Drummond

The riding of Drummond sits along the Saint-François River in the Centre-du-Québec region, encompassing the regional county municipality of the same name. The city of Drummondville—the largest population centre—anchors a broader landscape of smaller municipalities and agricultural land stretching across the Saint Lawrence Lowlands. Situated roughly midway between Montreal and Quebec City along Highway 20, Drummondville has long served as a manufacturing hub, home to some 600 manufacturing firms employing approximately 16,000 workers. The riding is also known for the Village québécois d'antan, a living history museum, and for hosting the annual Festival de la Poutine, a celebration of Quebec's iconic dish that draws tens of thousands of visitors each year. Drummondville's population reached approximately 79,000 as of the 2021 census, making it the largest city in Centre-du-Québec.

Candidates

Martin Champoux (Bloc Québécois) — A communications specialist with more than 30 years of experience in Quebec media, Champoux was best known as the host of the culinary television program Qu'est-ce qui mijote? on TVA. He also served as director of communications, marketing, and development for the Village québécois d'antan in Drummondville. First elected to the House of Commons in 2019, he sought a second mandate in 2021.

Mustapha Berri (Liberal) — A multidisciplinary businessman and chemist by training, Berri held a degree in water science and had worked in real estate, daycare management, project development, and asset management since 2002. Born in Morocco and of Berber origin, he was drawn to Canada for its values of justice, equality, and individual freedom.

Nathalie Clermont (Conservative) — A dentist by profession, Clermont graduated from Université Laval in dental medicine and operated a clinic in Bromont for more than 25 years before selling the practice in 2019 to focus on federal politics. A competitive skydiver with over 600 jumps and a national bronze medal, she had previously run as a Conservative candidate in Shefford in 2019.

François Choquette (NDP) — A teacher with a bachelor's degree in secondary education in French and history and a master's degree in literature, Choquette had served as MP for Drummond from 2011 to 2019, riding the NDP's Orange Wave before losing the seat to the Bloc Québécois. He was active in the Val-Maska Teachers' Union and the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste.

About the Riding

Drummond has been a federal electoral district since 1968, carved from portions of the former Drummond—Arthabaska, Nicolet—Yamaska, and Richmond—Wolfe ridings. For most of its history, it has been a bellwether of Quebec's shifting political currents. The Bloc Québécois held the riding from 1993 until 2011, when the NDP's Orange Wave swept the province and François Choquette took the seat. The Liberals briefly held it in 2015 before the Bloc reclaimed it in 2019 with Champoux.

Drummondville's economy has diversified beyond traditional manufacturing into advanced composites, food processing, and logistics, benefiting from its strategic location at the junction of major highway corridors. The region has also experienced modest immigration growth, with residents from some 60 countries, though it remains overwhelmingly francophone.

Local issues heading into the 2021 campaign included economic recovery from the pandemic, support for the manufacturing sector, and the protection of French-language rights—a theme that resonated strongly in a riding where French is the mother tongue of the vast majority of residents. The cultural identity of Centre-du-Québec, with its deep roots in Quebec's rural francophone traditions, continued to shape the political landscape.