Federal electoral districts redistribution 2022

Boundaries and population figures

Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec

This group consists of the following two (2) electoral districts:

  • Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou
  • Abitibi—Témiscamingue

The Commission did not propose any changes to the boundaries of either of the two electoral districts.

While the consultation process was well underway, the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee)/Cree Nation Government submitted a comprehensive document to the Commission, the thrust of which is that Cree, Inuit and Naskapi authorities support the creation of a distinct electoral district for Northern Quebec.1

Such a project would involve the following: a) adjusting the boundaries of the electoral district to align with the boundaries of the Nord-du-Québec administrative region (Region No. 10) (the southern boundary of the electoral district coinciding with the boundaries of the Eeyou Istchee Baie-James Regional Government (49th parallel)). The electoral district would therefore include the entirety of the territory situated within the geographic boundaries of the Regional Government of Eeyou Istchee Baie-James and the Territory of the Kativik Regional Administration; b) withdrawing the territory of the RCM of La Vallée-de-l'Or from the electoral district and transferring it to the electoral district of Abitibi—Témiscamingue; and lastly, c) including the Washaw Sibi community in the same electoral district as the other communities of the Cree First Nation in Quebec (pp. 44, 45, 48).2

The name of the new electoral district would then be chosen after consultations among the Cree, Inuit, Naskapi and Jamesian northern partners (p. 44).

The document also refers to a) the need for a series of supportive measures to encourage Indigenous participation in the voting process, and b) a list of technical measures to improve the description of the existing electoral district of Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou.

As regards the electoral district of Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, the Commission acknowledges at the outset the significance of the request made by the Cree First Nation Government on behalf of the Indigenous peoples and Jamesians living in Northern Quebec; however, it will not pursue it.

The request requires the Commission to completely disregard the fundamental principle governing electoral map revision, namely the quest for a certain parity between the population figure and the electoral quota, as if subsection 15(1) of the Act did not exist. In that regard, exclusion of the RCM of La Vallée-de-l'Or (43,347 residents), which is essential to achieving an acceptable population figure, is contrary to the letter and spirit of the law. The Commission simply cannot endorse such a proposal under the current legislative framework.

The creation of such an electoral district in Northern Quebec would result in two electoral districts whose deviation in relation to the electoral quota would significantly exceed 25%. In the case of the proposed new electoral district, the deviation would be -58% and, in the case of the electoral district of Abitibi—Témiscamingue, it would be +35%. In such a context it would be very difficult to conclude that there are "circumstances viewed by the commission as being extraordinary" that would justify deviations of such magnitude.

It should also be noted that the request clearly exceeds the Commission's mandate in several respects. This would be the case, for example, regarding the implementation of measures aimed at mobilizing the Indigenous people of the region to exercise their right to vote and leaving to parties other than the Commission (in this case the Cree, Inuit, Naskapi and Jamesian communities of Northern Quebec) the responsibility for selecting the name of the new electoral district.

Last, the request, basically framed around the community of interest, community of identity and history that bind the Indigenous nations of Northern Quebec, and which involves excluding the territory and people of the RCM of La Vallée-de-l'Or, may lead to the creation of an electoral district based as much on the personal characteristics of its residents as on geography (even considering that, according to the request, the Jamesians would be a part of the new district). In short, it is not the role of a commission like this one to consider such a scenario, with all its ramifications, without a meaningful debate in Parliament to assess all the implications and consequences for Quebec and Canada as a whole.

The name of the electoral district remains unchanged as it is in keeping with the Commission's expressed desire to have the federal electoral map reflect the presence of all the recognized Indigenous nations in Quebec. The words "Nunavik" and "Eeyou" are reminders that the Inuit and the Cree inhabit this vast northern territory, from the shores of James Bay and Hudson Bay to Nunavik north of the 55th parallel.

As regards the electoral district of Abitibi—Témiscamingue, there is no change in its boundaries or name.

Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Côte-Nord

This group consists of the following four (4) electoral districts:

  • Chicoutimi—Le Fjord
  • Jonquière
  • Lac-Saint-Jean
  • Manicouagan (Manicouagan—Kawawachikamach—Uapishka)

After some hesitation, the Commission proposed keeping the same number of electoral districts (four) but changing the boundaries of three of them in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region in order to reduce the disparities between their respective population figures.

The Commission also proposed adding Kawawachikamach and Uapishka to the name of the electoral district of Manicouagan to reflect the presence of the Innu and Naskapi First Nations in that territory and elsewhere in Quebec.

This proposal was not well received, particularly regarding the transfer of several municipalities from the RCMs of Lac-Saint-Jean-Est and Maria-Chapdelaine to the electoral district of Jonquière. Opponents argued that the residents of Lac Saint-Jean and those of Jonquière belong to two different communities of interests that are difficult to reconcile. Their concern is that Lac Saint-Jean voters would become politically disaffected, believing that they will be ignored if they are transferred to an electoral district in which they would be a minority. Opponents emphasized that the complexity of the MP's work would be increased given each community's very different concerns and issues. They maintained that it makes no sense to divide the territory of an RCM, which is a regional forum for concertation par excellence.

In contrast, the transfer of some municipalities to the electoral district of Chicoutimi—Le Fjord was well received, with that electoral district's MP saying he was pleased to be dealing with both urban and rural realities.

Most participants favoured the status quo, which would not be acceptable. The Commission continues to believe that it is undesirable that the most populated electoral district be the one with the most dispersed population (Lac-Saint-Jean), while the two more urbanized electoral districts have smaller populations. The Commission recognizes, however, that its Proposal needs to be revised and that additional effort must be made to maintain the integrity of the RCMs.

The Commission therefore re-examined the situation with the objective of drawing the boundaries of three electoral districts with similar population sizes while respecting as much as possible the integrity of the RCMs. In carrying out this task, the Commission drew extensively on a submission made by one participant who suggested a redistribution into three new electoral districts that would, according to him, correspond to the three main sectors of economic activity: industry, services, and agriculture and forestry. The first district is therefore comprised of the municipalities of Jonquière, Alma and Larouche (91,792 residents), the second is centered around the boroughs of Chicoutimi and La Baie (91,482 residents), and the third includes the municipalities around Lac Saint-Jean (92,278 residents). This new configuration has the additional advantage of leaving intact the RCMs of Domaine-du-Roy, Maria-Chapdelaine and Lac-Saint-Jean-Est (with the exception of the City of Alma).

The electoral district of Jonquière is to be renamed Jonquière—Alma.

As regards the electoral district of Manicouagan, the decision to keep the boundaries intact was welcomed. The Chief of the Naskapi First Nation also confirmed, in a virtual session, that she supported a reference to Kawawachikamach in the electoral district name. Kawawachikamach is the name of inhabited Naskapi reserve land north of the electoral district (as well as being the name of the only Naskapi village in Quebec, situated in the neighbouring electoral district). In the Innu language, Uapashke (instead of Uapishka) is the name for the Groulx Mountains. Both references attest to the presence of the Naskapi and Innu First Nations in the territory.

