LaSalle - Émard

This urban riding is situated on the southern part of the Island of Montreal. It contains that part of Montreal bounded by St. Lawrence River in the southwest, the Lachine Canal in the northwest and Avenue de l'Église, Rue Laurendeau, Boulevard Desmarchais and Boulevard de la Verendyre in the east. The riding includes the former city of LaSalle, part of the former Verdun as well as Île aux Hérons.

Manufacturing is the major industry in this riding, while retail trade, finance and insurance industries and the service sector are other important employers. Rented dwellings far outnumber owned dwellings, 62 per cent to 38 per cent. The average family income is $60,390 with unemployment at 8.7 per cent.

According to the 2006 census, only 47 per cent of residents speak French as a mother tongue while 22 per cent cite English as a first language and seven per cent speak Italian. The total immigrant population is 27 per cent, with significant representation from the Italian, Chinese, North African and Indian communities.

There was no change to this riding in the 2004 redistribution. LaSalle was established in 1966 and in 1973, it became LaSalle-Émard-Côte-St-Paul. In 1976, it changed back to LaSalle. In 1986, LaSalle-Émard was created from 100 per cent of LaSalle, four per cent of Verdun-St-Paul and two per cent of St-Henri-Westmount. In 1996, part of Verdun-St-Paul was added.

Population: 100,327 (2006 census; an increase of 0.6% since 2001)

Political History

Former prime minister Paul Martin has dominated this riding since 1988. Martin made a typically strong showing in 2006, winning 48 per cent of the vote and beating Bloc Québécois candidate Mary Chiu.

In 2004, Martin bested Bloc Québécois candidate Thierry Larrivée by 11,805 votes. Martin was first elected in 1988, and became minister of finance in 1993 and minister responsible for the federal office of regional development-Quebec from 1993 to 1996. He remained as minister of finance until June 2, 2002, was elected leader of the Liberal party on Nov. 14, 2003, and was sworn in as Canada's 21st prime minister on Dec. 12, 2003. Martin's administration was plagued by scandal and the government fell after losing a vote of non-confidence in November 2005. He lost the subsequent election to Conservative Leader Stephen Harper.

Liberal John Campbell was MP for the riding for four terms beginning in 1972. In 1984, Progressive Conservative Claude Lanthier won a single term in office after defeating Campbell.

LaSalle:

• 1968-80 inclusive - LIB
• 1984 - PC

LaSalle-Émard:

• Since 1988 - LIB