Liberal candidate Sophie Chatel is the projected winner in the riding of Pontiac.
Pontiac is located on the north shore of the Ottawa River and stretches to the border of Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou riding in the north. It includes Rapid Lake and Kitigan Zibi First Nation reserves.
Close to 9.5 per cent of this population identifies as Aboriginal, with Algonquin and Cree being some of the most common languages.
France, the U.S., and Lebanon are the most common countries of origin for immigrants in this riding, who make up about 8.0 per cent of the population.
Pontiac voters puts Liberal incumbent William Amos back into the seat in 2019. Amos beat Tory candidate Dave Blackburn by 19,801 votes, collecting 48.9 per cent of votes cast. The Bloc Québécois and NDP came in third and fourth place respectively.
In the 2015 election, Amos won the seat with more than 50 per cent of the vote.
Amos, who was caught naked on camera during a virtual House of Commons session in April of this year, announced in May he was temporarily “stepping aside” from some of his parliamentary duties after being exposed once again.
Amos announced in August 2021 he would not be seeking re-election.
Candidates
Bloc Québécois: Gabrielle Desjardins
Canada’s Fourth Front: James McNair
Conservative Party: Michel Gauthier
Free Party Canada: Geneviève Labonté-Chartrand
Green Party: Shaughn McArthur
Liberal Party: Sophie Chatel
NDP: Denise Giroux
People’s Party of Canada: David Bruce Gottfred