Some participants suggested that the name Côte-Nord would be more appropriate than Manicouagan as being more unifying and more representative of the residents of this vast region. The Commission agrees and therefore has decided on Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Uapashke as the electoral district's name.

Montmagny to Îles-de-la-Madeleine

This group currently consists of the following four (4) electoral districts:

  • Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia
  • Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine (Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj)
  • Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup (Montmagny—Témiscouata—Kataskomiq)
  • Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques (Rimouski—Matane)

The Commission proposed abolishing the electoral district of Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia and redistributing the territory between the electoral districts of Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques. It also considered it necessary to enlarge the electoral district of Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup by the addition of Témiscouata. This involved dividing three RCMs.

The Commission also proposed adding Listuguj to the name of the electoral district of Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine to reflect the presence in that territory of the Micmac First Nation. It also proposed simplifying the name of the electoral district of Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup by removing the geographical names of L'Islet, Kamouraska and Rivière-du-Loup and replacing them with Témiscouata and Kataskomiq to signal the presence of the Wolastoqiyik (Malecite) Wahsipekuk First Nation in that territory. Lastly, it proposed simplifying the name of the electoral district of Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques by retaining only the names of Rimouski and Matane, the two major urban centres.

Reactions to the idea of eliminating one electoral district were numerous, firm and unanimously negative. The reactions can be summarized as the need to maintain the status quo and the desire that the region's RCMs not be divided among several electoral districts. The Commission was criticized for thinking solely in terms of numbers and for not taking sufficient account of the sociological, administrative and economic reality of the region and for ignoring the spirit of the Act by demonstrating little concern for communities of interest and administrative boundaries. Lastly, it was criticized for thinking solely in terms of parity of electoral power rather than in terms of equity.

Opposition from MLAs, former MLAs, RCM wardens, and several candidates in the current provincial election was determined and unanimous. The Commissioners also sensed resentment on the part of some participants at the prospect of having to wage the same battle with every proposed redistribution, since the two previous commissions had also proposed eliminating a seat in the region.

However, it must be said that despite the contentiousness of the proposals, the sessions were conducted with utmost civility.

Presenters cited the vastness of the territory, the harshness of its winters, its remoteness, the long distances to be travelled and its widely dispersed population. They also cited the burden of electoral district work required of MPs, who, due to the pandemic, would have been obliged to supplement the work of the federal government's regional offices. The prevailing sentiment was that the loss of an electoral district would result in a decline in services to constituents.

Demographic imperatives were of little importance to the participants. The Commissioners rarely heard as many negative comments about "mathematics" as they did during these four days of hearings. The Commission was told that population figures may have changed, but the geography remained the same, and that the recovery in the interregional migration index for the Gaspé during the pandemic meant that the region's demographic decline was a thing of the past.

The Commission was asked to use the "extraordinary circumstances" provision (subsection 15(2) of the Act) to depart from the governing rules and this time apply that provision to the electoral district of Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine and the electoral district of Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, which had benefited from the provision in 2012.

According to the participants, it is essential to fully respect RCM boundaries. In an environment where small municipalities with modest financial means predominate, RCMs are becoming true service cooperatives and even identity centres that supersede municipal allegiances. The relationship between an RCM and its federal MP is of paramount importance to everyone and hence the prospect of an RCM having to deal with more than one MP was unanimously rejected.

The addition of indigenous place names to two electoral districts did not generate much opposition. Two wardens even commended the initiative, although one asked the Commission to ensure the endorsement of the Indigenous communities concerned. The participants who addressed this issue also insisted that such additions should not be made to the detriment of existing names.

The Commission is firmly convinced that the statistical basis for its work must be the population figures at the time of the 2011 and 2021 censuses. Those who would maintain the status quo have cited "net interregional migration" in an effort to persuade the Commission that demographic decline in the Gaspé is a thing of the past. Although that is an attractive argument, the Commission would point out that the interregional migration index, while interesting and useful for certain purposes, offers an incomplete picture of the changing demographics of Quebec's regions. The interregional migration index, also called "interregional migration rate," is an indicator created by the Institut de la Statistique du Québec (ISQ). According to the Institute, [translation:] "The interregional migration rate for a given year represents that part of the Quebec population that changed administrative region of residence in that year."3 And [translation:] "Internal migration is an important component of the demographic balance of Quebec's administrative regions and RCMs, but it is not the only one that impacts the size of their population. These other components include natural increase, i.e., the difference between the number of births and deaths, as well as interprovincial and international migration. It is important to distinguish net internal migration, presented here, from total population growth. A region may have negative net internal migration, but its population may increase if other growth factors are favorable. Conversely, a region may have positive net interregional migration, but see its population decrease." 4 (emphasis added).

Thus, net internal (or interregional) migration does not provide a complete picture of demographic change, nor does it claim to do so. One example, taken from data produced by the same organization, clearly illustrates this: from 2011-2012 to 2020-2021, the net interregional immigration rate for the administrative region of Montréal was negative 10 years out of 10, the annual losses oscillating between 14,583 and 48,257 people. The indicator gives the impression of constant demographic hemorrhaging. Yet, during the same period, the census population of the same territory increased by 6.2%, from 1,886,481 to 2,004,265. The explanation for this apparent paradox must be sought in interprovincial and international migration, and in the well-known tendency of newcomers to settle in large numbers in the Montréal area when they arrive in the province. A region that loses population from interregional migration may well make up for this deficit by taking in new residents from outside Quebec. Similarly, as the ISQ points out, a region can have a positive net interregional migration but still see its population decrease. The administrative region of Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine recorded gains in interregional migration in 6 of the 10 years between 2011 and 2021, but during the same period, the total population of its two federal electoral districts (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia and Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine) declined from 153,380 to 146,180, a decrease of 4.7%.

The Commission therefore considers data on interregional migration to be of limited relevance in its work.

The Commission was also asked to disregard the 25% limit and to consider that the two Gaspé electoral districts as presenting "circumstances viewed as being extraordinary," within the meaning of subsection 15(2) of the Act, since they currently deviate from the average by -30.3% and -35.5%. It should be borne in mind that this provision has been used very rarely. Since its introduction in 1986, it has been invoked only 12 times, out of a total of more than 1,200 electoral districts delimited since that date by a provincial commission, including four times in Quebec out of a theoretical possibility of more than 300. The 10 commissions currently working across the country have proposed granting this privilege in only three instances. It is also worth noting that the concept of acquired rights does not apply in the case of electoral boundaries. Although an electoral district may have been regarded by one commission as presenting "circumstances viewed as being extraordinary," such as Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia in 2012, a subsequent commission in a subsequent redistribution may possibly not view it as such.

The vastness of the territory to be covered is one of the grounds that could justify invoking this provision. The area of each of the two Gaspé electoral districts is approximately 15,000 km2. In Quebec, eight electoral districts currently have larger areas, but none were regarded by the previous commission as presenting "circumstances viewed as being extraordinary." Excluding the territories, there are 50 electoral districts, apart from Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, with larger areas; and only two were regarded as presenting "circumstances viewed as being extraordinary" in 2012. Their respective land areas are 269,000 km2 (Labrador) and 292,000 km2 (Kenora). None of the other 48 were viewed as presenting such circumstances, even though the area of one electoral district (Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou) is 771,000 km2. 

