Montmagny - L'Islet - Kamouraska - Rivière-du-Loup

This rural riding is in eastern Quebec. It runs from the St. Lawrence River to the Canada-U.S. border. It contains the regional county municipalities of Kamouraska, L'Islet and Montmagny, and Rivière-du-Loup, including Cacouna Indian Reserve No. 22 and Whitworth Indian Reserve No. 21.

Manufacturing is the main industry, followed by health care and social services and retail trade. The natural resource area is also a significant source of jobs. The average family income is $58,366 and unemployment is 7.1 per cent.

According to the 2006 census, almost 99 per cent of residents claimed French as a mother tongue, while 0.3 per cent spoke English first. The total immigrant population is only 0.7 per cent. Just nine per cent of residents over age 25 have a university certificate or degree. Almost 20 per cent of the population is more than 65 years of age.

This riding of Rivière-du-Loup-Montmagny was created in 2004 from 63 per cent of Kamouraska-Riviè-du-Loup-Témiscouata-Les Basques and 52 per cent of Bellechasse-Etchemins-Montmagny-L'Islet.

Population: 97,492 (2006 census; an increase of 0.4% since 2001)

Political History

Bloc Québécois incumbent Paul Crête was re-elected handily in 2006, taking over twice as many votes as Conservative runner-up Daniel Nadeau.

In 2004, Crête earned 12,403 more votes than his nearest competitor, Liberal Isabelle Mignault. Crête was first elected in Kamouraska-Riviè du Loup in 1993.

In 2000 in Bellechasse-Etchemins-Montmagny-L'Islet, Liberal Gilbert Normand defeated the BQ's François Langlois for the second time. He was appointed secretary of state for agriculture and agri-food and fisheries and oceans in 1997, as well as secretary of state for research and development, a post he held until 2002.

In Kamouraska-Rivière du Loup riding, Rosaire Gendron won in 1979 and 1980. In 1984, PC André Plourde defeated Liberal Pierre Pettigrew. Plourde won again in 1988.

• 2004, 2006 - BQ