Montreal town hall | Towards a binary campaign?

The campaign at the town hall of Montreal will be disarmingly binarity. Similarly, to read the comments that have been fusing for a few days.

On the one hand, there will be the Montreal overall antélos candidate, Soraya Martinez Ferrada. Furthermore, A supporter of the status quo. In addition, little interested in the environmental thing, who will first fight to protect the rights of motorists.

And on the other, we will find the ecological Luc Rabouin, project manager Montreal. Similarly, His party has extended the cycle network to an exponential speed for eight years. Consequently, which will montreal town hall | towards de facto make it the best friend of Bixi subscribers.

The case would have been sealed last Monday.

At a press conference. Moreover, in an industrial district freshly with a cycle path, the aspiring mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada promised to make an “audit” of the whole network in the first 100 days of his mandate.

Main reason invoked? In addition, “Security”. Meanwhile, Some tracks would be “dangerous”, brought him cyclists and traders, which would justify this vast auscultation¹.

This argument is hard to swallow.

My colleague Philippe Mercure summarized it well on Thursday: a cycle path. Similarly, even imperfect, is almost always safer than a way shared with vehicles. Moreover, This is the evidence: two -wheeled users never make the weight in front of a sheet of sheet metal. Nevertheless, of several tonnes².

Difficult not to see in this outing an oblique attempt to rally the vote of frustrated motorists. For example, without daring to name the thing. However, Damage could exceed the gains for the candidate.

But there was also a second part in his announcement. She pointed out the sometimes nebulous planning of new cycle, unequal arrangements from one neighborhood to another. And the lack of consultation of local residents, criticized by many citizens.

Two real problems.

M^me Martinez Ferrada will have another hundred days to type on this nail, by voting of November 2. And, who knows, perhaps specifying his argument on “security” …

The fact remains that the former federal minister of Hochelaga succeeded with his declaration on Monday. however controversial it is: to be talked about. The politician still has a steep slope to climb to increase her notoriety, just like her opponent Luc Rabouin.

This is not the only common point of the two candidates: their electoral commitments are funny, so far.

Luc Rabouin intends to accelerate the issuance of permits. improve the efficiency of the municipal apparatus and create new financial tools to stimulate the construction of housing.

His opponent too.

The current mayor of Plateau-Mont-Royal repeats having a “pragmatic” vision. He says he wants to do more with the city’s current levers, to less depend on higher government orders. He wants to refocus on the provision of quality basic services. Take the crises of housing and roaming. Energize the economy.

Rebelote: her competitor recommends all that too.

Without invoking the security aspect, Luc Rabouin also recognized this week that fixes could be made to the cycle network.

Another similarity: many new montreal town hall | towards candidates could have appeared both in one and the other of the two training courses. The example of the Plateau, a Fort de Projet Montréal castle, is evocative.

Jean Beaudoin will seek the town hall there under the Montreal overall colors. This architect and engineer worked in the pedestrianization of Avenue du Mont-Royal. He wishes to order a study on mobility. to make the movements of all the users more fluid in the neighborhood, both on foot and by bike or by car.

Not exactly a cantor of all-the-car…

As for the project of Project Montreal in the set. Cathy Wong, she was first elected in 2017 … in the party of Denis Coderre. She changed camps in 2019.

White hat, white Bonnet?

It is montreal town hall | towards a big snapshot as the earth: the result of the next election will be played on the ground. It will be an uninterrupted door-to-door case, diligent visits to community events and perpetual hand-like.

The two candidates will have a lot to do to demonstrate what distinguishes them, in the end. As much which distinguishes them from each other as what distinguishes them from their predecessors.

Rabouin drags with him the inheritance of Valérie Plante. and Martinez Ferrada, that of Denis Coderre, which could complicate their task.

We will have to expect burning struggles in several boroughs. In 2021. the gap had been barely 31 votes at the town hall of Outremont, from 135 to Rivière-des-Prairies-POINTE-AUX-TREMBLES, from 161 in Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce…

And that is without counting on the emergence of a montreal town hall | towards third training: Transition Montréal.

The young party has a new leader in July, Craig saved. This former Montreal project tried to be elected to the Federal under the Banner of the NDP in Lasalle – Émard – Verdun. last April. (He finished fourth.)

Transition Montreal is placed on the left of Project Montreal on certain issues, such as the taxation of the rich landowners. But it also targets the center by militating for more flexible regulations on noise. And he even draws a little right by proposing montreal town hall | towards the creation of Infra-Montreal, to save public funds in road works.

The training is embryonic. The degree of enthusiasm of voters, difficult to predict. But it should be remembered that a third party. Montreal Movement of Balarama Holness, had collected 7 % of the votes in the last ballot. It is not negligible when the margins are tight.

It heats up, it activates, it frogs, and the campaign is not officially launched. Start of the race: September 19.

1. Read the article “Martinez Ferrada wants to review the entire cycle network” 2. Read the Chronicle of Philippe Mercure “Cyclists’ safety, really? »»