Ahuntsic

The riding is located in the north central part of the Island of Montreal and is bounded by Rivière-des-Prairies in the west, Autoroute des Laurentides in the south, Autoroute 40 in the east, and Avenue Papineau, Louvain East, Boulevard St-Michel, the CN line and Avenue Bruchési in the north.

The main industries include manufacturing, health and social services, as well as retail trade. The average family income is $70,326 and unemployment is 9.1 per cent.

There is a significant non-francophone population and according to the 2006 census, only 56 per cent have French as their mother tongue. The total immigrant population is about 33 per cent, mostly from Europe, Asia and the Middle East. About 30 per cent of residents over age 25 have a university certificate or degree. Sixty-one per cent of dwellings are rented, far outnumbering owner-occupied homes.

In 2004, the northern boundary of the riding moved from Boulevard St-Michel to Avenue Bruchesi. The riding of Ahuntsic existed from 1966 to 1976 and was recreated in 1986 from 63 per cent of St-Michel-Ahuntsic, 26 per cent of Laval-Des-Rapides, 13 per cent of St-Denis and four per cent of Bourassa. The 1996 redistribution added 18 per cent of St-Denis.

Population: 100,471 (2006 census; an increase of 0.6% since 2001)

Political History

Maria Mourani and the Bloc Québécois put an end to years of Liberal dominance in Ahuntsic in 2006, defeating Liberal incumbent Eleni Bakopanos. In 2004, Bakopanos beat Mourani to win a third straight term. In 2000, Bakopanos edged out the Bloc's Fatima El Amraoui.

The riding of Ahuntsic voted Liberal in the 1960s and 1970s, electing Jean Sauvé in 1972 and 1974. Sauvé was the first female cabinet member from Quebec, the first woman elected as Speaker of the House of Commons and the first woman to serve as Governor General. Sauvé was elected in Laval-Des-Rapides in 1979 and 1980. Her successor in Laval-Des-Rapides, in 1984 was Liberal Raymond Garneau, who defeated PC Lawrence Hanigan.

The riding of St-Michel elected Liberal Monique Bégin in 1972 and 1974 and Liberal Thérèse Killens won in 1979, 1980 and 1984. Bégin served as minister of revenue and minister of national health and welfare under Pierre Trudeau. She was elected in St-Léonard-Anjou in 1979 and 1980.

In 1988 in the newly recreated Ahuntsic, PC Nicole-Roy Arcelin defeated Liberal Raymond Garneau by 692 votes. In 1993, the BQ's Michel Daviault beat Liberal Celine Hérvieux-Payette by 1,658 votes.

• 1988 - PC
• 1993 - BQ
• 1997, 2000, 2004 - LIB
• 2006 - BQ