Summary: NDP MP Hélène LeBlanc, who won a seat for the first time in the former riding of LaSalle-Émard, is re-offering in this new riding.
Boundaries: This new riding on the southern portion of Montreal island consists of parts of territory from the former federal electoral districts of Jeanne-Le Ber and LaSalle-Émard. LaSalle, which used to be in a single riding, is now split between this riding and Dorval-Lachine-LaSalle.
Last Election: If this riding existed in 2011, the NDP would have won with 45.2 per cent of the vote, followed by the Bloc with 23.4 per cent, and the Liberals in third with 18.3 per cent.
History: Pairing LaSalle with Verdun creates a marriage of two ridings with distinctly different political histories. LaSalle-Émard was Liberal for more than 20 years, represented for most of that time by Paul Martin. Jeanne-Le Ber had a strong Bloc Québécois presence, electing a BQ member 3 elections in a row. Both of those former ridings elected NDP MP’s in 2011.
Candidates
Conservative: Mohammad Zamir, journalist, business administrator
NDP: Hélène LeBlanc, MP
Liberal: David Lametti, Associate Professor, McGill University
Bloc Québécois: Gilbert Paquette
Green: Lorraine Banville, marine biologist, oceanographer