Byelections in five provincial ridings could be called by Premier Kathleen Wynne as early as next Wednesday, sources told the Star.

Liberal strategists will spend the Canada Day weekend finalizing plans to see voters in Etobicoke, Scarborough, Ottawa, London and Windsor headed to the polls, possibly on Aug. 1.

“Nothing has been settled yet,” a senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal strategy, insisted Friday.

“We’re not even sure we will hold all of them the same day,” said the Liberal, adding that, by law, Wynne only has to call byelections in London West and Windsor-Tecumseh before Aug. 15. The other three ridings could wait until December or January.

But other Liberals say they are in election-readiness mode in anticipation of writs being dropped next week in all five vacant constituencies.

“We’ve been ‘volun-told,’ ” said one insider, noting political aides from across government are being conscripted for the contests.

“There are a lot of calls going out and everyone is on high alert,” the source said.

While all five ridings were held by Liberals, the byelection results would not radically alter the landscape in the minority legislature. In the 107-seat assembly, there are 48 Liberals, including Speaker Dave Levac, 36 Tories and 18 New Democrats.

Still, the Liberals know there is pressure on Wynne, who succeeded Dalton McGuinty five months ago, to retain the seats. It’s the rookie premier’s first electoral test.

In McGuinty’s Ottawa South seat, the former premier’s constituency assistant, John Fraser, will carry the Liberal flag. Matt Young is the Progressive Conservative candidate, while the NDP and Greens have yet to nominate anyone.

Liberals admit that Windsor-Tecumseh, long held by former finance minister Dwight Duncan, should be the toughest byelection to fight. The Grits are fielding Jeewen Gill, but the NDP’s Percy Hatfield is heavily favoured. Robert de Verteuil is the Tory nominee.

Former Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation president Ken Coran who campaigned for the NDP against the Liberals in last September’s Kitchener-Waterloo byelection, got the Grit nod in London West, a seat that had been held by former energy minister Chris Bentley.

Coran had broken with the Liberals due to McGuinty’s fight with teachers’ unions, but has patched things up since Wynne took over.

“I have never been shy about expressing my views, so rest assured I will be a strong and loud voice for the families of London West at Queen’s Park,” he said in a statement Friday.

But Coran will be in a tight three-way race with the NDP’s Peggy Sattler and the Tories’ Ali Chahbar. Gary Brown is the Green candidate.

Closer to home, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Laurel Broten’s retirement announcement last Sunday opens up Etobicoke-Lakeshore.

As disclosed by the Star on Friday, the Liberals have wooed five possible candidates.

They are: Councillors Mark Grimes and Peter Milczyn; former Toronto District School Board chair Bruce Davis, a long-time Wynne ally; Catholic board trustee Ann Andrachuk; and TDSB trustee Pamela Gough.

Sources say Gough will likely be the Liberal standard-bearer.

The Tories are fielding Toronto police Det. Steve Ryan, while the New Democrats have yet to nominate anyone. The Greens are fielding Angela Salewsky.

Former minister Margarett Best’s resignation Thursday opens up Scarborough-Guildwood, where Tory Ken Kirupa is the only major party candidate nominated so far.

Despite being the most prepared, at least in terms of candidates, Tory MPP Rod Jackson played down expectations for his party.

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“These are ridings we haven’t held in a long time. It’s going to be a really difficult fight. We’re ready,” he told reporters at Queen’s Park Friday.

Jackson chortled that Coran’s candidacy in London West is a gift for the Tories and a “terrible mistake” by the Liberals.

“This comes after a time when he actually stood outside the Liberal leadership convention, saying it was a ‘corrupt government; we can’t trust them.’ ”

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