In this case, the size of the two Gaspé electoral districts cannot justify the application of subsection 15(2) of the Act.

The Commission therefore maintains its proposal to eliminate the Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia electoral district and to redistribute its territory between the two neighbouring electoral districts.

However, the Commission was much impressed by the presentations made before it and believes that it is necessary to produce an electoral division that fully respects the boundaries of the 15 RCMs (plus the equivalent territory of Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine) that comprise the three electoral districts in this territorial unit. The ultimate division is based on the suggestions of two RCMs and constitutes an arrangement that appears to satisfy all stakeholders.

The electoral district of Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine will include the RCMs of La Haute-Gaspésie, La Côte-de-Gaspé, Le Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure, Avignon and La Matanie as well as the equivalent territory of Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine. It will have a population of 110,225 and an average deviation of 1.1%. It would have been possible, and logical, to reduce the population of the electoral district by transferring all or part of the territory of the RCM of La Matanie to the neighbouring electoral district, but the Commission chose not to go that route out of respect for the wishes expressed by the RCM authorities.

The electoral district of Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques will include the RCMs of La Mitis, Les Basques, Rimouski-Neigette and La Matapédia. It will have a population of 102,019 and an average deviation of -6.4%.

The electoral district of Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup will be composed of the RCMs of the same name, plus the RCM of Témiscouata. It will have a population of 116,216 with an average deviation of 6.6%.

The names of the three electoral districts are being changed to account for the major changes made to their geographic boundaries and because of the Commission's wish that the electoral map reflect the presence of all the recognized Indigenous nations in Quebec.

Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine becomes Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj. The name of the Listuguj Indian Reserve is added to the current name of the electoral district to reflect the presence of the Mi'kmaq First Nation on its territory.

Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup becomes Montmagny—Témiscouata—Kataskomiq, to reflect both the profound changes made to the territory of the electoral district (which now includes the RCM of Témiscouata) and the presence of the Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) Wahsipekuk First Nation on the territory, hence the addition of the place name "Kataskomiq."

Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques becomes Rimouski—La Matapédia, to reflect the major modifications in the territory resulting from the transfer of the RCMs of La Matanie and Témiscouata to neighbouring electoral districts. The new name also reflects the Commission's desire to shorten electoral district names where possible, hence the name is now composed of the geographical names of Rimouski (a major urban centre) and La Matapédia (the RCM situated at the other end of the territory).

City of Québec and Surrounding Area

This territorial unit consists of the following seven (7) electoral districts:

  • Beauport—Limoilou
  • Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles
  • Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île-d'Orléans—Charlevoix (Côte-de-Beaupré—Île-d'Orléans—Charlevoix)
  • Louis-Hébert
  • Louis-Saint-Laurent
  • Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier
  • Québec

The Commission proposed keeping the same number of electoral districts but with changes to their respective electoral boundaries.

The Commission noted a strong demographic growth recorded in the northwestern suburbs of the City of Québec, as well as the low population of the electoral districts of Québec and Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix, and hence proposed expanding the electoral district of Québec by adding two adjacent sectors from the electoral districts of Louis-Hébert and Beauport—Limoilou respectively. Thus, the eastern boundary of Beauport—Limoilou was moved to the Montmorency River. The population deficit in the electoral district of Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix was remedied by adding portions of the electoral districts of Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles and Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier. Lastly, part of the electoral district of Louis-Saint-Laurent was transferred to Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles.

Several of the above changes were criticized by regional stakeholders. They argued that the boundaries of the electoral district of Louis-Hébert should be maintained intact at all cost. The Commission was not persuaded by the arguments presented in support of that contention. To remedy that electoral district's population deficit, the Commission maintains its decision to transfer that part of the electoral district of Louis-Hébert located east of Maguire Avenue and the Côte de Sillery extension to the electoral district of Québec.

The Commission was also asked to fully respect the boundaries of the borough of Vieux-Limoilou, and it accedes to that request.

Participants also expressed the wish that the eastern part of the borough of Beauport be retained in the electoral district of Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix, and opposed the proposal to add the municipalities of Lac-Beauport and Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval.

The Commission notes that this electoral district is basically rural or semi-rural, whereas the borough of Beauport is part of the City of Québec. Moreover, the current boundary arbitrarily bisects that part of Beauport located south of Louis XIV Boulevard, whereas the Commission's proposal reunites that part of the borough. The inclusion of the outlying municipalities of Lac-Beauport and Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval is also a better fit with the characteristics of the electoral district of Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix. The Commission therefore maintains its proposal in this regard.

Several participants expressed the desire to keep the Montagne-des-Roches sector in the Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles electoral district. That sector forms a quadrilateral bounded on the north by Château-Bigot Road, on the east by du Bourg-Royal Avenue, on the south by Louis XIV Boulevard and on the west by du Loiret Boulevard. The Commission agrees that this sector should remain in the electoral district of Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, with which it clearly has a greater affinity.

To reduce deviations from the provincial average and, in light of its decision regarding the Montagne-des-Roches sector, the Commission also decides, after consultation with the Indigenous authorities, to leave the Village des Hurons Wendake Indian Reserve and the Château d'Eau sector in the electoral district of Louis-Saint-Laurent. The Château d'Eau sector is bounded to the north by Rivière-Nelson Street, to the south by Racine Street, to the west by the current boundary of the electoral district and to the east by the boundary of Wendake.

As regards the name of the electoral district of Louis-Saint-Laurent, the Grand Chief of Wendake reported to the Commission that his community prefers the geographical reference "Akiawenhrahk" to the name "Wendake" initially proposed by the Commission. This word indicates the presence of the Huron-Wendat First Nation in the territory. Its primary meaning in the Wendate language is "trout," but for the Huron-Wendat Nation community "Akiawenhrahk" means the Saint-Charles River, which flows along the western boundary of the reserve. The Commission welcomes this suggestion. Therefore, the new name for the electoral district of Louis-Saint-Laurent will be Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk.

The Commission also considers that the name of the electoral district of Québec lacks precision in view of the size of the city territory and has decided to rename it Québec Centre.

Finally, the Commission considers it appropriate to shorten the name of the electoral district of Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix (Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix in the Proposal) to Montmorency—Charlevoix, thus echoing the wishes expressed by many participants for shorter names where possible.

Chaudière-Appalaches (Western Part), Estrie and Centre-du-Québec

Cet ensemble comprend douze (12) circonscriptions :

  • Beauce
  • Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel (Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel—Odanak)
  • Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis
  • Brome—Missisquoi
  • Compton—Stanstead
  • Drummond
  • Lévis—Lotbinière
  • Mégantic—L'Érable
  • Richmond—Arthabaska
  • Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot
  • Shefford
  • Sherbrooke

The Commission proposed retaining the same number of electoral districts in that group but with changes to their respective boundaries (except for the electoral districts of Beauce and Brome—Missisquoi) to bring their respective population figures closer to the provincial average. A major problem was that the electoral districts of Mégantic—L'Érable (-18.4%) and Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel (-11.5%) had significant population deficits.

