Outremont

Spanning the borough of Outremont on Mount Royal's northern flank, this Montreal riding also encompasses the eastern part of Cote-des-Neiges, the western stretch of Mile End, and portions of Parc-Extension, La Petite-Patrie, and upper Ville-Marie. The seat had been held by NDP leader Tom Mulcair since a celebrated 2007 by-election victory, but Mulcair resigned in August 2018. Liberal Rachel Bendayan won the February 2019 by-election that followed, flipping the seat back to the Liberals for the first time since 2007.

Candidates

Rachel Bendayan (Liberal) — A commercial litigation and international arbitration lawyer who had practised at Norton Rose Fulbright, Bendayan held a law degree from McGill University and had taught at the Universite de Montreal's Faculty of Law. She first ran in Outremont in 2015, finishing second to Mulcair, then won the February 2019 by-election to claim the seat. She entered the October general election as the incumbent.

Andrea Clarke (NDP) — Clarke served as executive director of a non-profit organization in Notre-Dame-de-Grace providing social and medical services to youth. She sought to reclaim the riding for the NDP after the party's loss in the February by-election.

Celia Grimard (Bloc Quebecois) — A graduate of UQAM's Faculty of Political Science and Law with additional studies in international relations and communications at McGill University, Grimard had worked for over fifteen years in the public affairs and communications sector.

Daniel Green (Green Party) — The deputy leader of the Green Party of Canada since 2014, Green was a longtime environmental activist and scientific communicator. He had worked as a consultant for organizations including the Sierra Club of Canada and the Societe pour vaincre la pollution. In the February 2019 by-election, he had placed third with thirteen percent of the vote, the best result for the Greens in a Quebec federal contest.

Jasmine Louras (Conservative) — A Montrealer who studied biochemistry and exercise science before transitioning into law, Louras had completed an internship at the United States Consulate in Montreal. She had also run in the February 2019 by-election.

Sabin Levesque (People's Party) and Mark John Hiemstra (Rhinoceros Party) also stood as candidates.

About the Riding

Outremont is a riding of sharp contrasts. The borough of Outremont itself is a prosperous francophone residential enclave, while Mile End has become a centre of Montreal's creative and technology industries, home to video game studios, indie music venues, and a thriving cafe culture alongside a longstanding Hasidic community. Cote-des-Neiges and Parc-Extension are among Montreal's most densely populated and diverse neighbourhoods, with large immigrant communities and lower median incomes. The Universite de Montreal campus borders the riding to the west. The 2019 race drew attention because it tested whether the Liberals could hold the seat they had just recaptured from the NDP in the by-election, while the Bloc Quebecois sought to capitalize on its resurgence across francophone Montreal.