Pontiac (federal electoral district)

Pontiac (formerly known as Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle) is a federal electoral district in western Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1949 and since 1968.

Pontiac
Quebec electoral district
Pontiac in relation to other Quebec federal electoral districts
Federal electoral district
LegislatureHouse of Commons
MP
 
 
 
Sophie Chatel
Liberal
District created1867
First contested1867
Last contested2021
District webpageprofile, map
Demographics
Population (2011)[1]106,499
Electors (2015)86,585
Area (km²)[2]27,588.31
Pop. density (per km²)3.9
Census division(s)Gatineau, La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau, Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais, Pontiac
Census subdivision(s)Gatineau (part), Val-des-Monts, Cantley, La Pêche, Chelsea, Pontiac, Maniwaki, Gracefield, Mansfield-et-Pontefract, Déléage

In every election since its creation except 1979 and 2011, Pontiac has been a bellwether electoral district whose electoral winner also was a member of the winning party.

History

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The electoral district existed over three distinct periods:

Pontiac lost territory to Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation and gained territory from Hull—Aylmer and Gatineau during the 2012 electoral redistribution.

Following the 2022 Canadian federal electoral redistribution, the riding will largely be replaced by Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi. It loses Val-des-Monts to Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation; loses that part of the City of Gatineau west of Montée Paiement to the riding of Gatineau; and gains the rest of the Plateau neighbourhood from Hull—Aylmer.

Geography

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The electoral district includes:

The neighbouring ridings are Abitibi—Témiscamingue, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, Laurentides—Labelle, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, Hull—Aylmer and Gatineau (in Quebec) and Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, Ottawa—Orléans, Ottawa West—Nepean, Carleton—Mississippi Mills, and Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke (in Ontario).

Demographics

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According to the 2021 Canadian census[3]

Ethnic groups: 80.6% White, 7.9% Indigenous, 5.6% Black, 2.1% Arab, 1.2% Latin American

Languages: 65.1% French, 22.7% English, 1.5% Arabic, 1.2% Spanish

Religions: 64.4% Christian (50.4% Catholic, 1.6% Anglican, 1.4% United Church, 1.2% Christian Orthodox, 9.8% Other), 3.4% Muslim, 31.0% None

Median income: $48,400 (2020)

Average income: $56,950 (2020)

Members of Parliament

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This riding has elected the following members of Parliament:

Parliament Years Member Party
Pontiac
1st  1867–1872     Edmund Heath Conservative
2nd  1872–1874     William McKay Wright Liberal–Conservative
3rd  1874–1878
4th  1878–1882     John Poupore Conservative
5th  1882–1887 John Bryson
6th  1887–1891
7th  1891–1892     Thomas Murray Liberal
 1892–1896     John Bryson Conservative
8th  1896–1900 William Joseph Poupore
9th  1900–1904     Thomas Murray Liberal
10th  1904–1908     Gerald Hugh Brabazon Conservative
11th  1908–1911     George Frederick Hodgins Liberal
12th  1911–1917     Gerald Hugh Brabazon Conservative
13th  1917–1921     Frank S. Cahill Liberal
14th  1921–1925
15th  1925–1926
16th  1926–1930
17th  1930–1935     Charles Bélec Conservative
18th  1935–1940     Wallace McDonald Liberal
19th  1940–1945
20th  1945–1946
 1946–1949     Réal Caouette Social Credit
Riding dissolved into Pontiac—Témiscamingue and Villeneuve
Riding re-created from Pontiac—Témiscamingue, Gatineau and Labelle
28th  1968–1972     Thomas Lefebvre Liberal
29th  1972–1974
30th  1974–1979
Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle
31st  1979–1980     Thomas Lefebvre Liberal
32nd  1980–1984
33rd  1984–1988     Barry Moore Progressive Conservative
34th  1988–1993
35th  1993–1997     Robert Bertrand Liberal
36th  1997–2000
37th  2000–2004
Pontiac
38th  2004–2006     David Smith Liberal
39th  2006–2008     Lawrence Cannon Conservative
40th  2008–2011
41st  2011–2015     Mathieu Ravignat New Democratic
42nd  2015–2019     Will Amos Liberal
43rd  2019–2021
44th  2021–present Sophie Chatel