The Commission also proposed adding the name Odanak to the name of the electoral district of Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel to reflect the presence of the Waban-Aki (Abenaki) First Nation on that territory.

The proposal was negatively received, starting with the transfer of the municipality of St-Henri from the electoral district of Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis to the electoral district of Lévis—Lotbinière. The elected officials and many citizens opposed it, reiterating that municipality's longstanding desire to maintain its strong connection with Bellechasse.

The Commission also proposed extending the boundary of the electoral district of Mégantic—L'Érable northwards by transferring to it seven municipalities from the RCM of Lotbinière (Dosquet, Saint-Agapit, Saint-Gilles, Saint-Narcisse-de-Beaurivage, Saint-Patrice-de-Beaurivage, Saint-Sylvestre and Sainte-Agathe-de-Lotbinière) and thus removing them from the electoral district of Lévis—Lotbinière. In addition, the municipalities of Daveluyville, Maddington Falls and Saint-Louis-de-Blandford would also be transferred from the electoral district of Richmond—Arthabaska to Mégantic—L'Érable. The elected representatives of the municipalities affected by the transfers, the authorities of the RCMs of Lotbinière and Arthabaska and the MPs of the region, expressed blanket opposition to the proposed transfers.

To increase the population of Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel, the Commission proposed transferring four municipalities from the RCM of Drummond (Saint-Eugène, Saint-Guillaume, Saint-Pie-de-Guire and Sainte-Brigitte-des-Saults). That proposed change was met with determined opposition from local elected representatives on the grounds that the four municipalities are inseparable from the RCM of Drummond and are quite a distance from the electoral district office of the MP for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel.

Lastly, again with the objective of reducing population variances, the Commission proposed transferring a total of four municipalities in the eastern part of the electoral district of Shefford to two other electoral districts. Three municipalities would be transferred to the electoral district of Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot (the municipality of Maricourt, the City of Valcourt and the Township Municipality of Valcourt) and one municipality to the electoral district of Richmond—Arthabaska (the municipality of Racine). The problem here is that those four entities (in addition to Lawrenceville, Bonsecours and Sainte-Anne-de-la-Rochelle) are part of a group of seven closely related municipalities referred to locally as "the Val 7." The proposed dismemberment of that group monopolized the public hearing in Sherbrooke. Current and former local elected officials, as well as many residents, requested that all those municipalities be left in the same electoral district, preferably Shefford, where they are presently situated.

Several opponents of the proposal demanded the status quo, pure and simple. In their opinion, none of the proposed transfers had anything to recommend them. However, others took the trouble to formulate alternate solutions and to present them to the Commission.

The first of those proposals suggested maintaining the municipality of Saint-Henri in the electoral district of Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, but in return, and with the consent of the City of Lévis, transfer from that electoral district to the electoral district of Lévis—Lotbinière a quadrilateral bounded in the north by the Saint Lawrence River, in the west by the Chaudière River, in the south by the existing boundary between both electoral districts and in the east by Taniata Avenue (Saint-Romuald sector).

This proposed alternate solution acknowledged the need to break up the RCM of Lotbinière in order to increase the population of the electoral district of Mégantic—L'Érable. However, the suggested division differs from the one proposed by the Commission.

The municipalities of Dosquet and Sainte-Agathe-de-Lotbinière would be transferred, as suggested, to the electoral district of Mégantic—L'Érable. The same would apply regarding Laurier-Station, Leclercville, Lotbinière, Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur-d'Issoudun, Saint-Édouard-de-Lotbinière, Saint-Flavien, Saint-Janvier-de-Joly, Sainte-Croix and Val-Alain. However, contrary to the Commission's proposal, the municipalities of Saint-Agapit, Saint-Gilles, Saint-Narcisse-de-Beaurivage, Saint-Patrice de Beaurivage and Saint-Sylvestre would remain in the electoral district of Lévis—Lotbinière.

The Commission accepts this alternate solution, which in its view is solid and balanced in that it seeks to reconcile the existence of communities of interest along with respect for the principle of voting parity, while allowing for the change described in the following paragraph.

The electoral districts of Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel and Drummond will keep their current boundaries, to the satisfaction of local stakeholders. The municipalities of Saint-Eugène, Saint-Guillaume, Saint-Pie-de-Guire and Sainte-Brigitte-des-Saults will not be transferred from the electoral district of Drummond to the electoral district of Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel. However, the municipalities of Leclercville, Val-Alain (RCM of Lotbinière) and Villeroy (RCM of L'Érable) will be transferred to the electoral district of Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel in order to reduce its population deficit.

The second alternate solution presented to the Commission proposed keeping the three municipalities of Daveluyville, Maddington Falls and Saint-Louis-de-Blandford in the electoral district of Richmond—Arthabaska rather than transferring them to the electoral district of Mégantic—L'Érable. In return, the municipalities of Weedon, Lingwick and Scotstown would be transferred from the electoral district of Compton—Stanstead to the district of Mégantic—L'Érable.

The Commission accepts that solution but considers it inadvisable to transfer the municipality of Saint-Denis-de-Brompton from the electoral district of Richmond—Arthabaska to the district of Compton—Stanstead as had been suggested, given that the population figures of both electoral districts are very similar.

The Commission notes the wishes expressed by local stakeholders and leaves intact the four municipalities (Maricourt, the City of Valcourt, the Township Municipality of Valcourt and the municipality of Racine) that it had originally proposed be transferred from the electoral district of Shefford to two adjoining electoral districts. Thus, the proposed transfer will not take place.

The Commission further notes that the proposal to transfer a small territory south of the electoral district of Sherbrooke to the electoral district of Compton—Stanstead did not encounter any opposition.

During the public consultation, several participants suggested changing the name of the electoral district of Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot by adding a reference to the region of Acton, particularly to the RCM of the same name of which Acton Vale is the main town. The idea of removing Bagot from the electoral district's name was also raised but was immediately contested by local elected representatives because of the significant heritage value of this reference. Sensitive to these arguments, the Commission selects the name Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton because it is more unifying than the current name and more respectful of the electoral district's present as well as its past.

Lastly, there was no objection to the geographical name Odanak being henceforth part of the name of the electoral district of Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel, as it attests to the presence of the Waban-Aki (Abenaki) First Nation in the territory. In the interests of shortening the electoral district's name, it will now be known as Bécancour—Saurel—Odanak, thus eliminating a geographical reference without affecting the representative and unifying character of the electoral district's name.

Eastern Montérégie

This group consists of the following eight (8) electoral districts:

  • Beloeil—Chambly
  • Brossard—Saint-Lambert
  • La Prairie (La Prairie—Atateken)
  • Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne
  • Longueuil—Saint-Hubert
  • Montarville
  • Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères
  • Saint-Jean

According to the Proposal, the number of electoral districts would remain unchanged. The proposed changes in the boundaries of four of the eight electoral districts were essentially the result of the fact that the population of the electoral district of Beloeil—Chambly exceeded the electoral quota by 15%.

