Roger-Luc Chayer (Photo : Josie Desmarais/Métro)
Robert Beaudry, Eight Years Leading the Saint-Jacques District
Robert Beaudry was the councillor of the Saint-Jacques district, in the Ville-Marie borough, for eight years, as well as a member of the executive committee of the City of Montreal during the same period. He was responsible for several major social issues, including homelessness and the Gay Village. He was defeated in the 2025 municipal election, first by 13 votes, then, after a judicial recount, by about ten additional votes.
The Complicity with Valérie Plante’s Doctrine
He was mainly the accomplice of the doctrine of former mayor Valérie Plante, a political stance whose effect was to weaken Montreal, harm its economy, and sacrifice the Gay Village to the point that it is now only a shadow of what it once was and represented.
A Record Marked by Arrogance and Silence
Where Robert Beaudry must bear the burden of eight years of failed municipal management is in the arrogance that was reproached to him from all sides in response to the concerns of citizens, merchants, and entrepreneurs.
For eight years, no one at Gay Globe Media was able to obtain a single interview with him. Yet we represent an audience directly connected to the Gay Village, his district, and we had many concerns to raise with him, as well as essential questions to try to understand why the Village experienced such decline during his terms. No luck: complete silence, no comment.
But Robert Beaudry was paid from public funds — wouldn’t it have been normal for him to answer questions from that same public?
Repetitive Responses in the Face of Crises
I was nevertheless able to attend a few of Beaudry’s press conferences over the years, especially those addressing citizens’ dissatisfaction regarding homelessness, the housing crisis, street gangs on Sainte-Catherine, insecurity in the Village, the permanent filth, and incivilities on all sides. And each time, no matter the question, the answer was the same, as if he had a recording prepared and just had to press “play” to play it.
His usual responses consisted of acknowledging the problems but reframing them primarily as linked to a lack of structural resources; he defended a pragmatic approach based on the development of services, while affirming that dismantling camps could be necessary, but always with a humane and non-punitive dimension.
Irregularities in the Saint-Jacques Election
There were serious irregularities in the election in the Saint-Jacques district, notably the publication of the wrong voting office address on the Élections Montréal website for a large portion of voters from the East end of the Village, forcing them to go elsewhere even though there were no buses or metro access. It is easy to say that the result would have been much more decisive if all voters had been able to vote. Elementary…
A New Start for Montreal
One clear fact remains: Montrealers have gotten rid of Projet Montréal, Luc Rabouin, and Robert Beaudry. Now, the only task left is to overcome the consequences of their political decisions. This will take time, but it is not the first crisis Montrealers have had to face.
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