Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup

Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup is a sprawling rural riding along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River in eastern Quebec. The by-election was called after Paul Crête, the Bloc Québécois MP who had represented the region since 1993, resigned on May 21, 2009, to run as a Parti Québécois candidate in a provincial by-election in Rivière-du-Loup.

Candidates

Bernard Généreux (Conservative) — Généreux was the mayor of La Pocatière, a position he had held since 2005. An entrepreneur from the region, he was well-known locally for his advocacy on behalf of the Bombardier rail manufacturing plant, which he described as the economic engine of the area.

Nancy Gagnon (Bloc Québécois) — Gagnon was a teacher by training who had worked for the Bloc Québécois for ten years. She campaigned on her knowledge of regional issues and her experience within the party organization.

Marcel Catellier (Liberal) — Catellier represented the Liberal Party in this traditionally sovereigntist riding.

François Lapointe (NDP) — Lapointe ran for the NDP in a region where the party had historically limited support.

Charles A. Marois (Green Party) — Marois carried the Green Party banner.

About the Riding

The riding stretches approximately 170 kilometres along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, from Berthier-sur-Mer in the west to L'Île-Verte in the east, and extends south to the Maine border roughly 50 kilometres from the riverbank. It encompasses the regional county municipalities of Montmagny, L'Islet, Kamouraska, and Rivière-du-Loup.

The largest communities include the city of Rivière-du-Loup (population approximately 19,000), a regional service and transportation hub at the junction of the Trans-Canada Highway and Route 185 leading to New Brunswick. La Pocatière, located in Kamouraska county, is the largest urban centre between Montmagny and Rivière-du-Loup and is home to the Alstom (formerly Bombardier) rail manufacturing plant, which has produced subway and railway cars since the early 1970s and is a major regional employer.

The riding's population in 2006 was approximately 97,500, almost entirely francophone. The economy is based on agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, and tourism, with the scenic St. Lawrence shoreline and islands drawing visitors to the region. The area is deeply rooted in Quebec's rural francophone culture, with a strong tradition of support for sovereigntist parties at both the provincial and federal levels.