The first change involved transferring part of the territory of the City of Carignan from the electoral district of Beloeil—Chambly to the electoral district of Montarville. The City of Carignan, represented at a public consultation session by its Director of Legal Affairs and City Clerk, opposed the transfer, arguing in favour of keeping that part of the territory of the municipality in the electoral district of Beloeil—Chambly. The argument did not persuade the Commission, especially given that the territory of the municipality already consists of two geographically separate parts. The Commission therefore maintains this change which has the effect of balancing the population of both electoral districts.

The second change involved transferring the northwestern portion of the electoral district of Longueuil—Saint-Hubert (part of the Fatima neighbourhood of the City of Longueuil) to the electoral district of Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères. Many stakeholders opposed the transfer, arguing that the neighbourhood sector is inseparable from the City of Longueuil and has little connection with the proposed electoral district. Their arguments were persuasive, and the Commission has decided that the neighbourhood sector will continue to form part of the electoral district of Longueuil—Saint-Hubert.

The current boundaries of the four other electoral districts in the territorial unit remain unchanged.

The Commission also proposed adding the word Atateken to the name of the electoral district of La Prairie to reflect the presence of the Mohawk First Nation in that territory and elsewhere in Quebec. There was no opposition to this proposal but for one person. The authorities of the Mohawk First Nation of Kahnawake are in favour of the proposal. The name of the electoral district will henceforth be La Prairie—Atateken.

Southwest Montérégie

This territorial unit consists of the following three (3) electoral districts:

  • Châteauguay—Lacolle (Châteauguay—Les Jardins-de-Napierville)
  • Salaberry—Suroît (Salaberry—Suroît—Soulanges)
  • Vaudreuil—Soulanges (Vaudreuil)

According to the Proposal, the number of electoral districts would remain unchanged. The proposed changes to the boundaries of the three electoral districts were primarily driven by the fact that the population of the electoral district of Vaudreuil (formerly Vaudreuil—Soulanges) now exceeds the provincial average by 19%.

The Commission also proposed changes to the names of all three electoral districts: Châteauguay—Lacolle would become Châteauguay—Les Jardins-de-Napierville to correct an inadvertent error made during the last electoral map revision, the municipality of Lacolle being situated in the neighbouring electoral district; Salaberry—Suroît would become Salaberry—Suroît—Soulanges as a result of the expansion of its territory by adding the last two municipalities that made up the former municipal county of Soulanges; and conversely, Vaudreuil—Soulanges would become Vaudreuil as a result of the loss of the two same municipalities.

The purpose of the proposed changes was to reduce the population of the electoral district of Vaudreuil. They were acceptable to most participants. The strongest opposition came from Pointe-des-Cascades. Its mayor and residents expressed the wish that their municipality remain in the electoral district of Vaudreuil given its long-standing ties with the city of the same name (the Commission had proposed transferring that municipality to the electoral district of Salaberry—Suroît, along with the neighbouring municipality of Les Cèdres).

Upon reflection, and while the Commission understands the reaction of the Pointe-des-Cascades residents, it maintains the proposed transfer since it is imperative that the population of Vaudreuil be reduced (it is in fact the most populous electoral district in the southwestern part of the Montérégie) and the only other possible option (i.e., transferring the municipalities of Rigaud and Pointe-Fortune into the electoral district of Salaberry—Suroît) is considered to be inadvisable.

The transfer of the seven municipalities of Franklin, Havelock, Saint-Chrysostome, the Village and Township of Hemmingford, Très-Saint-Sacrement and Howick generated several comments, none of which, in the Commission's opinion, justify revising either the appropriateness of the transfer or the selection of the territories to be transferred.

Comments were all over the map concerning the proposed name changes for the three electoral districts that make up this territory. However, there was consensus on the irrelevance of the name Suroît, which is part of the current electoral district name (Salaberry—Suroît) and the one proposed by the Commission (Salaberry—Suroît—Soulanges). Moreover, the Commission is persuaded by the argument that the geographical name Beauharnois is more appropriate than Salaberry. The following three electoral district names have therefore been selected: Beauharnois—Soulanges, Châteauguay—Les Jardins-de-Napierville, and Vaudreuil.

City of Laval

This electoral district consists of the following four (4) electoral districts:

  • Alfred-Pellan
  • Laval—Les Îles
  • Marc-Aurèle-Fortin
  • Vimy

According to the Proposal, the number of electoral districts would remain unchanged. The proposed changes were targeted, focussing primarily on reducing population variances in relation to the electoral quota.

Two transfers were proposed: the first in the southeast of Laval involving the transfer of a quadrilateral in the former municipality of Pont-Viau from the more populous electoral district of Vimy to the electoral district of Alfred-Pellan; the second, in the northwest of Laval involved transferring a small territory in the Fabreville sector of the more populous electoral district of Laval—Les Îles to the electoral district of Marc-Aurèle-Fortin.

Only the second of the two proposed transfers was criticized by one resident, who was of the view that the individuals covered by the transfer should remain in the electoral district of Laval—Les Îles, given their shared community of interest with the residents of that district.

The Commission finds that argument persuasive, especially given that the small quadrilateral in question is located west of Highway 13, whereas the rest of the electoral district extends east of that expressway and the number of residents affected is relatively small. The quadrilateral in question will therefore remain in the electoral district of Laval—Les Îles.

Island of Montréal

This group consists of the following eighteen (18) electoral districts:

  • Ahuntsic-Cartierville
  • Bourassa
  • Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle
  • Hochelaga
  • Honoré-Mercier
  • La Pointe-de-l'Île
  • Lac-Saint-Louis
  • LaSalle—Émard—Verdun
  • Laurier—Sainte-Marie
  • Mount Royal
  • Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount
  • Outremont
  • Papineau
  • Pierrefonds—Dollard
  • Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie
  • Saint-Laurent
  • Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel
  • Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs

Under the Proposal, the population figures in the electoral districts of the Island of Montréal did not require either a reduction or an increase in MP seats. The proposed changes to the boundaries of 12 of the 18 electoral districts were, in all cases, intended to reduce population deviations from the electoral quota, particularly in the electoral district of Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Îles-des-Sœurs which has experienced a 30.5% increase in population since the 2011 decennial census.

The comments received by the Commission primarily concerned the geographical boundaries of electoral districts.

The first comment concerned the electoral district of Bourassa and, by extension, that of Ahuntsic-Cartierville. The commentator considered it incongruous that the neighbourhood of Sault-au-Récollet (a quadrilateral bounded by Sauvé Boulevard to the south, Rivière-des-Prairies to the north, Saint-Michel Boulevard to the east and Papineau Street to the west), would be attached to the electoral district of Bourassa rather than the electoral district of Ahuntsic-Cartierville. Incongruous, because the neighbourhood is the historic birthplace of the current Ahuntsic district and has its own unique issues that are very different from those of the borough of Montréal-Nord. The Commission was asked to repatriate the entire Sault-au-Récollet neighbourhood into the Ahuntsic-Cartierville electoral district.

