SAINT-FERDINAND — The Parti Québécois was forced to defend its candidate on Wednesday ahead of an upcoming byelection northeast of Montreal after criticism of his decades-old, far-left activist past.
Alex Boissonneault was arrested in 2001 in Quebec City for being part of a group that had plotted to penetrate the security perimeter of the Summit of the Americas, as heads of state gathered for a series of meetings on issues such as trade. He was held in pretrial detention for 41 days but was subsequently sentenced to community service and eventually pardoned in 2011.
"I certainly regret it," he said Wednesday during an emotional news conference on the shore of Lake William in his hometown of St-Ferdinand, Que., located in the hotly contested Arthabaska riding, where he is running for office.
Boissonneault, 46, a former journalist with Radio-Canada, told reporters he hopes voters in the riding will look past his choices as a young adult. He's now a father of four and well-known public figure in the Quebec City area, where until Sunday he hosted the public broadcaster's morning radio show.
In his first news conference as a PQ candidate, a tearful Boissonneault described having to explain his past arrest to his children. Asked what he would tell his 22-year-old self now, he responded, "Don't do that."
The Summit of the Americas in Quebec City is remembered for the confrontations between thousands of antiglobalization protesters and police at the security fence that had been erected around the meeting site.
More than 20 years later, Boissonneault now describes his political leanings as centre-right. He said his past won't affect his ability to be competitive in the riding. "That won't matter, people know me," he said. "My background shows that I've been clean since (2001)."
PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon described his candidate's arrest as an error of youth, which he didn't attempt to minimize. "His youthful error is serious and regrettable," St-Pierre Plamondon said, but added that Boissonneault has his full confidence.
The PQ leader has been in a spat online with Conservative Leader Eric Duhaime, who is also running in the riding and has spent the week attacking Boissonneault over the candidate's political past. On Wednesday, Duhaime told reporters in Victoriaville, Que., that voters had a right to know about the his opponent's arrest.
"I'm glad the public knows this now," Duhaime said.
Poll aggregator Qc125 predicts a close three-way race in Arthabaska between the governing Coalition Avenir Québec, Parti Québécois, and Duhaime’s party. Premier François Legault has several more months to call the byelection in the riding, which was left vacant after CAQ member Éric Lefebvre resigned in March to run in the April 28 federal election. The PQ has not held the riding since 1998.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2025.
Patrice Bergeron and Vicky Fragasso-Marquis, The Canadian Press
