Hochelaga

Nestled in Montreal's east end, the riding of Hochelaga draws its territory from the historic working-class neighbourhood of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, along with portions of Mercier and Rosemont. Once celebrated as the "Pittsburgh of Canada" for its concentration of heavy industry, the area retains a strong blue-collar identity even as waves of new condominium development and rising property values were beginning to reshape the neighbourhood's social fabric.

Candidates

Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet (NDP) -- The incumbent MP, Boutin-Sweet held a master's degree in anthropology from the University of Alberta and had worked as a guide-animator at the Pointe-a-Calliere Museum in Montreal, where she co-founded the employees' union affiliated with the Centrale des syndicats democratiques. Her involvement in pay equity and bargaining committees gave her a strong background in labour advocacy. First elected during the 2011 NDP sweep, she served as the party's housing critic in the 41st Parliament.

Marwah Rizqy (Liberal) -- A professor of tax law at the Universite de Sherbrooke, Rizqy brought an academic background in fiscal policy to the campaign. She ran a strong ground campaign in a riding where Liberal support was surging across Quebec.

Simon Marchand (Bloc Quebecois) -- A fraud-protection manager, Marchand represented the Bloc Quebecois in a riding that had been a Bloc stronghold for years before the 2011 NDP wave. He campaigned on re-establishing the Bloc's presence in east-end Montreal.

Alexandre Dang (Conservative) -- Dang carried the Conservative Party banner in the riding.

Anne-Marie Saint-Cerny (Green Party) -- Saint-Cerny represented the Green Party.

About the Riding

Hochelaga-Maisonneuve has long been one of Montreal's lower-income neighbourhoods, with significant social housing stock and a population that depends heavily on community services and federal income-support programs. By 2015, however, the area was in the early stages of a transformation that some residents welcomed and others resisted. The number of households earning above $80,000 had doubled since 2010, and a wave of condominium construction was raising concerns about affordability and displacement among longtime residents. Housing policy, poverty reduction, and support for community organizations were central campaign themes. The riding's proximity to Montreal's Olympic Stadium and the Maisonneuve Market gives it cultural and commercial anchors, while its industrial heritage is still visible in repurposed factory buildings along the waterfront.