While the foregoing comment is interesting from a historical perspective, it does not, in the Commission's view, justify the recommended change. In this regard, it is worth noting that the municipality of the parish of Sault-au-Récollet adopted the name Montréal-Nord when it became a city in 1915, before being annexed by the City of Montréal the following year. Today, the borough of Montréal-Nord is the heart of the electoral district of Bourassa.

The second set of comments concerned the electoral district of Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle and, by extension, the electoral district of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun.

The Commission was criticized for having split the borough of LaSalle in two, thus having the effect of 1) making it more difficult to have consistent representations for the borough of LaSalle, and 2) creating an electoral district with two very different parts, one consisting of middle-class single-family homes (Dorval and Lachine west of 32nd Avenue) and the other of working-class apartment buildings (eastern Lachine and western LaSalle).

The Commission is not swayed by the argument that the boundaries of the two electoral districts in question should be changed. While respecting the boundaries of a borough is a desirable outcome, it is not essential. The fabric of Montréal is very diverse, and it is not uncommon to see the mix of housing and occupations found in these electoral districts.

The Commission decided to modify slightly the names of both electoral districts: the electoral district of Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle becomes Lachine—Dorval (thus avoiding repetition of the borough name of LaSalle) and the electoral district of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun becomes LaSalle—Verdun (thus sparing the name of a city that has been annexed to the City of Montréal for over 100 years).

The third comment concerned the electoral districts of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie and Hochelaga, specifically the Nouveau-Rosemont sector, which is presently in Hochelaga. The Commission was asked to transfer it to Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie on the grounds that the concerns of Rosemont residents would be very different from those of Hochelaga residents.

Here again, the Commission is not persuaded that it is appropriate to change the boundaries of the two electoral districts concerned. The social fabric of Montréal is too diverse to guarantee the homogeneity of the populations of the electoral districts within its territory, especially given the considerable population size of the federal electoral districts.

The fourth point concerns the electoral district of Saint-Laurent and, by extension, that of Ahuntsic-Cartierville. Several citizens from among the 6,700 residents in a quadrilateral situated at the eastern end of the electoral district, between Highway 15 and L'Acadie Boulevard, contested the proposed transfer and requested that the area remain in the electoral district of Ahuntsic-Cartierville. One other resident from the borough of Saint-Laurent echoed that request.

The geography of that part of the borough of Saint-Laurent is complex, given the parallel presence, from west to east, of a major railroad (the Réseau Express Métropolitain, REM), and of Highway 15 and L'Acadie Boulevard. This makes it virtually impossible to draw boundaries that will ensure that the residents of the area do not feel boxed in. However, the west-east roads provide easy access to the area. Furthermore, given the large number of residents in the quadrilateral added to the electoral district of Saint-Laurent, any concerns regarding the voting process do not appear to be well founded. The Commission therefore rejects this request.

The fifth point of contention relates to the electoral district of Outremont and, by extension, the neighbouring electoral districts of Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs and Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount. The objections stemmed primarily from the proposal to extend the territory of the Outremont electoral district beyond Mount Royal Park to the south and to include part of the Golden Square Mile in the electoral district of Outremont and part of Shaughnessy Village in the electoral district of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount. It was argued that the residents of these areas have no attachment to either of the two electoral districts to which the Commission proposed to transfer them. According to the opponents of the transfer, the residents of the electoral districts of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount and Outremont would be virtually foreigners to them.

In the Commission's view, that argument is overstated. However, there is no doubt that the sense of belonging to Shaughnessy Village, to the Golden Square Mile and, more generally, to the Peter-McGill electoral district and its major institutions is genuine. And the same holds true, as far as the electoral district of Outremont is concerned, regarding the imposing geographic divide of Mount Royal Park. The Commission takes note of this and modifies the boundaries of the electoral districts of Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, Outremont, and Laurier—Sainte-Marie accordingly.

The Commission cancels the transfers of territory between the electoral districts of Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce-Westmount, and Outremont. To reduce the population of the electoral district of Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—île-des-Sœurs the requisite transfers are made from the southwest of that electoral district to the electoral district of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount and from the southeast to the electoral district of Laurier—Sainte-Marie. By the end of the exercise, the populations of the electoral districts of Laurier—Sainte-Marie and of Outremont, respectively in surplus and in deficit in relation to the electoral quota, will be balanced by transferring to the electoral district of Outremont a quadrilateral from the electoral district of Laurier—Sainte-Marie, formed by Saint-Denis, Rachel and Christophe-Colomb streets bordering Laurier Park up to the boundary of that district.

The sixth comment concerns the Commission's decision to extend the territory of the electoral district of Hochelaga into the Sainte-Marie neighbourhood, to the southwest in the electoral district of Laurier—Sainte-Marie, beyond a railway line. The comment was also supplemented by various proposals for expansion of the territory of Hochelaga.

The comment is valid. The Proposal had the unfortunate consequence of adding a neighbourhood (Sainte-Marie) to three neighbourhoods (Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Mercier-Ouest and Nouveau-Rosemont), which the territory of Hochelaga already straddles, and one borough (Ville-Marie) to two other boroughs with which the electoral district already must deal (Mercier—Hochelaga—Maisonneuve and Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie). Moreover, the added territory is situated west of an imposing railway line which, it was argued before the Commission, is critical to preserving neighbourhood identities both east and west of that boundary.

As for the proposals regarding expansion of the territory of Hochelaga, the Commission accepts only one concerning a corridor north of Bélanger Street, between 24th Avenue and De Pontoise Street, in the electoral district of Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel. This change will result in the northwestern boundary of the electoral district coinciding with the cadastral boundary of the borough of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie and with the administrative boundary shared by the boroughs of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, Saint-Léonard and Villeray. Furthermore, there is no reason to anticipate any difficulty integrating the residents of this corridor into their new federal electoral district, especially since their fellow residents on the south side of Bélanger Street are already part of that district. The result of this adjustment will reduce the population variance from the electoral quota in both electoral districts.

The seventh and last comment concerns the Proposal to enlarge the territory of the electoral district of Honoré-Mercier, on its southwestern boundary, up to the center of Langelier Boulevard, with everything east of that boundary being shifted from the electoral district of Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel to the electoral district of Honoré-Mercier. It was argued that this change would affect the community of interest constituted by the residents of the electoral district of Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel in that their places of worship (mosques and churches) and community centres would essentially be in a different electoral district. The same would apply regarding businesspeople whose companies, often family-owned, are located in the industrial sector east of Langelier Boulevard.

That is a valid comment and there is a simple solution to ensure that the electoral district of Honoré-Mercier benefits from the significant population increase that the Proposal was intended to bring to it, while avoiding the disadvantages described above. It suffices to keep the industrial sector east of Bombardier Street in the electoral district of Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel while transferring the residential sector west of Bombardier Street to the electoral district of Honoré-Mercier, as proposed. This is the path that the Commission has taken.