Election results

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Graph of election results in Pontiac (since 1968, minor parties that never got 2% of the vote or didn't run consistently are omitted)

Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi (future)

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2021 federal election redistributed results[4]
Party Vote %
  Liberal 23,154 43.86
  Conservative 11,296 21.40
  Bloc Québécois 8,011 15.17
  New Democratic 5,990 11.35
  People's 2,364 4.48
  Green 1,531 2.90
  Others 447 0.85

Pontiac, 2003–present

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2021 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Sophie Chatel 26,899 43.4 -5.5 $68,139.46
Conservative Michel Gauthier 12,804 20.6 +3.8 $22,694.60
Bloc Québécois Gabrielle Desjardins 10,424 16.8 +0.7 $2,148.28
New Democratic Denise Giroux 6,824 11.0 +0.5 $10,297.98
People's David Bruce Gottfred 2,813 4.5 +3.2 $5,129.74
Green Shaughn McArthur 1,711 2.8 -3.3 $11,337.96
Free Geneviève Labonté-Chartrand 480 0.8 N/A $429.44
Canada's Fourth Front James McNair 52 0.1 N/A $$0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 62,007 98.9 $137,175.33
Total rejected ballots 723 1.1
Turnout 62,730 65.6
Eligible voters 95,563
Liberal hold Swing -4.7
Source: Elections Canada[5]
2019 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Will Amos 30,217 48.9 -5.64 $95,087.19
Conservative Dave Blackburn 10,416 16.8 +2.87 $17,989.25
Bloc Québécois Jonathan Carreiro-Benoit 9,929 16.1 +9.19 $2,059.60
New Democratic Denise Giroux 6,503 10.5 -12.01 none listed
Green Claude Bertrand 3,762 6.1 +4.36 none listed
People's Mario Belec 775 1.3 $0.00
Veterans Coalition Shawn Stewart 194 0.3 none listed
Marxist–Leninist Louis Lang 51 0.1 -0.07 $0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 61,847 100.0
Total rejected ballots 661
Turnout 62,508 68.2
Eligible voters 91,656
Liberal hold Swing -4.26
Source: Elections Canada[6][7]
2015 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Will Amos 34,154 54.54 +39.35 $127,717.07
New Democratic Mathieu Ravignat 14,095 22.51 -24.76 $47,758.81
Conservative Benjamin Woodman 8,721 13.93 -12.26 $35,653.16
Bloc Québécois Nicolas Lepage 4,327 6.91 -2.64
Green Colin Griffiths 1,089 1.74 +0.11 $7,418.25
Strength in Democracy Pascal Médieu 131 0.21 $379.41
Marxist–Leninist Louis Lang 108 0.17
Total valid votes/expense limit 62,625 100.0   $254,590.45
Total rejected ballots 467
Turnout 63,092
Eligible voters 87,365
Source: Elections Canada[8][9]
2011 federal election redistributed results[10]
Party Vote %
  New Democratic 23,809 47.27
  Conservative 13,189 26.19
  Liberal 7,649 15.19
  Bloc Québécois 4,810 9.55
  Green 823 1.63
  Others 87 0.17


