Les Pays-d'en-Haut

Les Pays-d'en-Haut is a new federal riding created through the 2022 redistribution to accommodate population growth in the Laurentians and Lanaudière regions north of Montreal. The riding encompasses the Les Pays-d'en-Haut regional county municipality as well as parts of the neighbouring RCMs of Argenteuil, Matawinie, and Montcalm. Its principal communities include Saint-Sauveur, Piedmont, Morin-Heights, Sainte-Adèle, and Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard. With a population of approximately 116,000, the riding blends year-round residents with a large seasonal cottage population drawn by the Laurentian Mountains' skiing, hiking, and lakeside recreation.

Candidates

Tim Watchorn (Liberal) -- A longtime municipal politician, Watchorn served as mayor of Morin-Heights for 16 years and as deputy prefect of the MRC des Pays-d'en-Haut for 8 years. During his municipal tenure he oversaw the preservation of Parc Basler, the renovation of the Chalet Bellevue community centre, and the renewal of 95 percent of Morin-Heights' aqueduct systems. A 15-year Liberal Party member, he brought deep local knowledge and municipal-government experience to his federal candidacy.

Ariane Charbonneau (Bloc Québécois) -- A lawyer and member of the Quebec Bar since 1993, Charbonneau is the former executive director of Éducaloi, a legal-education organization, a position she held from 2017 to 2025. She holds a bachelor's degree in law and a master's degree in business administration. Her family has roots in the Laurentians, where she maintains both a primary and a secondary residence.

Vincent Leroux (Conservative) -- Leroux ran as the Conservative candidate, campaigning on the party's national platform of tax relief, fiscal discipline, and public-safety measures.

Eric-Abel Baland (NDP) -- Baland represented the NDP in the riding, running on the party's platform of affordable housing, pharmacare, and environmental protection.

Karine Steinberger (Green Party) -- Steinberger ran for the Green Party, emphasizing ecological sustainability and the protection of the Laurentians' natural environment from overdevelopment.

George Mogiljansky (People's Party) -- Mogiljansky represented the People's Party of Canada, campaigning on reduced government spending and individual freedoms.

About the Riding

The Laurentians have been a playground for Montrealers since the early twentieth century, when ski trains began carrying winter-sports enthusiasts northward. Saint-Sauveur, the region's commercial hub, is surrounded by ski hills, outlet shopping, and water parks that draw millions of visitors annually. The area also has a significant anglophone population rooted in the English-speaking settlers who arrived in the 1700s, establishing communities like Morin-Heights and Arundel.

The riding's character has been transformed by the pandemic-era migration of remote workers from Montreal. Young families and professionals, newly freed from daily commutes, relocated to the Laurentians in search of larger homes and access to nature. This influx drove housing prices dramatically higher, straining communities that had long been affordable alternatives to the city. Local infrastructure -- roads, water systems, and healthcare facilities -- was built for smaller populations and seasonal fluctuations, not permanent growth.

In 2025, housing affordability was the dominant issue, alongside healthcare access -- the region struggles to recruit family physicians and specialists -- and the protection of lakes and forests from development pressure. The impact of US trade tensions on the tourism economy, broadband connectivity in rural pockets, and municipal infrastructure funding also shaped the campaign. As a brand-new riding, Les Pays-d'en-Haut had no incumbency advantage, making it one of the more competitive races in the Laurentians.