Laval

The riding of Laval covers the central portion of Ile Jesus, the large island that makes up the city of Laval north of Montreal. It includes the neighbourhoods of Chomedey, Laval-des-Rapides, and Fabreville — three of the former municipalities that merged to form the city of Laval in 1965. The riding is bounded by the Riviere des Prairies to the south, separating it from the Island of Montreal, and by the Riviere des Mille Iles to the north.

Candidates

Jose Nunez-Melo (NDP) — Originally from the Dominican Republic, Nunez-Melo graduated from Colegio San Luis Gonzaga in Santo Domingo in 1974 and managed a hotel in Puerto Plata before immigrating to Canada in 1990. He subsequently worked for Revenu Quebec. He entered the 2011 campaign as a first-time federal candidate, part of the NDP's large slate of new recruits in the greater Montreal area.

Nicole Demers (Bloc Quebecois) — An administrator of health services and former restaurant owner, Demers was first elected to the House of Commons as the Bloc Quebecois MP for Laval in 2004, defeating Liberal incumbent Pierre Lafleur. She was re-elected in 2006 and 2008, serving as the Bloc's critic for Families and Caregivers and later as critic for Seniors. Heading into 2011, she was a three-term incumbent with a focus on social policy issues in Parliament.

Eva Nassif (Liberal) — A former translator and revisor, Nassif had previously run as a Liberal candidate in the 2008 federal election in the riding of Terrebonne—Blainville. She sought the Laval seat in 2011 as her second federal campaign.

Robert Malo (Conservative), Jocelyne Leduc (Green Party), and Yvon Breton (Marxist-Leninist) also ran.

About the Riding

Laval is Quebec's third-largest city after Montreal and Quebec City, with an overall population of roughly 400,000 at the time of the 2011 census. The riding's neighbourhoods reflect the city's suburban development patterns — Chomedey is the largest and most densely populated sector, with a substantial immigrant population and a mix of apartment blocks and single-family homes. Laval-des-Rapides, adjacent to the Pont-Viau bridge connecting Laval to Montreal, is an older residential area with commercial strips along major boulevards. Fabreville, to the northwest, is more typically suburban with newer residential development.

The local economy is anchored by the technology, pharmaceutical, and industrial sectors. Laval has established itself as a hub for life sciences and health technologies, hosting over 125 companies in the sector. The city's large industrial parks, including the Industrial Park Centre with over 1,000 manufacturing establishments, employ tens of thousands of workers. Major employers include the convenience-store giant Alimentation Couche-Tard, which has its headquarters in Laval. Retail is also a significant driver, with the Carrefour Laval and Centre Laval shopping centres drawing consumers from across the north shore. Transportation infrastructure — particularly connections to Montreal via bridges and the metro extension to Laval, which opened in 2007 — and access to health care and social services for the city's growing and diverse population were key local concerns. The riding had been held by the Bloc Quebecois since its creation in 2004.