Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques

Spanning more than 8,000 square kilometres of eastern Quebec's Bas-Saint-Laurent region, this riding follows the south shore of the St. Lawrence Estuary from the Les Basques MRC through to the city of Rimouski and south into the Témiscouata highlands near the New Brunswick border. Rimouski, with a population approaching 49,000, serves as the regional capital and dominant urban centre. Beyond the city, the landscape shifts to a vast patchwork of forests, farmland, and small towns including Trois-Pistoles, Dégelis, and the municipality of Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac.

Candidates

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas (Bloc Québécois) — Born and raised in Rimouski, Blanchette-Joncas took an unconventional path to politics. After attending four schools and completing his secondary diploma through adult education, he worked for six years at a Telus call centre, where he became drawn to union activism. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Université du Québec à Rimouski, completing an internship at Paris city hall as part of his studies. He then served as deputy general manager of the municipality of L'Isle-Verte and was active in the Rimouski Young Chamber of Commerce.

Guy Caron (NDP) — A Rimouski native, Caron earned a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Ottawa and worked at regional media outlets including radio stations CKLE and CKMN-FM before earning a master's degree in economics from the Université du Québec à Montréal. He worked as a researcher and economist with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada and as a campaigner for the Council of Canadians. Elected in the 2011 NDP wave, Caron served as the NDP's finance critic and ran for the party leadership in 2017, finishing fourth. He subsequently served as the NDP's parliamentary leader in the House of Commons while party leader Jagmeet Singh did not yet hold a seat.

Chantal Pilon (Liberal) — Pilon carried the Liberal banner in the riding.

Nancy Brassard-Fortin (Conservative) — Brassard-Fortin represented the Conservative Party of Canada.

Jocelyn Rioux (Green Party) — Rioux was the Green Party candidate in the riding.

Pierre Lacombe ran for the People's Party of Canada and Lysane Picker-Paquin ran for the Rhinoceros Party.

About the Riding

Rimouski is recognized as Quebec's Marine Technopole, a designation reflecting the city's concentration of ocean-science research and expertise. The Université du Québec à Rimouski and its Institut des sciences de la mer form the largest francophone university marine-science research centre in Canada, making education a major economic pillar — roughly one in three Rimouski residents is a student. The regional hospital centre is another significant employer. Outside Rimouski, forestry, agriculture, and seasonal tourism sustain the economy across the Témiscouata highlands and along the estuary. The Témiscouata area, near the New Brunswick frontier, sits in Appalachian foothill country centred on Lac Témiscouata. The Les Basques MRC includes Trois-Pistoles, a small town known for its cultural festivals and historic stone church. Persistent regional concerns include population decline and youth outmigration, seasonal employment and employment insurance rules, rural broadband deployment, and federal support for small harbours and marine infrastructure along the St. Lawrence.