Lac-Saint-Jean

Covering a vast territory in the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean region of northeastern Quebec, this riding encircles Lac Saint-Jean and pushes northward into the boreal forest of the Maria-Chapdelaine regional county municipality. The principal population centres of Alma, Roberval, Dolbeau-Mistassini, and Saint-Félicien sit along the lakeshore, while the northern reaches extend deep into the Canadian Shield.

Candidates

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Bloc Québécois) — The son of former Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe, Brunelle-Duceppe had relocated to the Lac-Saint-Jean region before the election and was working at the Produits forestiers Résolu plant in Alma. He had previously worked in the film industry in Montreal before putting down roots in the riding.

Richard Hébert (Liberal) — A former mayor of Dolbeau-Mistassini, Hébert had won a 2017 by-election triggered by the resignation of long-serving Conservative MP Denis Lebel. He entered the 2019 campaign as the incumbent, having represented the riding for approximately two years.

Jocelyn Fradette (Conservative) — A secondary school teacher and municipal councillor in Alma since 2005, Fradette had previously run provincially for the Action démocratique du Québec in 2003. He took a leave from municipal duties to focus on the federal campaign.

Jean-Simon Fortin (NDP) — A psychology student at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Fortin was the youngest candidate in the riding and campaigned on environmental accountability and climate action.

Julie Gagnon-Bond (Green Party) — Gagnon-Bond carried the Green banner in a riding where resource-sector employment dominated the economic landscape.

Danny Boudreault (People's Party) also ran.

About the Riding

The regional economy is built on aluminum production, forestry, and agriculture. Rio Tinto Alcan's smelter operations in Alma provide a large share of industrial employment, while the forestry sector — encompassing logging, sawmills, and pulp-and-paper operations — sustains many smaller communities throughout the Maria-Chapdelaine MRC. Dairy farming and commercial blueberry cultivation are significant agricultural activities around the lakeshore. The riding had been grappling with demographic challenges, including population decline and youth out-migration from northern communities. Employment insurance eligibility, given the seasonal character of much resource-sector work, was a recurring concern, as were softwood lumber trade disputes with the United States that threatened local mill operations. The Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and the regional health network provided additional employment anchors for the broader area.