Laurentides—Labelle (Quebec) 156/338

 Laurentides—Labelle (Quebec)

Today we're in Quebec with Laurentides—Labelle!

Laurentides—Labelle has existed as a riding since 2004. The population was 123,796 in 2021. The riding contains the cities of Mont-Laurier (14,180 in 2021), Mont-Tremblant (10,992 in 2021), and Sainte-Adèle (14,010 in 2021). Despite the riding covering 19,694 kilometers squared, the majority of the riding lives on the 60 km stretch between Mont-Tremblant and Saint-Sauveur. 

Politically, this seat is receptive to Quebec trends. Much like most of rural Quebec, this seat was held by the Bloc after they won it in 1993. It was held by large margins until the NDP won it in the Orange Wave of 2011. In 2015, it was a three way race, with the Liberals coming out on top. The seat is currently represented by Bloc MP Marie-Hélène Gaudreau.

With the redistribution proposals this year, I thought I'd discuss where Quebec has grown and shrank between censuses. First, we have the Laurentides, which grew 8%, gaining just over 45k people. Next, Vaudreuil-Soulanges, which grew 9%. On the flip side, Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean and Gaspésie--Îles-de-la-Madeleine each lost around 1,000 people. However, in the 2012 redistribution, special representation was given to the Gaspé Peninsula, so we'll have to see if anything changes here. In 2019, this seat was 30/78 in Quebec and 128/338 in Canada by margin.

The name is very good, RCM names are good for ridings that are large geographically. The shape is also pretty good, I'm sure the corridor between Saint-Sauveur and Mont-Tremblant is a good area to keep intact. As for individuality, it's another Montreal exurb that goes Bloc, not super individual.

See you soon in Laurier—Sainte-Marie!