Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot

Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot is a federal electoral district in southern Quebec, east of Montreal. The by-election was called after Yvan Loubier, who had represented the riding for the Bloc Québécois since 1993, resigned on February 21, 2007, to run as a candidate for the Parti Québécois in the 2007 Quebec provincial election.

Candidates

Ève-Mary Thaï Thi Lac (Bloc Québécois) — Thaï Thi Lac was active in community organizing and Bloc Québécois politics in the Saint-Hyacinthe region prior to her candidacy.

Bernard Barré (Conservative) — Barré was a municipal councillor in Saint-Hyacinthe. He had worked as vice-president of operations and recruitment for Groupe GYM Inc. and served as a boxing analyst for various media since 1990.

Brigitte Sansoucy (NDP) — Sansoucy held a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's in public administration from the École nationale d'administration publique. She operated a shelter for youth in distress, the Auberge du Coeur Le Baluchon, and also served as a municipal councillor in Saint-Hyacinthe.

Jean Caumartin (Liberal) — Caumartin represented the Liberal Party of Canada in this by-election.

Jacques Tétreault (Green Party) — Tétreault was the Green Party candidate in this contest.

About the Riding

The riding is located in the Montérégie region of southern Quebec, encompassing the regional county municipality of Les Maskoutains. The city of Saint-Hyacinthe, situated along the Yamaska River and near Quebec Autoroute 20, serves as the riding's principal urban centre with a population of approximately 53,000. The riding is located roughly one hour east of Montreal.

Saint-Hyacinthe is widely recognized as Canada's agri-food capital. The city is home to Agriculture Canada's Research and Development Centre, the Institut de technologie agroalimentaire, and North America's only francophone veterinary school. The Centre d'insémination artificielle du Québec (CIAQ) is also headquartered in the city. The surrounding region produces a significant share of Quebec's pork, chicken, and vegetable output.

The riding is overwhelmingly francophone, with over 95% of residents reporting French as their mother tongue. The Bloc Québécois had held this seat since 1993, and the sovereigntist movement enjoyed consistent support in the region.