Pontiac-Kitigan Zibi’s incumbent Liberal candidate Sophie Chatel won her bid to represent the riding on Parliament Hill for a second term, bringing in 54.5 per cent of the riding’s vote (31,504 votes) in Monday’s federal election, according to Elections Canada numbers early Tuesday morning.
This win came with a significant surge in support for Chatel since she was first elected in 2021, when she won 43.4 per cent of votes.
Conservative Party candidate Brian Nolan received 27.7 per cent of the vote, also up since the previous election when the party’s candidate Michel Gauthier won 20.6 per cent of the riding.
Bloc Québecois candidate Suzanne Proulx won 10.4 per cent, down from 16.8 per cent in the last election, while the NDP’s Gilbert Whiteduck won 5.0 per cent (down from 11 per cent), the Green Party candidate Claude Bertrand’s 734 votes got him 1.3 per cent (down from 2.8 per cent), and People’s Party candidate Todd Hoffman’s 672 votes got him 1.2 per cent (down from 4.5 per cent).
Nation-wide, the Liberal Party is projected to win at least 168 seats in the House of Commons, confirming recent recruit Mark Carney as this country’s Prime Minister. With last votes still being counted early Tuesday morning, it was unclear whether the party would claim a majority or minority government.
Chatel was amongst the first Liberal MPs to urge former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down, and also one of the first to give Mark Carney her endorsement as Trudeau’s replacement. She was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Rural Economic in March, just days prior to the dropping of the writ.
“One of my key priorities is to ensure that, by Canada Day, federal inter-provincial trade barriers are removed,” she told THE EQUITY on Monday evening at an election party at the Chelsea Pub.
“That will unlock an economic potential especially on food productivity and transformation and exportation to Ontario. Food transformation, agriculture is something that I think has enormous potential for growth in Pontiac.”
She campaigned on bolstering the region’s economy by investing in the agriculture and agri-food sectors, reducing interprovincial trade barriers, increasing eco-tourism across the region, investing in conservation projects, and building more affordable housing.
In her first term, she introduced a bill to help protect the Gatineau Park and worked to secure a $2 million investment from Environment and Climate Change Canada for a Kitigan Zibi-led conservation initiative for the Outaouais. In an earlier interview with THE EQUITY, Chatel said her greatest accomplishment for Pontiac residents was working with the provincial government to bring high speed internet to the region.
Voters wanted change
THE EQUITY stopped by voting stations across the Pontiac Monday to hear from residents on why they voted and what the biggest issues were for them. A common reason was cited over and over again: change.
“Like everybody says, we need a change in what we’ve been living lately. Everything is out of control and the prices are sky high,” said Jaime Graveline in Fort Coulonge.
“I’m not too much into politics but I’ve been riding the wave a bit lately. I’ve been making my mind up and I’m trying to get more committed to it.”
In Campbell’s Bay, Niam Rivest echoed the Graveline’s desire for change. “To try to change the direction Canada is going,” he gave as a reason for voting. “Every vote counts.”
“I think it’s super important to voice our opinion, it’s important to come out and vote,” said Jessica Meckstroth in Shawville.
“It’s my obligation, we have to vote,” said Anne Hérault in Fort Coulonge. “For me, it was just trying to change everything so that we’re not going to be more in a hole and trying to make it better for everybody.”
In the 2021 federal election, voters in Clarendon, Shawville, Bristol, Campbell’s Bay, Bryson, Rapides des Joachims, and Alleyn and Cawood gave roughly twice as many votes to the Conservative Party as they did to the Liberals.
Voters in Ladysmith, Portage du Fort, Quyon, Calumet Island, Otter Lake, Thorne, Allumette Island, Mansfield and Pontefract also favoured the Conservative candidate, with slimmer leads.
Only voters in Waltham, the Municipality of Pontiac (excluding Quyon) and Fort Coulonge showed greater support for the Liberal Party.
