place the next day. Both will be presided over by a Quebec Superior Court judge.

On Wednesday, the NDP's request for a recount in the British Columbia riding of Port MoodyCoquitlamwas also granted.

Thatrecount will be overseen bya judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia next Wednesday, Nov. 6, in Pitt Meadows, B.C.

The result in theB.C. riding was the closest of the three now under review:ConservativeNelly Shin beat New Democrat Bonita Zarrillo by only 153 votes.