Repentigny

Repentigny is a federal electoral district in the Lanaudière region of Quebec, northeast of Montreal. The by-election was called following the death of Benoît Sauvageau, who had held the seat for the Bloc Québécois since 1993. Sauvageau was killed in a car accident on August 28, 2006, at the age of 42, while travelling to a constituency event in his riding.

Candidates

Raymond Gravel (Bloc Québécois) — Gravel was a Roman Catholic priest serving at the Saint-Joachim-de-la-Plaine parish in La Plaine, Quebec. He received a dispensation from Gilles Lussier, Bishop of Joliette, to enter politics. He was ordained in 1986 and was known for his outspoken advocacy on social justice issues.

Stéphane Bourgon (Conservative) — Bourgon was a lawyer whose practice included work in international criminal law.

Réjean Bellemare (NDP) — Bellemare ran for the New Democratic Party in this by-election.

Christian Turenne (Liberal) — Turenne represented the Liberal Party of Canada.

About the Riding

The riding of Repentigny is centred on the city of Repentigny, an off-island suburb of Montreal located at the confluence of the L'Assomption River and the Saint Lawrence River. In 2006, the city had a population of approximately 76,000, making it one of the larger suburban municipalities in the greater Montreal area. The city's territory expanded significantly following a 2002 merger with the neighbouring municipality of Le Gardeur.

Repentigny functions primarily as a residential suburb, with many residents commuting to Montreal for work. While predominantly residential, the city does include some manufacturing activity. The population is overwhelmingly francophone, with French spoken as a mother tongue by approximately 97% of residents at the time of the by-election.

The riding was among the most sovereigntist in Quebec. The Bloc had held the seat continuously since its creation in 1993, reflecting the strong support for Quebec sovereignty in the Lanaudière region.