Becancour--Nicolet--Saurel

Stretching along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River opposite Trois-Rivieres, Becancour--Nicolet--Saurel spans the Centre-du-Quebec and Monteregie regions. The riding takes in the industrial city of Sorel-Tracy, the historic town of Nicolet, and the municipality of Becancour, along with the Abenaki communities of Odanak and Wolinak. The district is predominantly rural and francophone, anchored by manufacturing, metallurgy, and agriculture.

Candidates

Louis Plamondon (Bloc Quebecois) -- First elected to the House of Commons in 1984 as a Progressive Conservative, Plamondon broke with the party following the collapse of the Meech Lake Accord in 1990 and became a founding member of the Bloc Quebecois. A former math teacher and restaurant owner from Saint-Raymond-de-Portneuf, he had represented the region continuously since then and served as Dean of the House of Commons since 2008.

Claude Carpentier (Liberal) -- Carpentier spent his professional career in the Canadian Armed Forces and law enforcement before seeking the Liberal nomination in Becancour--Nicolet--Saurel. He ran on his party's platform of investing in infrastructure and middle-class tax relief.

Nicolas Tabah (NDP) -- A first-time candidate, Tabah carried the NDP banner in the riding. He campaigned on social democratic priorities including strengthening public services and environmental protections.

Yves Laberge (Conservative) -- Laberge entered the race as the Conservative standard-bearer.

Corina Bastiani also ran for the Green Party.

About the Riding

Sorel-Tracy has long been shaped by heavy industry, particularly the Rio Tinto Fer et Titane complex, one of the world's leading producers of titanium dioxide feedstock and pig iron. The operation dates to the 1950s and remains a major employer in the region. Becancour is home to an industrial park hosting aluminum smelting and chemical manufacturing operations. Agriculture -- including dairy farming, grain production, and maple syrup -- sustains the rural municipalities between these urban centres. Nicolet, a seminary town on the Nicolet River, serves as a regional service hub. The riding's economy had been grappling with the effects of a sluggish manufacturing sector, and the ongoing pyrrhotite crisis -- in which defective concrete containing the mineral had damaged thousands of home foundations across the Mauricie and Centre-du-Quebec regions -- remained a pressing local concern heading into the 2015 campaign.