Saint-Léonard - Saint-Michel

This urban riding is in the northeast of Montreal and includes the former city of St-Léonard as well as part of the city of Montreal. The riding runs from the border of the former cities of St-Léonard and Anjou in the northeast to Papineau Avenue, Jarry Street East and 19th Avenue in the southwest, between the CN Rail line and Bélanger Street.

The economy is highly dependent on manufacturing, followed by retail trade and health and social services. The average family income is $55,077, among the lowest in Canada, and the unemployment rate is 11.4 per cent.

According to the 2006 census, 34 per cent of residents have French as a mother tongue and 56 per cent have other than French or English. The Haitian, Italian, Greek and Chinese communities are among the largest in the riding's ethnic mix. Renters far outnumber homeowners, 67 per cent to 33 per cent.

St-Léonard-Anjou riding was created in 1976 from 63 per cent of St-Michel and 36 per cent of Mercier. St-Léonard was created in 1986 from 65 per cent of St-Léonard-Anjou and 18 per cent of Gamelin. In 1996, 83 per cent of St-Léonard was combined with 39 per cent of Papineau-St-Michel and renamed St-Léonard-St-Michel. In 2004, a small area from Bourassa was added, but the riding's population did not increase.

Population: 104,786 (2006 census; an increase of 2.4% since 2001)

Political History

The riding remained a Liberal stronghold in 2006 as incumbent Massimo Pacetti defeated Bloc Québécois challenger Justine Charlemagne by almost 16,000 votes.

In 2004, Pacetti beat Bloc Québécois candidate Paul-Alexis François, with 64 per cent of the vote. Pacetti was first elected in a 2002 byelection after Alfonso Gagliano was named ambassador to Denmark. In 2000, Gagliano defeated BQ candidate Marcel Ferlatte to win a second term in St-Léonard-St-Michel. He was first elected in 1984 in St-Léonard-Anjou and continued to win in the new St-Léonard riding. He was appointed secretary of state for parliamentary affairs from 1994 to 1996, deputy government leader in 1994 and minister of labour in 1996. In 1997, he was appointed minister of public works and government services. He resigned in 2002 and was appointed ambassador to Denmark. He was fired from that post by then prime minister Paul Martin for his role in the government sponsorship scandal. Gagliano is suing Martin and the government over the firing.

The former St-Léonard-Anjou riding was won by Liberal Monique Bégin, incumbent from St-Michel, in 1979 and 1980.

• Since 1979 - LIB