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, 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.

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.

• Proposed new electoral map an 'attack' on the Anglo vote, lobby group says

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.