Conservative Gaétan Malette takes Kapuskasing-Timmins-Mushkegowuk
NDP falls to third place in Charlie Angus's former riding
Conservative Gaétan Malette is the winner in the new riding of Kapuskasing-Timmins-Mushkegowuk.
Malette told Radio-Canada he felt relief after winning the riding.
"I've been working at this for a year and a half. I'm proud of the work from my team and I'm glad to have support from the voters," he said.
Malette said it takes an army of volunteers to campaign in such a large riding.
Now that he's been elected, he said the big challenge will be to address the cost of living crisis for Canadians.
"The celebration is over and now I need to prepare to work," he said.
The riding is an expanded version of the former Timmins-James Bay, taking in Kapuskasing, Hearst, Chapleau and other communities that were previously in Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing.
Malette received nearly 50 per cent of the vote. Liberal Steve Black was in second with just over 38 per cent of the vote while the NDP's Nicole Fortier-Levesque came in third.
New Democrat stalwart Charlie Angus, who decided not to run in this election, has held the Timmins-James Bay seat since first being elected back in 2004.