Quebec

The federal riding of Quebec encompasses the historic heart of Quebec City, including the borough of La Cite-Limoilou and the southern portion of Les Rivieres. Within its boundaries lie some of the most storied neighbourhoods in North America: the walled upper town of Vieux-Quebec, the portside lower town, and the revitalizing quarters of Saint-Roch and Saint-Sauveur. The riding also extends into more residential areas to the west.

From 1993 onward the seat had been held by the Bloc Quebecois, but the NDP's 2011 sweep installed Annick Papillon as MP. With the Bloc weakened nationally and the NDP struggling to hold its Quebec gains, the 2015 contest became a tight race between the incumbent and a high-profile Liberal recruit.

Candidates

Jean-Yves Duclos (Liberal) — A professor of economics at Universite Laval since 1993, Duclos held a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics and had directed the university's economics department from 2012 to 2015. His research focused on public economics, poverty measurement, and social policy. He entered the race as part of the Liberal effort to recruit accomplished professionals in Quebec City.

Annick Papillon (NDP) — The sitting MP since 2011, Papillon held a degree in public communications, law, and history from Universite Laval and had studied journalism at the Universite catholique de Louvain in Belgium. Before her election she worked at the Institut de la statistique du Quebec. In Parliament she served on several committees and advocated for social housing and cultural policy.

Pierre-Thomas Asselin (Conservative) — Asselin carried the Conservative banner in this urban Quebec City riding.

Charles Mordret (Bloc Quebecois) — Mordret ran for the Bloc in a riding the party had held for nearly two decades before 2011.

Philippe Riboty (Green Party) — Riboty rounded out the major-party candidates for the Greens.

About the Riding

Quebec City's historic core is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major driver of tourism for the entire province. Beyond the tourism sector, the riding is home to provincial government offices and a growing technology and digital media cluster in the Saint-Roch neighbourhood. The area experienced significant gentrification in the years leading up to 2015, with rising housing costs and debates over heritage preservation. Federal issues in the campaign included infrastructure funding for aging urban systems, support for the cultural sector, and the future of the Davie shipyard across the river in Levis—a major employer whose federal contracts were a persistent concern for the broader Quebec City region.