Liberals hang on to 19 seats on Montreal island, but CAQ makes inroads

While it was clear within half an hour of the polls closing Monday nightthat Coalition Avenir Qubecwas on the way to victory,theLiberals retained most of their seats on the island of Montreal, where theparty has historically shored up much of its support.

But the CAQhas madea historic breakthrough on the island, with Chantal Rouleau elected inPointe-aux-Tremblesand Richard Campeauwinning in Bourget, both ridings in Montreal's east end.

This is the first timeFranois Legault's party has made any inroadsin Montreal since the CAQwas formed in 2011.

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"It was very important to have a foothold on the island of Montreal," Rouleau told Radio-Canada. "I will work very hard to be a voice for all Montrealers."

On the eve of the election, Legault made a "special call" for Montrealers to vote for the CAQ, saying he believed his partycould make headway in the city.

The Liberals still managed to win 19of 27 seats on the island of Montreal,according to CBC's vote tracker.

But the party's overall share of the vote on the island isdown at least16 per cent, while the CAQ'shas climbedup by more than sevenper cent.

In 2014, the Liberals won 20 of the 27 ridings on the island, while thePartiQubcoiswon four andQubecSolidairewas elected in three.

Off-island suburbs go to CAQ

The CAQalso won the Laval riding of Sainte-Rose, previously held by the Liberals.

As of midnight Tuesday,Laval-des-Rapides was still not declared, with the Liberals' Saul Poloa little more than 300 votes ahead of the CAQ'sChristine Mitton.

On Montreal's South Shore, where the CAQ has had a strong base, the party hascemented its support, winning 19 of the Montrgie's 23 ridings.

CAQveteran Christian Dub, who stepped down in Lvisin 2014 to take a job at the Caisse de dpt, is back in the National Assembly,elected by a wide margin in La Prairie over the Liberals' Richard Merlini.

Legaultfocused his attention on voters in theMontrgieregion, where he made a quarter of his stops in the 39-day campaign, compared to Montreal, where he made just10 per cent of his campaign stops.

InChteauguay, LiberalMNAand former cabinet minister PierreMoreaulost to theCAQ'sMarie-ChantalChass.

CAQcandidate Lionel Carmant won the Longueuil riding of Taillon, a PQ stronghold since 1976 and once the riding held by bothPQ leadersRen Lvesque and Pauline Marois.

Carmant said he was "elated" by his victory.

"This is unbelievable," he told CBC News.

Qubec Solidaire'sbest result

It was a remarkable night for QubecSolidaire, as the left-wing party had its best-ever showing at the polls.

Tencandidates are headed to the National Assembly, four of them from ridingsoff the island of Montreal.

The party's co-spokespeople were both re-elected handily:ManonMassin the riding of Sainte-MarieSaint-Jacquesand Gabriel Nadeau-DuboisinGouin.

"Today my friends, you're reaping what you sowed. Our movement is bigger, stronger, and more resolute than ever. Qubec Solidaire is not justthe party of the PlateauMont-Royal," Mass told cheeringsupporters.

"QubecSolidaireis the party for people who want things to change for real."

In the riding of Rosemont, QubecSolidaire'sstar candidate, former La Presse columnistVincent Marissal,unseated Parti QubcoisLeader Jean-Franois Lise.

"It's still sinking in," Marissalsaid after the result, crediting Mass's"refreshing" presence on the campaign trail and the party's wide-ranging package of policies for their success in more than tripling their seat count to ten provincewide.

The PQ was shut out across the island winning just nine seats across the province and 17.1 per cent of the popular vote and Liseannounced he would be stepping down as partyleader.

With its dismal showing, there is no way for the PQ to retain official party status in the next National Assembly.

Key Liberals re-elected

KathleenWeil, the LiberalMNAwho headed the province's anglophone secretariatat dissolution, has been declaredre-elected inNotre-Dame-de-Grce, while DominiqueAnglade, the economy minister and deputy premier, has been declared re-electedinSaint-HenriSainte-Anne.

The Liberals have also wonall four ridings in the West Island: Jacques-Cartier, Nelligan, Marquette and Robert-Baldwin.

InJacques-Cartier,Greg Kelley,the son of longtime LiberalMNAGeoffKelley, who retired from politics at dissolution, will take over from his father, whileCarlosLeito, the party's finance minister, has been re-elected in Robert-Baldwin.

Longtime Liberal MNA Christine St-Pierre, who has been re-electedin Acadie, thanked her constituentsbut expressed dismayat the overall results.

"I can tell you that I am of course disappointed, very disappointed. What we have to do is respect the verdict of the population," she said.

"We have to continue to work. We have to play the role of Official Opposition.As an Official Opposition, we will be very strong."

You score a hat trick, but your team has lost:it's a little bit hard to take.- Enrico Ciccone

JenniferMaccarone, the former presidentof the Quebec English School Boards Association, won handily in WestmountSaint-Louis, while new Liberal candidate Enrico Cicconewon in Marquette.

"It's bittersweet," Maccarone told CBC News.

Ciccone, a former professional hockey player, also said he had mixed emotions.

"We worked hard, but of course you want to see your party win, also," he said.

"You score a hat trick, but your team has lost:it's a little bit hard to take."

Montreal-Quebec City relationship

It remains to be seen how the relationship between Montreal Mayor ValriePlanteand a CAQ government in Quebec City will take shape.

During the election campaign, Legault said he would consider cutting down the size of Montreal's city council if elected premier. That was criticized by Plante, who accused the CAQ leader of "interference" in municipal issues.

Plante had also soughta firm commitment from allparties that the province would help finance her plan to build a new Pink line for the Montreal Metro.

Legault previously said the Pink line wouldn't be a priority for a CAQ government but softened his stance after meeting Plante in September. He said he'd be willing to support the project if the Pink line could be some form of public transit other thana Metro line, and ifa consensus on its construction is reached amongon- and off-island mayors.

With files from CBC Montreal's Kate McKenna and NavneetPall