Ahuntsic-Cartierville

Ahuntsic-Cartierville is a federal riding in the north end of Montreal, comprising the borough of the same name. Bounded by the Riviere des Prairies to the north and the Canadian Pacific rail yards to the south, the riding is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse constituencies in Quebec. While approximately 64 percent of residents speak French as their mother tongue, significant communities speak Arabic, Spanish, Armenian, Greek, Italian, and Vietnamese. About one-third of the riding's population are immigrants, drawn from North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Latin America, making the riding a microcosm of Montreal's multicultural character.

Candidates

Melanie Joly (Liberal) is the incumbent, first elected in 2015 and now in her fourth term. Born in Montreal in 1979, she studied law at the Universite de Montreal and completed a graduate degree at Oxford University's Brasenose College. Before entering federal politics, Joly ran for mayor of Montreal in 2013, finishing second to Denis Coderre. In Parliament, she has held a succession of senior cabinet portfolios including Canadian Heritage, Tourism, Official Languages, and Foreign Affairs, where she led Canada's diplomatic response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Nabila Ben Youssef (Bloc Quebecois) is a comedian, actress, and community activist originally from Sfax, Tunisia. She left Tunisia 30 years ago and settled in Montreal in 1995 after a theatrical tour in France. A graduate of the Ecole nationale de l'humour, Ben Youssef has been a spokesperson for organizations supporting women victims of domestic violence and has been involved with Pour les droits des femmes du Quebec, a feminist advocacy group.

Margie Ramos (Conservative) ran as the Conservative candidate in the riding.

Idil Issa (NDP) represented the New Democratic Party, offering voters a progressive alternative in a riding with significant immigrant and working-class communities.

Linda Sullivan (Marxist-Leninist) ran under the Marxist-Leninist Party banner.

About the Riding

Ahuntsic-Cartierville blends established residential neighbourhoods with pockets of recent immigrant settlement. The Cartierville section, closer to the Riviere des Prairies, has historically attracted waves of newcomers, while Ahuntsic, centred around the Cegep Ahuntsic campus and Fleury Street commercial strip, retains a more traditionally francophone character. The Marche Central commercial complex and the Chabanel garment district provide local employment, though the riding's economy is largely integrated into Greater Montreal's broader service and knowledge sectors.

Immigration policy and settlement services carry particular resonance in a riding where so many residents are first- or second-generation Canadians. Language policy -- balancing federal bilingualism with Quebec's French-language charter -- is a perpetual undercurrent, as is the integration of internationally trained professionals who often face credential-recognition barriers.

In 2025, housing affordability was a pressing concern. Rents in the borough climbed steadily as Montreal's vacancy rate remained among the lowest in major Canadian cities. Public transit access, health-care wait times, and the cost of living were also prominent issues. Joly's high national profile as a senior cabinet minister gave the riding outsized visibility, and her strong margins of victory reflected both the Liberal brand's resilience in diverse urban Montreal and her personal political organization in the constituency.