Châteauguay - Saint-Constant

This riding lies on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River across from Montreal. It is a mixed urban and rural riding and the majority of residents live in Châteauguay. The riding includes St-Constant, Léry, Ste-Catherine, Delson and the Mohawk reserve of Kahnawake.

Primary employment sectors are manufacturing and retail trade. The average family income is $75,364 with an unemployment rate of 5.1 per cent.

According to the 2006 census, 13 per cent of residents list English as their mother tongue. The total immigrant population is just over six per cent.

In the redistribution of 2004, Châteauguay-St-Constant was created from 90 per cent of Châteauguay riding, with a southern portion moving into Beauharnois-Salaberry riding. A riding called Châteauguay was created in 1867, but was abolished in 1914. In 1976, Châteauguay was re-established from 74 per cent of Laprairie, 21 per cent of St-Jean and four per cent of Beauharnois-Salaberry. In 1996, the riding added another portion of Beauharnois-Salaberry.

Population: 107,165 (2006 census; an increase of 4.3% since 2001)

Political History

The Bloc Québécois had a new candidate in 2006, but the election results were about the same as last time. Carole Freeman took 51 per cent of the vote in 2006, a bit of a drop-off from the 2004 race when Bloc candidate Denise Poirier-Rivard won with 57 per cent.

In 2000, Robert Lanctôt defeated Liberal Carole Marcil by 3,312 votes in Châteauguay riding. Châteauguay-Huntingdon-Laprairie, and its successor, Châteauguay, voted Liberal from 1949 to 1974 inclusive, except for a Progressive Conservative win in 1958. In 1979, Liberal Ian Watson, who was elected in LaPrairie from 1963-1974, ran and won here. He was re-elected in 1980 and defeated in 1984. PC Ricardo Lopez won in 1984 and 1988. In 1993, he lost to BQ Maurice Godin, who served two terms.

• 1979, 1980 - LIB
• 1984, 1988 - PC
• 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006 - BQ