Jonquière

The riding of Jonquière is centred on the borough of the same name within the city of Saguenay, in the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. Jonquière sits on the Saguenay River near the borough of Chicoutimi, and the riding extends across approximately 40,000 square kilometres of boreal forest, lakes, and river valleys—making it one of the larger ridings in the province by area. The borough of Jonquière had a population of roughly 60,000 in 2021, with an aging demographic profile—approximately 22 percent of residents were over 65. The riding is almost entirely francophone, with close to 99 percent of the population claiming French as their mother tongue.

Candidates

Mario Simard (Bloc Québécois) — A political science lecturer at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and a long-time sovereigntist activist, Simard was first elected in 2019, defeating the incumbent NDP MP Karine Trudel. In the House of Commons, he served as the Bloc's critic for intergovernmental affairs, natural resources, and energy—a portfolio closely aligned with the riding's industrial base.

Louise Gravel (Conservative) — A businesswoman from Saint-David-de-Falardeau, Gravel was in the process of transferring her business to her son in order to enter politics. Though her earlier political involvement had been with the Liberal Party, she chose to run for the Conservatives, citing the leadership of party leader Erin O'Toole as her motivation.

William Van Tassel (Liberal) — Van Tassel ran as the Liberal candidate in Jonquière in 2021.

Lise Garon (NDP) — Garon carried the NDP banner in the riding for the 2021 election.

Marie-Josée Yelle (Green) — Yelle represented the Green Party in Jonquière in the 2021 contest.

About the Riding

Jonquière's identity has been shaped by its industrial heritage. Between 1925 and 1928, Alcan built what was then the world's largest aluminum smelter in the planned company town of Arvida—now a neighbourhood within Jonquière. The facility, today owned by Rio Tinto Alcan, became the world's largest aluminum producer by 1943 and played a critical role in supplying Allied wartime needs. The Price family's pulp and paper mill in nearby Kénogami—now operated by Resolute Forest Products—anchored the region's other major industry. In 2002, Jonquière was amalgamated with Chicoutimi, La Baie, and several smaller municipalities to form the new city of Saguenay.

The riding's economic dependence on aluminum and forestry has made it particularly sensitive to global commodity prices, trade disputes, and environmental regulation. Rio Tinto Alcan's continued investment in the region—including a major smelter modernization program—remained a central concern for local workers and politicians alike.

Heading into the 2021 campaign, key issues included the future of the aluminum and forestry sectors, the energy transition, rural depopulation, and the challenge of retaining young workers in a region competing with Montreal and Quebec City for talent. The Bloc Québécois's strength in the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean region reflected a deep-rooted sovereigntist tradition and a sense that the region's resource-based economy required strong advocacy in Ottawa.