Pontiac to Saint-Maurice—Champlain

This vast area now has 17 electoral districts divided into the following three subgroups:

  • The Laurentians and Lanaudière
    • Joliette (Joliette—Manawan)
    • Laurentides—Labelle
    • Les Pays-d'en-Haut5
    • Mirabel
    • Montcalm
    • Repentigny
    • Rivière-des-Mille-Îles
    • Rivière-du-Nord
    • Terrebonne
    • Thérèse-De Blainville
  • Mauricie
    • Berthier—Maskinongé
    • Saint-Maurice—Champlain
    • Trois-Rivières
  • Outaouais
    • Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation
    • Gatineau
    • Hull—Aylmer
    • Pontiac (Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi)

According to the Proposal, a new electoral district—Les Pays-d'en-Haut—was created in the Laurentians and Lanaudière subgroup. The territory of that electoral district includes the RCM of Les Pays-d'en-Haut, as well as larger or smaller portions of the neighbouring electoral districts of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, Joliette, Laurentides—Labelle, Mirabel and Rivière-du-Nord.

The Commission also proposed minor changes in the Lanaudière region in order to reduce population variances within its constituent electoral districts.

Lastly, the Commission proposed adding "Manawan" to the current electoral district name of Joliette to reflect the presence of the Atikamekw First Nation in the territory and in two other communities elsewhere in Quebec. In this same spirit, the Commission proposed adding "Kitigan Zibi" to the current electoral district name of Pontiac to reflect the presence of the Algonquin Anishinabeg First Nation in the territory and in eight other communities elsewhere in Quebec.

The creation of the new electoral district of Les Pays-d'en-Haut in the Laurentians and Lanaudière subgroup had major repercussions in several neighbouring electoral districts, including Pontiac.

Reactions were commensurate with the impact caused by the creation of this new electoral district, an impact that was inevitable given that the RCM of Les Pays-d'en-Haut is the heart of the newly created district. With a population of 46,906 and an electoral quota of 108,998, it was inevitable that neighbouring municipalities and RCMs would be looked upon to fill the gap. The reactions came from the electoral districts that contributed to the constitution of the territory of the new electoral district, namely Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation (Gore, Mille-Îles and Wentworth), Joliette (Entrelacs and Chertsey), Laurentides—Labelle (Val-David, Val-Morin), Mirabel (Saint-Colomban), Montcalm (Saint-Calixte), and Rivière-du-Nord (Prévost (part) and Saint-Hippolyte); as well as the districts that contributed to rebalancing the population figures in relation to the electoral quota.

Thus, the proposed transfer of part of the City of Prévost and the City of Saint-Hippolyte from the electoral district of Rivière-du-Nord to the electoral district of Les Pays-d'en-Haut was not well received by local public officials and many individuals.

The reaction was similarly negative regarding the proposed transfer of Saint-Calixte from the electoral district of Montcalm to the electoral district of Les Pays-d'en-Haut. It was felt that the municipality should remain in Montcalm, like all the other municipalities in the RCM of Montcalm. Opponents of the transfer found it difficult to understand the reason for isolating it from the other municipalities of that RCM.

Added to this list is the proposed transfer of the municipalities of Saint-Liguori and Sainte-Marie-Salomé from the electoral district of Montcalm to that of Joliette. That redistribution was strongly criticized by all the region's public officials who found it incomprehensible that those two municipalities should be transferred to the electoral district of Joliette, while the two other municipalities (Saint-Jacques and Saint-Alexis), which together form "Nouvelle-Acadie," would remain in the electoral district of Montcalm.

The transfer of the City of Saint-Colomban (part of the RCM of Rivière-du-Nord) to the electoral district of Les Pays-d'en-Haut was also negatively received, as was the transfer of another part north of the City of Mirabel to the electoral district of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation (the former villages of Saint-Hermas and Saint-Jérusalem).

One citizen also asked the Commission to repatriate the municipalities of Montcalm, Barkmere, Arundel and Huberdeau to the electoral district of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation for historical, cultural and social reasons.

Under the Proposal, part of the municipality of Saint-Joseph-du-Lac, which is currently entirely in the electoral district of Mirabel, was to be transferred to the district of Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. The transfer was objected to on the grounds that the municipality should be entirely in one electoral district (either Mirabel or Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, preferably Mirabel because of its more rural character).

The proposed transfer of Bowman and Val-des-Bois from the electoral district of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation to the electoral district of Laurentides—Labelle, was not welcomed and was unanimously opposed.

In the Lanaudière region, a resident of the City of Terrebonne (electoral district of Terrebonne) also opposed the transfer of a small part of the territory to the electoral district of Thérèse-De Blainville.

Reactions regarding the electoral districts in the Laurentians and Lanaudière subgroup did not end here, particularly with respect to the electoral district of Laurentides—Labelle. The Commission will address this later in its discussion of the Outaouais subgroup, but the reader should bear in mind that its decision concerning the boundaries of the electoral district of Laurentides—Labelle is inseparable from the fate of the comments received regarding this subgroup.

The Commission acknowledged all comments received, particularly those regarding fragmentation of municipalities, RCMs and other communities of interest. Where possible, the situation has been rectified.

Thus, the integrity of the territory of the City of Prévost will be respected and the territory will be transferred in its entirety to the electoral district of Les Pays-d'en-Haut, where it joins the territory of the Municipality of Saint-Hippolyte.

Further north, the territory of the Municipality of Val-Morin and the Village of Val-David will be transferred to the electoral district of Laurentides—Labelle, while further south, the territory of the Municipality of Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines will be transferred from the electoral district of Mirabel to that of Rivière-du-Nord.

In this same spirit, the entire territory of the municipality of Saint-Joseph-du-Lac is reintegrated into the electoral district of Mirabel. Similarly, the territory of the former municipalities of Saint-Hermas and Saint-Jerusalem will continue to be part of the electoral district of Mirabel. However, the territory of the municipality of Saint-Colomban will remain in the new electoral district of Les Pays-d'en-Haut.

The municipalities of Saint-Liguori and Sainte-Marie-Salomé will join the municipalities of Saint-Jacques and Saint-Alexis in the electoral district of Montcalm (administrative region of Lanaudière), thus preserving the integrity of this territory that, between 1759 and 1767, was settled by some 125 Acadian families.

However, the territory of the municipality of Saint-Calixte will remain in the electoral district of Les Pays-d'en-Haut.

The Commission did not receive any negative comments regarding the addition of the geographical name "Manawan" to the current name of the electoral district of Joliette, that name will henceforth be Joliette—Manawan to reflect the presence of the Atikamekw First Nation in the territory and elsewhere in Quebec.

As regards the Mauricie subgroup, the Commission proposed the transfer of the municipality of Saint-Sulpice from the electoral district of Repentigny (located in Lanaudière) to that of Berthier-Maskinongé, in order to reduce the population difference between both electoral districts.

