Pierre-Boucher--Les Patriotes--Vercheres

Another product of the 2012 redistribution, Pierre-Boucher--Les Patriotes--Vercheres lies on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence in the Monteregie region. The riding reaches from the suburban city of Boucherville through Varennes, Contrecoeur, and Vercheres to the rural parishes along the Richelieu River, including Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu and Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu. It merges territory formerly covered by the ridings of Longueuil--Pierre-Boucher and Vercheres--Les Patriotes, creating a district that blends dense suburbia with agricultural hinterland.

Candidates

Xavier Barsalou-Duval (Bloc Quebecois) -- At twenty-six years old, Barsalou-Duval had studied at the Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres and worked as an auditor and teacher. He served as president of the Forum jeunesse du Bloc Quebecois from 2011 to 2015 and had campaigned for Mario Beaulieu during the 2014 Bloc leadership race. He won the riding with the lowest percentage of the popular vote of any MP elected in 2015.

Lucie Gagnon (Liberal) -- An entertainer, comedian, and singer, Gagnon was active in hosting community galas and charitable events in the region. She ran a competitive campaign and came within 213 votes of winning the seat, making it one of the tightest races in the country.

Raphael Fortin (NDP) -- Fortin had previously run for the federal NDP in the predecessor riding of Vercheres--Les Patriotes in 2008. He sought to carry the NDP's 2011 momentum into the new district.

Clovis Maheux (Conservative) -- Maheux represented the Conservative Party in a riding where the party drew modest support.

JiCi Lauzon (Green Party) -- Lauzon, a well-known Quebec comedian and humorist, stood as the Green candidate and drew an unusually high share of the vote for the party.

About the Riding

Boucherville, the riding's largest municipality, is a well-established suburb with a diversified economy that includes a technology park and pharmaceutical facilities. Further east, Varennes and Contrecoeur host petrochemical and industrial port operations along the Saint Lawrence. The smaller communities of Saint-Denis and Saint-Charles are historically significant as sites of the 1837 Patriotes uprisings -- a heritage reflected in the riding's name. The predecessor riding of Vercheres--Les Patriotes had been held by NDP MP Sana Hassainia, who left the party caucus in August 2014 and sat as an independent before choosing not to seek re-election. Her departure left the seat without an incumbent and contributed to a fragmented four-way contest in which the vote split almost evenly among the Bloc, the Liberals, and the NDP.