Article content continued

Switching would not be without consequences for Singh, who has gone out of his way to assure Burnaby voters that he’s not a political tourist. He’s said he and his wife intend to live in the riding and that he’ll run there in the general election as well.

“I am all in on Burnaby,” he said in August.

But that was before the Brampton riding opened up.

Grewal said in a Facebook post that he had been struggling with the decision to resign for some time.

In a tweet, Trudeau said he learned Wednesday that Grewal “is facing serious personal challenges” and is stepping down.

“While it may have been a difficult decision, it was the right one. I hope he receives the support he needs,” Trudeau wrote.

I am all in on Burnaby

Trudeau was criticized last month when he called one byelection in the eastern Ontario riding of Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes for Dec. 3, while leaving Burnaby South, the Montreal riding of Outremont and the Ontario riding of York-Simcoe vacant.

At the time, Trudeau argued that the other three had only recently been vacated, whereas Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes had been without an MP for almost six months, since the death of Conservative Gordon Brown.

Insiders now say Trudeau will set a date in early February for the other three byelections. He will wait until early January to call them so candidates won’t have to campaign over the Christmas holiday season.

If New Democrat MP Sheila Malcolmson resigns her British Columbia seat of Nanaimo-Ladysmith by the new year, Trudeau could call that byelection at the same time.