LaSalle—Émard—Verdun

LaSalle—Émard—Verdun is a federal electoral district in southwestern Montreal, Quebec, encompassing the boroughs of Verdun and LaSalle along with the neighbourhoods of Ville-Émard and Côte-Saint-Paul. The by-election of September 16, 2024 was triggered by the resignation of Liberal MP David Lametti, who had served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. Lametti, who first won the seat in 2015, resigned effective February 1, 2024, to join law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, where he would specialize in Indigenous law.

Candidates

Louis-Philippe Sauvé (Bloc Québécois) — Sauvé holds a master's degree in history from the Université du Québec à Montréal and a bachelor's degree in social sciences from the Université du Québec en Outaouais. He previously worked as a coordinator for administration and communications at the Institut de recherche en économie contemporaine, and had also served as a staff member in the Bloc Québécois' parliamentary research department.

Laura Palestini (Liberal) — Palestini served as a Montreal city councillor for the district of Cecil-P.-Newman in the borough of LaSalle. She was selected by the Liberal Party in July 2024 as their candidate for the by-election, having been acclaimed without a contested nomination.

Craig Sauvé (NDP) — Sauvé served as Montreal city councillor for the district of Saint-Henri—Little-Burgundy—Pointe-Saint-Charles from 2013 onward, initially elected under the Projet Montréal banner. He later sat as an independent councillor. He holds a background in community organizing in Montreal's Sud-Ouest borough.

Louis Ialenti (Conservative) — Ialenti is a small business owner who previously ran as the Conservative candidate in Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel during the 2021 federal election.

Jency Mercier (Green Party) — Mercier is a beekeeper and biodiversity ambassador based in Verdun who served as the Green Party's shadow cabinet critic for diversity and inclusion.

About the Riding

LaSalle—Émard—Verdun sits on the southwestern shore of the Island of Montreal, bordered by the St. Lawrence River and the Lachine Canal. The riding takes in the borough of Verdun (excluding Nuns' Island), most of the borough of LaSalle, and the neighbourhoods of Ville-Émard, Côte-Saint-Paul, and parts of the Angrignon area in Le Sud-Ouest. Angrignon Park, one of Montreal's largest green spaces at over 97 hectares, anchors the northern portion of the riding.

The population stood at approximately 112,000 as of the 2021 census. More than 55 percent of residents reported speaking French most often at home, with about one-quarter speaking English and 12.5 percent speaking a non-official language. The district is home to significant Italian-Canadian, Haitian, North African, and Latin American communities, with Spanish, Mandarin, and Italian among the most frequently spoken non-official languages.

The local economy is driven by a mix of small businesses, light industry along the Lachine Canal corridor, and service-sector employment. The riding includes the Angrignon shopping centre and numerous commercial strips along Wellington Street in Verdun and Boulevard Newman in LaSalle. The area has experienced significant gentrification in recent years, particularly in Verdun, which has seen a wave of new restaurants, cafés, and residential development along its waterfront promenade.