Cote-Nord--Kawawachikamach--Nitassinan

Stretching over 350,000 square kilometres along the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River and deep into the interior of the Quebec-Labrador peninsula, this riding is one of the largest federal constituencies in Canada by area. It encompasses the entire Cote-Nord administrative region -- from the Haute-Cote-Nord near Tadoussac through the iron-mining towns of Fermont and Schefferville to the Innu and Naskapi communities of the far north. The 2022 redistribution renamed the riding to include Kawawachikamach, the Naskapi Nation village near Schefferville, and Nitassinan, the Innu term for their ancestral homeland.

Candidates

Marilene Gill (Bloc Quebecois) -- A literature teacher at Cegep de Baie-Comeau for nearly three decades before entering politics, Gill has represented the Cote-Nord in the House of Commons since 2015. Her 2025 victory made her the first MP to win a fourth consecutive term in the riding's history. She has focused her parliamentary work on employment insurance reform, transportation infrastructure for the Cote-Nord, old-age pension improvements, and the fishing industry. Now in her late forties, she has lived on the Cote-Nord for most of her adult life.

Kevin Coutu (Liberal) -- A young lawyer from Sept-Iles who paused his legal career to run, Coutu entered the race citing concerns about U.S. tariffs and the need for a governing-party voice to advocate for the region's needs. He campaigned on employment insurance reform tailored to the Cote-Nord's seasonal economy, maintaining immigration levels to prevent business closures in the region, and ensuring decision-makers in Ottawa understand the riding's remote realities.

Melanie Dorion (Conservative) -- The Conservative candidate in the riding, Dorion ran on the party's national platform of tax relief, fiscal discipline, and resource-sector support.

Marika Lalime (NDP) -- The NDP's nominee, Lalime campaigned on affordable housing, strengthened public services, and employment insurance reform for seasonal workers on the Cote-Nord.

Sebastien Beaulieu (Parti Rhinoceros Party) -- Running under the satirical Rhinoceros Party banner, Beaulieu offered a protest-vote alternative.

Gilles Babin (No Affiliation) -- An independent candidate, Babin sought to offer voters an option outside the established party structures.

About the Riding

Cote-Nord--Kawawachikamach--Nitassinan has a population of approximately 88,500, spread across a territory larger than many European countries. The riding is home to several Innu communities -- including Pessamit (Betsiamites), Uashat mak Mani-utenam near Sept-Iles, Ekuanitshit (Mingan), Nutashkuan, Pakua Shipu, Unamen Shipu, and La Romaine -- as well as the Naskapi village of Kawawachikamach near Schefferville. Indigenous peoples make up a significant share of the population, and the riding's renaming in 2022 reflects longstanding calls for recognition.

The economy is dominated by natural resources. Hydroelectric power is the region's most visible industry: the Manic-5 dam (Daniel-Johnson Dam) and the vast reservoir system of the Manicouagan and Outardes rivers generate enormous quantities of electricity for Hydro-Quebec. Iron mining at Fermont and the former mines around Schefferville have shaped the northern interior for decades. The fishing and crab industries sustain coastal communities, while forestry and aluminum smelting at the Alouette plant in Sept-Iles provide additional employment. In 2025, the campaign focused on employment insurance reform -- a critical issue in a riding where seasonal employment in fishing, forestry, and construction is the norm -- transportation links including Route 138, which remains incomplete along the Lower North Shore, old-age pension improvements, the cost of goods in remote communities, and the economic and social challenges facing Indigenous communities.