None is the loneliest number on the Qubec Solidaire media bus

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You get a Metro stop! And you get a Metro stop!

If Qubec Solidaire has its way, you'll never find yourself trying to sort out above-ground options in the train desert between Metro stations ever again.

While the small-but-feisty party only held three seats at dissolution, they're gaining ground and support with some big ideas.

But what they'd really like right now is some road trip company.

Here's what you need to know on day 15:

The Breakout

By Benjamin Shingler, @benshingler

It can be tough for the smaller parties to get attention.

Qubec Solidaire is enjoying a modest bump in the polls and couldpotentiallydouble its seat count in the National Assembly to six.

Even so, co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois says the party's media bus is empty.

On Wednesday, he took to Twitter to offer up seats to "web personalities" people outside the mainstream news who have a big social media presence and can help get the party's message out.

"I've heard a lot of journalists saying, 'Oh, why aren't we talking more about the environment?' Well, just look at what Qubec Solidaire says and does," he said Thursday on Daybreak.

"We are, I think, the only party putting the environment at the core of our campaign."

Qubec Solidaire has, in fact, been pretty successful in getting coverage of its bold environmental proposals, which include a ban on the sale of vehicles that use fossil fuels by 2030 and billions for public transit infrastructure (the party unveiled a proposal for 38 new Metro stations today).

Many of the announcements, at least so far, have been on and around the island of Montreal a quick trip for reporters who aren't on the bus.

And if you think Qubec Solidaire has it bad, spare a thought for the Green Party of Quebec, another party that wants to make big changes.

Its leader, Alex Tyrrell, has been travelling the province in a 2001 Honda Civicand staying in youth hostels.

The Breakdown

• Politicians from across the spectrum paid tribute to Lise Payette, a celebrated journalist and Parti Qubcois cabinet minister under Ren Lvesque. She was remembered as a pioneering feminist who helped pave the way for women in Quebec politics. She's also credited with the province's iconic licence plate slogan, Je me souviens.

• Quebec's leaders haven't had much to say about Indigenous issues so far in the campaign. That's something Ghislain Picard wants to change. The Assembly of First Nations regional chief for Quebec and Labrador said housing shortages, high cost of living and unemployment in Indigenous communities should be top of the agenda.

The mic

Is there a way to view the poll tracking by riding? I'd like to vote strategically but I would need to know how the candidates in my riding are polling. -Shelley Zipora Reuter

Great question Shelley! We tagged in our polls expert ric Grenier to answer that for you:

Turning provincewide polls into seat projections is an imprecise science, but it is worth doing to understand what those numbers really mean. As recently as the 1998 election, the party with the most votes (Jean Charest's Liberals) lost to the party that won the most seats (Lucien Bouchard's Parti Qubcois).

But while seat projections can accurately depict the broader electoral implications of polls, there are serious limitations in capturing local dynamics. The margin of error in riding-level projections is quite high, and for that reason CBC doesn't publish them.

With the numbers we see right now, there is little doubt that the Coalition Avenir Qubec is poised to win the most seats. But will they win, say, Sherbrooke or Chteauguay? That's harder to know with as much confidence we'll have to wait and see what voters decide.

Do you have election questions you want answered? Send your queries to ballotbrief@cbc.ca and we'll choose some to be answered right here.

The Race

Two weeks into the campaign, this is where the parties stand:

Take a deeper look at what it all means in ric Grenier's analysis story this week:How a CAQ majority win in Quebec's election could make history

ICYMI

The PQ is backing away slowly from its once hardline stance on a rapid referendum. Is sovereignty simply a tough sell for the new generation of Quebecers? CBC's Simon Nakonechny got an insider's view of the party faithful and their thoughts on independence during his time embedded on the bus. Check out his mini doc:

Behind the scenes with the Parti Qubcois

6 years ago

Duration 6:05

Our reporter, Simon Nakonechny, shows the people and places on the PQ's campaign trail.

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la prochaine,

-Melinda Dalton, social media editor