West Quebec winners surprised by victory margin

New Democratic Party candidates in West Quebec were in a celebratory mood Monday night after their sweeping victory across the province, but even they say the extent of the party's surge surprised them.

Former Liberal Franoise Boivin, who took Gatineau for the NDP from incumbent Bloc Qubcois representative Richard Nadeau, said the extent of her victory, in which she took more than 61 per cent of the popular vote, came as a complete surprise.

"We knew we were building something, but in my wildest dreams, if you would have asked me six months ago if I would have such a huge margin I would have said 'Are you well? What are you smoking?'" said Boivin.

Boivin's victory was echoed across the region. In Hull-Aylmer, Nycole Turmel received more than 60 per cent of the vote in defeating Liberal incumbent Marcel Proulx.

And Mathieu Ravignat, a candidate in Pontiac who wasn't even selected until weeks into the election,took the riding over Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon convincingly.

'Wondrous' victory in Pontiac

"I'd like to thank the electors of Pontiac for giving me this enormous privilege," said Ravignat. "Pontiac has chosen a positive change, they've chosen concrete solutions for their daily lives. They've embraced social democracy in this area and it is wondrous."

Across the province, the NDP received 42.87 per cent of the popular vote, a more than 30 per cent surge from the 2008 election, in which the party earned 12.18 per cent of the vote and only one seat.

Longtime NDP voter Henri Gauthier was savouring the breakthrough in Gatineau.

"We have an orange avalanche in Quebec, and an avalanche never stops halfway down the hill, so we have a change to form a government next time," said Gauthier.

The NDP's remarkable gains did come at the expense of the Liberals, who lost seven seats in the province, and the Conservatives, who lost four seats.

But no party suffered like the Bloc Quebecois, which saw its leader fall, its caucus mostly wiped out and its seats reduced to just four.

NDP activist Daphne Robinson said the NDP's victory was also the Bloc's obituary as a force in federal politics.

"I think they got their answer today," said Robinson. "I think Quebec people have understood who really can talk for them and do something for them."

Gatineau Liberal candidate Steve MacKinnon said the party has hard work ahead of it to become relevant once again in Quebec and across the country.

"I think perhaps the party didn't change with the country and its along those lines that we'll have to be doing a lot of thinking in the coming days, months and years," said MacKinnon.

The newly-elected Boivin said the victory of the NDP was a victory for federalism.

"I think it's a great message in a sense from Quebeckers saying they want to work with Canada," said Boivin. "They were open to a party like the New Democrats that were willing to work with Canada, but with the respect that the Quebeckers want to get from Canada."