Quebec scraps plan to eliminate Manon Mass's riding after protests - Action News
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Montreal

Quebec scraps plan to eliminate Manon Mass's riding after protests

Quebec is scrapping a plan to eliminate the Montreal riding of Sainte-MarieSaint-Jacques, currently represented by Qubec Solidaire MNA Manon Mass.

Westmount-Saint-Louis, home to 37% Anglo voters, also retained; Mont-Royal and Outremont merged

Manon Mass's riding won't be eliminated. (Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)

Quebec is scrapping a plan to eliminate the Montreal riding of Sainte-MarieSaint-Jacques, which is currently represented by Qubec Solidaire MNA Manon Mass.

The proposalsparkedprotests and a petitionfrom residents concerned about losing their voice at the National Assembly.

The decision was announced Thursday by the Directeur gnral des lections du Qubec (DGEQ), Quebec's chief electoral officer. The proposal was part of an attempt to update the electoral map to better reflect the province's population distribution.

Masscalled the decision a victory for the people living in the riding, which includes parts of the Ville-Marie and Plateau-Mont-Royalboroughs.

"Once again, people have found a way to get their message across. Through poetry, songs, mobilizations, the streetand petitions," Masstold supporters Thursday.

Quebec's chief electoral officer has decided to keep the riding of Sainte-Marie-Saint-Jacques intact after 8,000 citizens protested against merging it into neighbouring ridings. (DGEQ)

Key Anglo riding also left intact

The chief electoral officer also decided to retain the riding ofWestmount-Saint-Louis, where 37 per cent of residents claim English as their mother tongue.

The plan had beento tack the western part ofWestmountonto the riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grce, witheasternWestmountabsorbed into anewlycreated downtown riding.

However, the anglophone advocacy group, the Quebec Community Groups Network, said that would effectively meanone less seat in the National Assembly representing the anglophonecommunity's interests.

The DGEQdid decide to go aheadwith a plan to merge the ridings of Mont-Royal and Outremont into a single riding, Mont-Royal-Outremont.

Those two ridings are currently held by Liberals, PierreArcandandHlneDavid.

Crmazie named for 'Rocket Richard'

The organization also announced it would change the name of the provincial riding of Crmazie to Maurice-Richard.

The hockey legend lived in the riding for close to50 years.