Laval’s Chomedey riding has been one of the more unusual races of this election campaign.
Incumbent MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier is running as an independent after being expelled from the Quebec Liberal Party last year. She is now taking on her former party, as well as the other candidates on the ballot.
With voters preparing to choose their next representative, what are the candidates offering Chomedey?
“I will get up at the National Assembly and I represent their voice directly. This is a clear message that as an independent, I will bring democracy back,” said Lakhoyan Olivier.
Geru Schneider, the Québec solidaire candidate, said Chomedey needs stronger representation at the National Assembly.
“We think Chomedey needs better representation. We’re not duly represented in the National Assembly.”
Marie-Jeanne Rivest, the Parti Québécois candidate, said residents are ready for a change.
“As a young person coming into politics, Chomedey has gone through a lot of Liberal Party governments, and we need more.”
The riding has been marked by political controversy.
Lakhoyan Olivier was at the centre of a controversy over so-called “brownies” text messages that alleged money was being offered to support Pablo Rodriguez’s Liberal leadership campaign. She denied any involvement, and UPAC later said it was unable to establish the authenticity of the messages.
But another ethics controversy did result in a formal sanction. Quebec’s ethics commissioner found Lakhoyan Olivier had violated two articles of the code of conduct over the use of her constituency office and staff during the 2025 Liberal leadership race. She was fined $8,000, and the controversy followed her into this campaign.
The Quebec Liberals also put her on notice over her campaign signs, arguing the branding was too similar to the party’s and could confuse voters.
Lakhoyan Olivier says that despite everything, she believes Chomedey residents still have faith in her.
“It was really awful what I lived through, and I don’t wish that on anybody. This was like a coup d’état for the Liberal Party of Quebec and they got away with it, you know,” said Lakhoyan Olivier.
“I learned from it that you have to be very careful, I learned to be better.”
Her opponents, meanwhile, say voters have a chance to turn the page and choose a new representative for the riding.
“You deserve a candidate that’s been living here that knows the issues. That also respects you,” said Schneider.
Rivest added, “As a representative, I would talk about what’s working in Chomedey and what we need to work on, but we shouldn’t be thinking of the past; we want to go forward.”
Beyond the political controversy, residents say their focus is on the issues affecting their everyday lives.
“We have problems right now, the homelessness, there is only one shelter, it’s not enough in Laval,” said Issa Salim, a resident.
Frederick Hazari, another resident, said, “What we’re seeing here it’s like a third world country. All the roads need to be fixed. A lot of things need to be fixed. Economy-wise, people are struggling.”
Ali Khalil, another resident, said residents want more services.
“More services, above all. Services for seniors, for leisure activities, things like that.”
What do the candidates say they would prioritize if elected to represent Chomedey?
“First of all, our elderlies, the seniors. I have a lot of seniors who live here, and they need special support, and they don’t have that from the government,” said Lakhoyan Olivier.
Schneider said housing would be his priority.
“First, rent control. That’s for sure, but also the amount of available and affordable rentals or houses.”
Rivest said health care access would be her top priority.
“As a pharmacist, I worked for several years in different hospitals across Quebec, including the McGill University Health Center, and I believe that access to care is the number one priority in people’s minds in Chomedey.”
CityNews also reached out to the Conservative Party of Quebec, the Quebec Liberal Party and the CAQ to interview their candidates, but they were unable to make it work.
Chomedey is one of Laval’s most diverse ridings, with large immigrant and linguistic minority communities alongside its francophone population.
“Everybody opened their doors for me and I know their issues. They would like me to stay and continue,” said Lakhoyan Olivier.
Schneider said the riding’s diversity is one of its strengths.
“We welcome everyone who wants to be part of the community. That’s it. If you speak French, if you speak another language, myself English is my third language.”
Rivest said she wants to reassure the riding’s anglophone community.
“We want to increase access to the capacity to understand the languages that are spoken here. Anglophones should not fear a government from the Parti Québécois about the English language.”
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