Châteauguay—Lacolle

Southwest of Montreal in the Montérégie region, Châteauguay—Lacolle extends from the suburban city of Châteauguay on the St. Lawrence southward through the flat agricultural heartland of the Jardins-de-Napierville to the international border at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle. The riding covers approximately 940 square kilometres and encompasses municipalities including Châteauguay, Mercier, Léry, Saint-Isidore, Saint-Rémi, Napierville, Hemmingford, and Howick. Châteauguay itself, with roughly 48,000 residents, is the principal population centre and functions as a commuter suburb for workers travelling to Montreal.

Candidates

Brenda Shanahan (Liberal) — A former banker and social worker, Shanahan holds a Bachelor of Social Work from McGill University. She built a career in financial services and community advocacy in the Châteauguay area before entering federal politics. First elected in this riding in 2015, she sought re-election as the incumbent.

Claudia Valdivia (Bloc Québécois) — Originally from Chile, Valdivia immigrated to Montreal with her family in 1974. She had worked for the Government of Quebec since 2003, serving as a communications advisor and graphic designer at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity. A union delegate and longtime independence activist, she chose to represent the Bloc citing its environmental platform as the most ambitious among the parties.

Hugues Laplante (Conservative) — A businessman from Sainte-Martine, Laplante founded Groupe Laplante Sécurité in 2001, a company specializing in the installation of surveillance cameras and security systems for residential, commercial, and industrial clients. He sold his company to a multinational firm in 2012 and subsequently worked as a sales director at a Quebec-based security systems manufacturer.

Marika Lalime (NDP) — Lalime represented the New Democratic Party in the riding.

Meryam Haddad (Green Party) — A Montreal immigration lawyer, Haddad was born in Syria and immigrated to Canada at age five. She earned a law degree from the University of Ottawa and was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 2013.

Jeff Benoit ran for the People's Party of Canada, Marc Gagnon ran for Pour l'Indépendance du Québec, and Pierre Chénier ran for the Marxist-Leninist Party.

About the Riding

The northern portion of the riding, centred on Châteauguay and Mercier, serves primarily as a bedroom community for greater Montreal. The Châteauguay River winds through this section, and the municipality has historical significance as the site of the 1813 Battle of Châteauguay, where Canadian forces turned back an American advance during the War of 1812. South of the suburban belt, the landscape opens into the Châteauguay River valley and the Jardins-de-Napierville plain — some of Quebec's most productive agricultural land, where fruit, vegetable, and grain farms supply markets across the province and beyond. The border crossing at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle on Highway 15, the Montreal–New York corridor, is one of Quebec's busiest land ports of entry and a critical node for Canada–United States trade. During the 2019 campaign, the Lacolle border crossing was also at the centre of national debate over irregular migration via Roxham Road. Other local issues included agricultural support, commuter transit connections to Montreal, and environmental protection of local waterways.