Ahuntsic-Cartierville

Ahuntsic-Cartierville is an urban riding in northern Montreal, stretching along the banks of the Rivière des Prairies. The borough encompasses established residential neighbourhoods including Ahuntsic, Cartierville, Bordeaux, and Sault-au-Récollet, covering roughly 23 square kilometres with a population of about 127,000. It is one of Montreal's most diverse ridings: approximately 41 percent of residents are immigrants, with significant communities of North African, Haitian, Armenian, Greek, and Latin American origin. About half the population speaks French as a mother tongue, with Arabic, Spanish, and Armenian among the most common non-official languages.

Candidates

Mélanie Joly (Liberal) was the incumbent, first elected in 2015. Before entering federal politics, she practised law at the firms Stikeman Elliott and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg, specializing in civil and commercial litigation. She later became a managing partner at the Montreal public-relations firm Cohn & Wolfe. She ran for mayor of Montreal in 2013, finishing second. In Parliament, she served as Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages before the 2021 campaign.

Anna Simonyan (Bloc Québécois) holds an MBA from the American University of Armenia (jointly with the University of California) and a certificate in democratic studies from the University of Birmingham. She is a Chevening scholarship recipient with professional experience in media, freedom of expression advocacy, public relations, and the arts. She is of Armenian origin and describes herself as Québécoise by adoption.

Ghada Chaabi (NDP) worked in public health since 2005 and in 2015 founded Résidence Bel Âge in Terrebonne, a retirement home for seniors.

About the Riding

Ahuntsic-Cartierville is home to major employers including the Pratt & Whitney Canada aerospace plant, which manufactures aircraft engines, and several retail and commercial hubs. The riding benefits from good transit connections, including multiple bus routes and the Métro's blue line extension corridor.

The borough blends affluent and lower-income areas, with immigration amplifying contrasts between wealthier and poorer households. Newcomer integration, affordable housing, and access to employment services were prominent local concerns heading into the 2021 election. Community organizations such as the Ahuntsic-Cartierville Chamber of Commerce and various immigrant settlement agencies play an active role in local economic life.

As of 2021, the riding's diversity made language policy, immigration levels, and cultural integration frequent topics of debate. The Joly candidacy drew particular attention because of her high cabinet profile and the expectation that she would take on an even more prominent ministerial role if the Liberals were returned to government.