2011 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Mathieu Ravignat 22,376 45.71 +30.28
Conservative Lawrence Cannon 14,441 29.50 -3.20
Liberal Cindy Duncan McMillan 6,242 12.75 -11.49
Bloc Québécois Maude Tremblay 4,917 10.05 -12.28
Green Louis-Philippe Mayrand 849 1.73 -3.28
Marxist–Leninist Benoit Legros 124 0.25 -0.01
Total valid votes/expense limit 48,949 100.00
Total rejected ballots 413 0.84 +0.13
Turnout 49,362 60.00
Eligible voters 82,308
2008 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Lawrence Cannon 14,023 32.70 -0.93 $79,996
Liberal Cindy Duncan McMillan 10,396 24.24 +0.09 $20,896
Bloc Québécois Marius Tremblay 9,576 22.33 -6.54 $47,435
New Democratic Céline Brault 6,616 15.43 +5.47 $12,004
Green André Sylvestre 2,148 5.01 +1.85 $12,545
Marxist–Leninist Benoit Legros 112 0.26 +0.04
Total valid votes/expense limit 42,871 100.00 $96,386
Total rejected ballots 306 0.71
Turnout 43,177
Conservative hold Swing -0.51
2006 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Lawrence Cannon 16,067 33.63 +11.48 $71,020
Bloc Québécois Christine Emond Lapointe 13,790 28.87 -0.32 $47,724
Liberal David Smith 11,539 24.15 -14.21 $50,925
New Democratic Celine Brault 4,759 9.96 +4.17 $23,543
Green Moe Garahan 1,512 3.16 +2.84 $4,974
Marxist–Leninist Benoit Legros 107 0.22 -0.11
Total valid votes/expense limit 47,774 100.00 $89,728
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing -12.8
2004 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal David Smith 15,358 38.36 -7.03 $68,705
Bloc Québécois L. Hubert Leduc 11,685 29.19 -2.89 $15,853
Conservative Judith Grant 8,869 22.15 +3.70 $62,101
New Democratic Gretchen Schwarz 2,317 5.79 +3.94 $2,580
Green Thierry Vicente 1,673 4.18 +2.76 $1,213
Marxist–Leninist Benoit Legros 132 0.33 +0.13
Total valid votes/expense limit 40,034 100.00 $87,529
  Liberal hold Swing -2.07

Note: Conservative vote is compared to the total of the Canadian Alliance vote and Progressive Conservative vote in 2000 election.

Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle, 1979–2003

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2000 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Bertrand 20,590 45.39 -0.39
Bloc Québécois Johanne Deschamps 14,552 32.08 0.07
Alliance Judith Grant 6,587 14.52
Progressive Conservative Benoit Larocque 1,784 3.93 -14.56
New Democratic Melissa Hunter 836 1.84 -0.37
Green Gretchen Schwarz 645 1.42
Natural Law Eleanor Hyodo 184 0.41 -0.56
Marxist–Leninist Christian Legeais 92 0.20
Independent Thomas J. Sabourin 90 0.20
Total valid votes 45,360 100.00
1997 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Bertrand 22,736 45.78 +5.71
Bloc Québécois Robert Coulombe 15,897 32.01 -1.55
Progressive Conservative Pierre Miller 9,187 18.50 -3.62
New Democratic Brenda Lee 1,097 2.21
Natural Law Marc Lacroix 479 0.96
Christian Heritage Thomas Sabourin 269 0.54
Total valid votes 49,665 100.00
1993 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Bertrand 17,377 40.07 +9.83
Bloc Québécois Claude Radermaker 14,554 33.56
Progressive Conservative Barry Moore 9,593 22.12 -31.43
National Brian Corriveau 755 1.74
New Democratic Nicole Des Roches 682 1.57 -14.63
Independent Glen Emmett Patrick Kealey 402 0.93
Total valid votes 43,363 100.00
1988 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Barry Moore 20,522 53.56 -8.40
Liberal Brian Murphy 11,589 30.24 +1.69
New Democratic John Trent 6,207 16.20 +8.60
Total valid votes 38,318 100.00
1984 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Barry Moore 21,754 61.96 +45.18
Liberal Elizabeth Dickson 10,025 28.55 -41.84
New Democratic Paul Rowland 2,667 7.60 -1.57
Parti nationaliste Dominique Dealbuquerque 524 1.49
Commonwealth of Canada Donna Craig-Méthot 141 0.40
Total valid votes 35,111 100.00
1980 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Lefebvre 21,605 70.39 +6.62
Progressive Conservative André Benoit 5,151 16.78 -1.64
New Democratic Jean-Pierre Paillet 2,813 9.16 +3.87
Rhinoceros Gaston Lagaffe Beauregard 643 2.09 +0.22
Union populaire Vianney Lehouiller 306 1.00 +0.07
Marxist–Leninist Alain Charette 176 0.57
Total valid votes 30,694 100.00
Source: Canadian Elections Database[11]
1979 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Lefebvre 20,253 63.76 +8.09
Progressive Conservative Sant Singh 5,851 18.42 -4.82
Social Credit Rita Jones 3,084 9.71 -5.24
New Democratic Ida Brown 1,682 5.30 -0.84
Rhinoceros Gaston Beauregard 597 1.88
Union populaire Vianney Lehouiller 295 0.93
Total valid votes 31,762 100.00