As hardly any representations were made to the Commission in this region, the public meeting scheduled in Trois-Rivières had to be cancelled.

The Commission therefore maintains its proposal to transfer the Parish Municipality of Saint-Sulpice from the electoral district of Repentigny to the electoral district of Berthier—Maskinongé.

With respect to the Outaouais subgroup, two considerations had informed the Commission's Proposal. First, the electoral district of Pontiac, with a population of 129,781, was well above the provincial average (by 19%). The main driver for the proposed change, however, was the creation of the new electoral district of Les Pays-d'en-Haut in the neighbouring Laurentians region. The resulting reduction in the population of the electoral district of Laurentides—Labelle necessitated the extension of its western boundary thereby encompassing several municipalities along the Gatineau River, north of the municipality of Cantley. The electoral district of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation also had to cede a portion of its population to the new electoral district and include a territory located north of the City of Gatineau.

In both the Outaouais and the Laurentians, this proposal was considered unacceptable by all participants who appeared before the Commission. There was consensus among participants that the Outaouais and the Laurentians are two distinct administrative regions with very different regional situations. The Outaouais constitutes a region whose eastern part (the RCM of Papineau), western part (Pontiac) and northern part (the municipalities along the Gatineau River from the city of the same name) form an arrow pointing towards Gatineau and Ottawa, the urban centres of attraction for the region. In the Laurentians region, Montréal plays that role.

Another oft-repeated criticism was that the Commission disregarded RCM boundaries, and even those of some municipalities. The current electoral districts fully respect the boundaries of four of the five RCMs, while the Proposal respects the boundaries of only one RCM, namely that of Pontiac.

The proposed partial transfer of the municipalities of La Pêche and Val-des-Monts (RCM of Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais) from the electoral district of Pontiac to the electoral district of Laurentides—Labelle was the subject of considerable and unanimous criticism. Opponents found it incomprehensible that the territory of various municipalities would be divided between two electoral districts and even more so that they would be divided in favour of an electoral district with which they allegedly had no affinities.

The same criticism was levelled against the proposed transfer of several municipalities in the RCM of La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau, electoral district of Pontiac, to the electoral district of Laurentides—Labelle.

The region's elected representatives proposed another solution

  • Withdraw the RCM of La-Vallée-de-la-Gatineau from the electoral district of Laurentides—Labelle and reintegrate it into the electoral district of Pontiac;
  • Preserve the integrity of the RCM of Papineau by keeping the municipalities of Val-des-Bois and Bowman in the electoral district of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation instead of transferring them to the electoral district of Laurentides—Labelle;
  • Withdraw those parts of the municipalities of La Pêche and Val-des-Monts (RCM of Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais) from the electoral district of Laurentides—Labelle to which the Commission had proposed they be transferred, keep the first one (La Pêche) in the electoral district of Pontiac and integrate the second one (Val-des-Monts) into the electoral district of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation;
  • Withdraw that part of the municipality of Chelsea that the Commission proposed to integrate into the electoral district of Hull—Aylmer and transfer it to the electoral district of Pontiac so that it is entirely in that electoral district;
  • Withdraw that part of the Township Municipality of Amherst (RCM of Les Laurentides) which was to be part of the electoral district of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation and transfer it to the electoral district of Laurentides—Labelle so that the municipality is entirely in that electoral district;
  • Withdraw part of the municipality of Mirabel from the electoral district of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation and integrate it into the electoral district of Mirabel;
  • Withdraw the western part of district 18 (Masson-Angers/City of Gatineau) from the electoral district of Gatineau and integrate it into the electoral district of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation so that it is entirely in that electoral district; and
  • And lastly, in the same spirit, withdraw the northern parts of district 10 (Limbour/City of Gatineau) and district 13 (Carrefour-de-l'Hôpital/City of Gatineau) from the electoral district of Pontiac and integrate them into the electoral district of Gatineau so that both districts are entirely in that electoral district.

As a result, the population figures of the four electoral districts thus modified will have modest deviations from the electoral quota, between -0.001% (Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, population of 108,903) and 2% (Pontiac, population of 111,138).

The alternate solution proposed is well thought and sound. It properly considers the communities of interest and their attachment to the Outaouais region, while respecting the administrative boundaries of the municipalities and the RCMs and, in the case of the City of Gatineau, those of its neighbourhoods and electoral districts, while at the same time adhering to the principle whereby the vote of each elector is of equal weight.

The Commission therefore endorses the proposal

Only the electoral district of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation will henceforth straddle the administrative regions of the Outaouais and the Laurentians, as has been the case since the 1970s. The boundaries of three of the five RCMs in the region are fully respected, with the exceptions of the RCMs of Argenteuil and des Collines-de-l'Outaouais. In both cases, and as desired by many stakeholders, while the boundaries of the RCMs are not fully respected, none is divided among more than two electoral districts. Lastly, with the obvious exception of Gatineau (which has a total population of approximately 291,000), no municipality will be divided among several electoral districts.

The proposed new electoral district name of Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi was well received by the vast majority of stakeholders. The addition of the geographical name Kitigan Zibi to the district name reflects the presence of the Algonquin Anishinabeg First Nation in the territory.

In concluding this chapter on electoral boundaries, it is interesting to compare the deviations resulting from the Commission's decisions with the deviations that existed at the beginning of its work, using the table below.

Distribution of deviations between population and electoral quota
Size of deviation The current 78 electoral districts The 78 revised electoral districts
Greater than -25% 3 0
-25% to -15% 5 5
-15% to -10% 4 1
-10% to -2% 18 17
-2% to 2% 14 17
2% to 10% 22 37
10% to 15% 7 1
15% to 25% 5 0
Greater than 25% 0 0
Total number of electoral districts 78 78

Under the final division, no electoral district deviates from the average by more than 25%, whereas three of the current districts do deviate by more than 25%. The number of electoral districts deviating from the electoral quota by 10% or more is reduced from 24 to 7. The least populated electoral district now has 88,525 people instead of 70,253, and the most populated 120,653 instead of 134,555. Lastly, the Loosemore-Hanby index (the measure of inequality of an electoral division) falls from 0.0415 to 0.0233, almost half what it was when the Commission began its work.

All the indicators converge to show a reduction in the variances and a greater parity in the electoral power of the population among all electoral districts.

Footnotes

1 Wapachee, Norman, Deputy Grand Chief/ Vice Chairperson, Representations of the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) /Cree Nation Government, September 30, 2022, 61 pages.

2 A letter dated October 5, 2022 from Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty to Sylvie Bérubé, MP for Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, a copy of which was sent to the Commission, states that the Cree community of Washaw Sibi would become part of such new electoral district upon being formally established in the territory.

3 Institut de la Statistique du Québec, “La migration interregionale au Québec en 2020-2021: les pertes accrues des grands centres profitent à plusieurs régions,” Bulletin sociodémographique, Vol. 26 No. 1, January 2022, p. 2.

4 Idem, p. 6.

5 A new electoral district