Decision Quebec: riding round-up

MERCIER:

This predominantly Francophone riding was won by the PQ’s Daniel Turp in 2007 and 2003. It straddles Mile-End and the Plateau and has a history of swinging between electing Liberal and PQ candidates.

Turp is a former law professor who holds a diploma from U.K.’s Cambridge University and has taught in France, Greece, and the U.S. He should expect tough competition from the left. Mercier voters, despite a history of electing one of the two major Quebec parties, almost gave the riding to Quebec Solidaire’s Amir Khadir in the last general elections. Khadir lost by only 1,000 votes.

Khadir is a doctor specializing in micro-biology and a peace activist who ran for the Bloc Quebecois in 2000. He is also spokesman for QS.

Catherine Émond, currently the political attaché for the Minister of Education, Michelle Courchesne, is running for the Liberals. She has a background in finance with a focus on foreign investments and has worked with not-for-profit health technology group Montreal InVivo. Émond also has experience in communications having done PR work for organizations like Radio-Canada.

NOTRE-DAME-DE-GRACE

This election should be a cakewalk for Liberal Kathleen Weil, who is hoping to replace Russell Copeman in this riding. Copeman proved immensely popular with NDG voters, garnering over 60 per cent of the vote in 2007 - leaps-and-bounds in front of any other candidates. He was consistently re-elected starting in 1994.

Weil is a lawyer and community activist who served as president of the administrative board of Régie régionale des services de santé et services sociaux de Montréal from 1998 to 2002. Her background in health service administration will serve her well if elected, as the new MUHC superhospital is a major issue in the riding.

NDG covers some trendy middle-class parts of Montreal along with working class neighbourhoods like St. Raymond’s and is half Anglophone and a quarter Francophone and Allophone.

The Green Party candidate is community activist Peter McQueen, who also ran in 2007.

Neophyte Fabrice Martel is the PQ candidate in NDG. The ADQ and the SQ hadn’t announced candidates by press time.

OUTREMONT:

Outremont is a true melting pot that includes the wealthy French neighbourhood that gave the riding its name along with a section of multi-ethnic, working-class Cote-des-Neiges. The Quebec Liberals have kept a tight grip on the riding since 1973. Raymond Bachand, Quebec’s minister of economic development is running for re-election. He won with over 47 per cent of the vote in 2007 and has held the riding since winning a 2005 by-election. Bachand has a union background as well as being a lawyer with a Harvard degree in administration. He’s been involved in a number of charitable organizations including Oxfam. Sophie Frechette is running for the PQ in Outremont and May Chiu for Quebec Solidaire. No other party has announced candidates by press time.

ST-HENRI-STE-ANNE

Incumbent Liberal Marguerite Blais is running again in this south-central, working class, traditionally Liberal riding. Blais won with 38 per cent of the vote in 2007.

She is the current provincial minister overseeing the elderly and is also a celebrated author and former journalist. She’s won a number of awards for her writing and community work and was raised in the neighbouring Pointe St. Charles district. Frederic Isaya is running for the PQ in the riding. No other party has announced candidates by press time.

SAINTE-MARIE-SAINT-JACQUES

Voters in Sainte-Marie-Saint-Jacques have been electing the PQ for almost 30 years. Almost 75 per cent Francophone, the riding also includes the Habitat 67 and Tropique Nord highrises, most of old Montreal, the gay village, and part of Chinatown. The PQ’s Martin Lemay has represented the riding in the national assembly since 2006, though Montrealers may recognize Lemay from his years as a municipal politician. He was elected as a city councillor in 1994 and served as Opposition leader and mayor of Ville-Marie before jumping into provincial politics in 2005. He has a background in history and labour law.

Eric Prud’homme, who is running for the Liberals in Ste-Marie. His background is in marketing and he has served on a number of boards including the Outgames, Quebec’s gay chamber of commerce, and le Chainon, a women’s shelter. Manon Masse is the QS candidate is Ste-Marie-St-Jacques.

The ADQ and the Green Party have yet to announce candidates in the riding.

VERDUN

Verdun has been voting Liberal - with one exception - since 1970. Incumbent Liberal Henri-Francois Gautrin won with 40 per cent of the vote and has held the riding since 1994.  He is a trained physicist and a former professor at l’Universite de Montreal and served as minister of government services from 2006 to 2007.

Michel Langlais is the PQ candidate in Verdun. Chantale Michaud is carrying the QS colours. No other party has announced candidates by press time.

WESTMOUNT-SAINT-LOUIS

Popular Liberal incumbent Jacques Chagnon is running again in the Westmount-Saint-Louis, a riding that straddles parts of the Plateau, Westmount, and downtown. Chagnon won with 60 per cent of the vote in 2007 and has been re-elected in the riding in its various incarnations since 1985.  Chagnon has served as minister of education, minister responsible for administration of professional laws, and minister responsible for administration of the French Language Charter. He has a background in political science.

Daniella Johnson-Meneghini is running for the PQ and Nadia Alexan for QS.

No other party has announced candidates by press time.