Pontiac, 1968–1979

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1974 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Lefebvre 12,642 55.67 +4.91
Progressive Conservative Sant Singh 5,277 23.24 +6.03
Social Credit Emmanuel Pétrin 3,394 14.95 -13.15
New Democratic Raymond Carrier 1,394 6.14 +2.20
Total valid votes 22,707 100.00
1972 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Lefebvre 11,780 50.76 +1.70
Social Credit L.-P. Larocque 6,519 28.09 +16.51
Progressive Conservative Octave Vallée 3,993 17.21 -18.18
New Democratic André Synnott 913 3.93 -0.02
Total valid votes 23,205 100.00
Source: Canadian Elections Database[12]

Note: Social Credit vote is compared to Ralliement créditiste vote in the 1968 election.

1968 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Thomas Lefebvre 10,250 49.07
Progressive Conservative Paul Martineau 7,392 35.39
Ralliement créditiste Louis-P. Larocque 2,420 11.59
New Democratic James A. wood Shannon 827 3.96
Total valid votes 20,889 100.00

Pontiac, 1867–1948

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Canadian federal by-election, 16 September 1946
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
On Mr. McDonald's death, 2 May 1946
Social Credit Réal Caouette 11,412 35.86 +17.68
Liberal Lucien Labelle 10,379 32.61 -8.77
Progressive Conservative Hector-Émile Bélec 7,487 23.53 +4.47
Unknown Bernard Molloy 1,975 6.21
Unknown Oscar Roy 572 1.80
Total valid votes 31,825 100.00
1945 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Wallace McDonald 13,325 41.38 -2.24
Progressive Conservative Thomas Edward McCool 6,136 19.06
Social Credit Réal Caouette 5,852 18.17
Bloc populaire Georges-Antoine Rioux 4,433 13.77
Co-operative Commonwealth Antoine E. Titley 2,453 7.62
Total valid votes 32,199 100.00
1940 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Wallace McDonald 13,206 43.62 +12.36
Independent Liberal Joseph-Édouard Piché 11,941 39.44
National Government Ernest Carrier 5,128 16.94
Total valid votes 30,275 100.00
1935 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Wallace McDonald 5,708 31.26
Liberal Joseph-Édouard Piché 5,626 30.81
Conservative Joseph-Aurèle Raymond 4,409 24.14 -16.68
Reconstruction Dieudonné Lapointe 2,519 13.79
Total valid votes 18,262 100.00
1930 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Bélec 8,884 40.82 +5.41
Independent Liberal J.-Philippe Coté 6,988 32.11
Liberal Frank S. Cahill 5,891 27.07 -37.52
Total valid votes 21,763 100.00
1926 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frank S. Cahill 11,166 64.59 +15.36
Conservative Lucien-Alfred Ladouceur 6,121 35.41 +5.05
Total valid votes 17,287 100.0
1925 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frank S. Cahill 7,562 49.23 -17.35
Conservative Lucien Alfred Ladouceur 4,663 30.36 +7.52
Independent Liberal Arthur Lepage 3,136 20.42
Total valid votes 15,361 100.00
1921 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frank S. Cahill 11,077 66.58 -10.92
Conservative George Benjamin Campbell 3,800 22.84 +0.34
Progressive George A. Landon 1,760 10.58
Total valid votes 16,637 100.00

