Richmond—Arthabaska

Richmond—Arthabaska is a rural riding in Quebec's Centre-du-Québec and Estrie regions, situated at the foothills of the Appalachians north of Sherbrooke. The riding encompasses the regional county municipalities of Arthabaska and Les Sources and the centre of Le Val-Saint-François. Its largest community is Victoriaville, with a population of approximately 45,000, while other notable towns include the town then known as Asbestos (later renamed Val-des-Sources), Warwick, and Kingsey Falls.

Candidates

André Bellavance (Bloc Québécois) — Born in 1964 in Victoriaville, Bellavance had represented Richmond—Arthabaska since 2004, winning three consecutive terms. He had a background in government communications, political science, and law, and had worked as a journalist and political assistant before entering elected politics. Prior to his election, he had served as parliamentary assistant to Bloc MP Pierre Paquette.

Isabelle Maguire (NDP) — Maguire ran as the NDP candidate in a close contest against the incumbent Bellavance.

Jean-Philippe Bachand (Conservative), Marie-Josée Talbot (Liberal), and Tomy Bombardier (Green Party) also contested the riding.

About the Riding

Richmond—Arthabaska covers over 3,500 square kilometres of gently rolling Appalachian foothill country. The riding is overwhelmingly francophone, with over ninety-five percent of residents reporting French as their mother tongue. Victoriaville, the regional hub, had long been known as the furniture capital of Canada, and wood products manufacturing remained a significant employer in 2011, though the industry had contracted from its peak.

The town then called Asbestos was home to the Jeffrey Mine, one of the world's largest open-pit chrysotile asbestos mines. By 2011 the mine had been idled, and the community was grappling with the economic fallout and the broader question of whether asbestos mining would resume — a politically charged issue given growing international opposition to the mineral. The federal government's stance on asbestos exports was a significant local concern. Kingsey Falls is home to Cascades Inc., a major pulp and paper company. Agriculture, particularly dairy farming and maple syrup production, anchors the rural economy across the riding's many small communities. The riding also includes Mont-Ham, the highest point in the area at 713 metres, which draws hikers and outdoor recreation visitors. Federal issues in 2011 included the future of the asbestos industry, support for furniture and wood products manufacturing, agricultural supply management, and rural broadband and infrastructure investment.