Gaspésie - Îles-de-la-Madeleine

This eastern Quebec riding is located on the eastern coast of the Gaspé Peninsula. The northern boundary is the St. Lawrence River; the southern boundary is the Baie des Chaleurs and the province of New Brunswick. The riding contains the regional county municipalities of Bonaventure, La Côte-de-Gaspé, Le Rocher-Percé and Avignon, including the Gesgapegiag and Listuguj Indian reserves and Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

Manufacturing, fishing, and pulp and paper are among the industries in the riding.

According to the 2006 census, just eight per cent of residents over age 25 have a university certificate or degree. The average family income is $57,285 and unemployment is a high 17.4 per cent. The total immigrant population less than one per cent. Over 87 per cent of the population is francophone while 10 per cent cited English as their first language.

In 2004, the riding was renamed Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine and added 22 per cent of Matapédia-Matane in the north. It was established in the 1996 redistribution as Gaspé-Bonaventure-Îles-de-la-Madeleine. In 1996, 75 per cent of Gaspé and 69 per cent of Bonaventure-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, both ridings that had existed since Gaspé-Îles-de-la-Madeleine-Pabok.

Population: 82,007 (2006 census; a decrease of 2.6% since 2001)

Political History

Bloc Québécois candidate Raymond Blais won re-election in 2006, beating Conservative Gaston Langlais. Blais defeated his Liberal rival Georges Farrah easily in 2004 with 55 per cent of the vote. In 2000, Farrah defeated Blais to win a first term. In 1997, the first election after the ridings of Gaspé and Bonaventure merged, the Bloc's Yvan Bernier, who formerly ran in Gaspé, defeated Liberal Patrick Gagnon, formerly MP in Bonaventure-Gaspé-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, by 179 votes.

In Gaspé riding, Liberal Alexandre Cyr won in 1963, was defeated in 1965, then went to win another five terms. In 1984, he was defeated by Progressive Conservative Charles-Eugene Marin, who also won in 1988. In 1993, the Bernier was elected.

In Bonaventure and Bonaventure-Îles-de-la-Madeleine Liberal Albert Bechard held the seat from 1962 until 1979. Liberal Remi Bujold won in 1979 and 1980, but was defeated in 1984 by PC Darryl Gray who served two terms. In 1993, Gagnon defeated BQ Michel St-Pierre.

Gaspé:

• 1867-91 inclusive - CONS
• 1896-1908 inclusive - LIB
• 1911 - CONS
• 1917-1935 inclusive - LIB
• 1940 - IND CONS
• 1945-53 inclusive - LIB
• 1957, 1958, 1962 - PC
• 1963 - LIB
• 1965 - PC
• 1968-80 inclusive - LIB
• 1984, 1988 - PC
• 1993 - BQ

Bonaventure:

• 1867-1887 inclusive - CONS
• 1891-1940 inclusive - LIB
• 1945 - IND
• 1949, 1953 - LIB
• 1957, 1958 - PC
• 1962-1980 inclusive - LIB
• 1984, 1988 - PC
• 1993 - LIB

Bonaventure-Gaspé-Îles-de-la-Madeleine-Pabok:

• 1997 - BQ
• 2000 - LIB

Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine

• 2004, 2006 - BQ