Note: Conservative vote is compared to Government vote in 1917 election, and Liberal vote is compared to Opposition vote

1917 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Opposition (Laurier Liberals) Frank S. Cahill 5,548 77.50
Government (Unionist) Joseph David Bastien 1,611 22.50 -22.08
Total valid votes 7,159 100.00
1911 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerald Hugh Brabazon 2,059 44.59 +3.15
Liberal Frank S. Cahill 1,393 30.16
Liberal George Frederick Hodgins 1,166 25.25 -33.32
Total valid votes 4,618 100.00
1908 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Frederick Hodgins 2,543 58.57 +9.78
Conservative Gerald Hugh Brabazon 1,799 41.43 -9.78
Total valid votes 4,342 100.00
1904 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerald Hugh Brabazon 2,001 51.22 +3.87
Liberal George Frederick Hodgins 1,906 48.78 -3.87
Total valid votes 3,907 100.00
1900 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Murray 1,798 52.65 +12.27
Conservative Gerald Hugh Brabazon 1,617 47.35 -12.27
Total valid votes 3,415 100.00
1896 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W.J. Poupore 1,980 59.62
Liberal T.C. Gaboury 1,341 40.38
Total valid votes 3,321 100.00
By-election on 26 June 1892

On election being declared void, 9 May 1892

Party Candidate Votes
Conservative John Bryson ??
Liberal Thomas Murray ??


1891 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Thomas Murray 1,100 41.01 +4.52
Unknown H.M. McLean 795 29.64
Conservative John Bryson 787 29.34 -34.16
Total valid votes 2,682 100.00
1887 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Bryson 1,681 63.51 +17.40
Liberal Thomas Craig 966 36.49
Total valid votes 2,647 100.00
1882 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Bryson 1,047 46.10 -7.95
Unknown N. McCuaig 931 41.00
Unknown W. Somerville 293 12.90
Total valid votes 2,271 100.00
1878 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative John Poupore 1,381 54.05
Unknown Thomas Murray 1,174 45.95
Total valid votes 2,555 100.00
1874 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes
Liberal–Conservative William McKay Wright acclaimed
Source: Canadian Elections Database[13]
1872 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal–Conservative William McKay Wright 1,604 54.80
Unknown Thomas Murray 1,323 45.20
Total valid votes 2,927 100.00
Source: Canadian Elections Database[14]
1867 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes
Conservative Edmund Heath acclaimed
Source: Canadian Elections Database[15]

See also

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References

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  • "Pontiac (federal electoral district) (Code 24050) Census Profile". 2011 census. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  • Campaign expense data from Elections Canada

Riding history from the Library of Parliament:

Notes

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  1. ^ Statistics Canada: 2011
  2. ^ Statistics Canada: 2011
  3. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (9 February 2022). "Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Pontiac [Federal electoral district (2013 Representation Order)], Quebec". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Transposition of Votes from the 44th General Election to the 2023 Representation Orders". Elections Canada. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  5. ^ "List of confirmed candidates – September 20, 2021 Federal Election". Elections Canada. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  6. ^ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  8. ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Pontiac, 30 September 2015
  9. ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates
  10. ^ "Pundits' Guide to Canadian Elections". Archived from the original on 27 August 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  11. ^ "Elections | Canadian Elections Database". canadianelectionsdatabase.ca. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Elections | Canadian Elections Database". canadianelectionsdatabase.ca. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Elections | Canadian Elections Database". canadianelectionsdatabase.ca. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  14. ^ Sayers, Anthony M. "1872 Federal Election". Canadian Elections Database. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024.
  15. ^ Sayers, Anthony M. "1867 Federal Election". Canadian Elections Database. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024.

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