Hull—Aylmer

Hull—Aylmer lies on the north shore of the Ottawa River in the city of Gatineau, encompassing most of the former city of Aylmer and all of the former city of Hull—both amalgamated into Gatineau in 2002. The Gatineau River forms the riding's eastern boundary. With an area of approximately 61 square kilometres and a 2021 census population of roughly 105,000, the district is compact and urban in character. Downtown Hull is home to Place du Portage and other major federal government office complexes, making the public service the dominant employer. Aylmer, to the west, developed as a more anglophone community but has become increasingly francophone over the decades. Approximately 17 percent of the riding's population are immigrants, with notable communities from Haiti, France, and China.

Candidates

Greg Fergus (Liberal) — Born in Montreal, Fergus's grandfather immigrated to Canada from the British colony of Montserrat, and his mother was from Jamaica. He attended Selwyn House School and Marianopolis College before earning two bachelor's degrees from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. Before entering politics, Fergus worked as a political staffer and policy adviser in multiple ministerial offices and served as National Director of the Liberal Party of Canada. He had represented Hull—Aylmer since 2015 and was serving as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister heading into the 2021 campaign.

Simon Provost (Bloc Québécois) — A student pursuing a bachelor's degree in social sciences with a major in history and a minor in political science at the Université du Québec en Outaouais, Provost was a native of Hull and an ardent sovereigntist who had been active in the cause since the age of 18.

Sandrine Perion (Conservative) — Perion ran as the Conservative candidate in Hull—Aylmer in 2021.

Samuel Gendron (NDP) — Gendron carried the NDP banner in the riding for the 2021 election.

About the Riding

Hull—Aylmer has been represented in the House of Commons since 1917 and was renamed to its current form in 1984. For nearly a century, it was among the safest Liberal seats in Quebec outside Greater Montreal—a legacy rooted in the federal government's massive presence in the district. The Pierre Trudeau government's bilingualism policy and decision to relocate thousands of federal civil servants to Hull in the 1970s cemented a political culture in which the riding's fortunes were seen as closely tied to the governing party in Ottawa.

The district's concentration of federal employees creates a unique political dynamic. Issues such as public service wages, remote work policies, the Phoenix pay system, and federal pension management resonate here with an intensity unmatched in most other ridings. The economy beyond government includes retail, hospitality, and a growing technology sector.

Aylmer's historical English-speaking character has faded considerably, but the district remains more linguistically mixed than most Quebec ridings, contributing to a bilingual political culture. Heading into 2021, pandemic-related concerns were prominent—particularly the impact of widespread telework on downtown Hull's commercial district and the future of federal office space on the Quebec side of the river. Social housing and support for seniors were also priorities for community organizations in the riding.