Reversed and Preserved Fortresses
Eyeballing Six Hot Seats in the 2021 Canadian Election
By Buddy Bob from the Pub Three Rivers and Berthier-Maskinongé
The Liberals Scored Three Rivers Again
After a whopping 45 years, the voters of Three Rivers have returned to the Liberal Party fold, electing Caroline Desrochers. Desrochers entered the race late in the game and surprisingly ousted the Bloc Québécois' René Villemure, who was recovering from a major operation and faced challenges against ex-mayor Yves Lévesque, running for the Conservatives. Meanwhile, in neighboring Berthier-Maskinongé, the Bloc's Yves Perron took the seat for his third term, besting NDP candidate Ruth Ellen Brosseau.
Richmond-Arthabaska Remains a Stronghold for the Conservatives
With a bit of shuffling, former provincial MNA Eric Lefebvre now represents Richmond-Arthabaska in Ottawa. Lefebvre initially won the seat under the CAQ banner in a by-election in Dec 2016 but has since been sitting as an independent. He garnered 49.9% of the votes in 2021, defeating Alain Rayes, who had previously held the seat for three terms.
Chicoutimi-Le Fjord Stands Firmly with the Conservatives
Former junior hockey coach Richard Martel scored another win, this time defeating local Bloc Québécois candidate Marc St-Hilaire. The Liberal candidate, Stéphane Proulx, couldn't steal Martel's thunder in a riding where the Liberal Party has only claimed less than 20% of the votes in the last three federal elections.
Bloc Québécois' Alexis Deschênes Triumphs in Gaspésie-Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine-Listuguj
Star Bloc Québécois candidate Alexis Deschênes swooped in for this expansive riding that critics called too vast due to its 23,000 km2 span. Deschênes, a former TV reporter turned legal aid lawyer, ousted Liberal incumbent Diane Lebouthillier, who had represented the area since 2015 and was not included in Prime Minister Mark Carney's streamlined cabinet.
Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou tie it up:
In Abitibi-Témiscamingue, incumbent Bloc Québécois candidate Sébastien Lemire secured his third term with over 50% of the votes, as expected. Meanwhile, in Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou, Bloc Québécois MP Sylvie Bérubé and Liberal Mandy Gull-Masty went toe to toe until the final stretch, with Gull-Masty ultimately taking the seat.
Brome-Missisquoi Makes Room for Louis Villeneuve
The Liberal Party's Louis Villeneuve snatched the position left by former minister Pascale St-Onge, defeating high-profile candidates Jeff Boudreault (Bloc Québécois) and Steve Charbonneau (Conservative Party). Prior to his federal election victory, Villeneuve had served as the mayor of Bromont since 2017.
- Alain Rayes, a former Conservative representative, lost his seat in Richmond-Arthabaska to the independent, Eric Lefebvre, who was previously a member of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) in provincial politics.
- The Bloc Québécois' Alexis Deschênes defeated Diane Lebouthillier, a Liberal incumbent, in the riding of Gaspésie-Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine-Listuguj, a vast area that was previously held by Lebouthillier since 2015.
- In the riding of Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, the Conservatives kept their hold, as Richard Martel defeated the local Bloc Québécois candidate, Marc St-Hilaire, while the Liberal candidate, Stéphane Proulx, could not challenge Martel's popularity.
- On the contrary, the French-speaking riding of Three Rivers saw a switch to the Liberal Party, with Caroline Desrochers unseating the Bloc Québécois' René Villemure, who had faced challenges from both the ex-mayor Yves Lévesque (Conservatives) and NDP candidate Ruth Ellen Brosseau.
