Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques

Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques is a vast rural riding in eastern Quebec's Bas-Saint-Laurent region, stretching along the south shore of the St. Lawrence Estuary roughly 300 kilometres downstream of Quebec City. It comprises three regional county municipalities—Rimouski-Neigette, Témiscouata, and Les Basques—and borders both New Brunswick and the state of Maine. The city of Rimouski, with nearly 49,000 residents, serves as the regional capital and principal urban centre. The riding's population was approximately 85,500 at the time of the 2021 election.

Candidates

Maxime Blanchette-Joncas (Bloc Québécois) — Born and raised in Rimouski, Blanchette-Joncas overcame a difficult academic path—attending four schools before completing his secondary diploma through adult education—to earn a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Université du Québec à Rimouski. He worked for six years in a Telus call centre, where he developed an interest in union action, and later served as deputy general manager of the municipality of L'Isle-Verte. First elected in 2019, he was the Bloc Québécois critic for science and innovation.

Léonie Lajoie (Liberal) — A businesswoman from the construction sector, Lajoie was born in Notre-Dame-du-Lac and grew up in Biencourt. She started her first company at age nineteen and spent roughly fifteen years in the construction industry before entering politics. She campaigned on economic development and services for seniors.

France Gagnon (Conservative) — A longtime political figure, Gagnon served as coordinator of the Roundtable for Seniors Consultation in the Lower Saint Lawrence region. She had previously worked for former Bloc Québécois leader Lucien Bouchard before joining the Conservative Party in the early 2000s. She held a certificate in office management from Montreal.

Sylvain Lajoie (NDP) — Lajoie represented the New Democratic Party in the riding.

Jean Tardy (PPC) — Tardy ran for the People's Party of Canada.

About the Riding

Rimouski is the undisputed hub of the Bas-Saint-Laurent region and has earned designation as Quebec's Marine Technopole, reflecting the city's deep ties to the maritime economy. The Université du Québec à Rimouski and its Institut des sciences de la mer constitute the largest francophone university marine-science research centre in Canada. Rimouski is a student city, with some 15,000 students representing nearly one in three residents.

Beyond Rimouski, the riding is defined by its rural and semi-rural landscape. The Témiscouata area, centred on Lac Témiscouata and the communities of Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac and Dégelis, sits in the Appalachian foothills near the New Brunswick border. The Les Basques MRC, along the estuary, includes the towns of Trois-Pistoles and L'Isle-Verte. Agriculture, forestry, and tourism are mainstays of the local economy outside the city of Rimouski.

The riding was created in 2003 from parts of the former Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques and Rimouski-Neigette-et-La Mitis ridings. It has historically alternated between the Bloc Québécois and the Liberals, with the Bloc recapturing the seat in the 2019 wave. Regional issues in 2021 included high-speed internet access in rural areas, healthcare capacity, labour shortages, and support for the forestry and marine sectors.