Opinion by Roger-Luc Chayer (Image : Radio-Canada)
Last night, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Radio-Canada presented a Montreal Mayoral Debate 2025 bringing together the four main party leaders ahead of the Montreal municipal election on November 2, hosted by journalist Patrice Roy.
Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Gilbert Thibodeau, Craig Sauvé, and Luc Rabouin were questioned on several topics related to Montreal municipal affairs and were able to demonstrate their mastery of city governance.
Of course, the conclusions that can be drawn are a matter of personal opinion for voters, but specific facts were observed for each candidate. Gay Globe presents a detailed summary here.
Patrice Roy and Radio-Canada
Patrice Roy and Radio-Canada were criticized for not covering several important topics. Gilbert Thibodeau stated this morning on his Facebook page that he would have liked to discuss poverty, the budget, and housing in greater depth, but it should be understood that the debate lasted only one hour, and there were still four political visions to explain during this short time across multiple topics.
It is fair to say, however, that Patrice Roy, despite apparently enjoying the gravitas that comes with being a news anchor at Radio-Canada, is not known for providing well-researched analysis or prompting deep reflection. He is a master at playing with his pencil to give depth to sometimes trivial questions. This is Radio-Canada’s choice, and nothing can be done about it.
That said, the four candidates were very interesting, except perhaps for Mr. Craig Sauvé of Transition Montreal, who turned out to be a clone of Projet Montréal under Valérie Plante. Not only did he announce absolutely nothing new yesterday, but he also insisted that he wanted to go even further than Projet Montréal by adding bike lanes and modifying the size of orange cones to make them less visible. Same position as Luc Rabouin, by the way. Apart from highlighting that he is a career politician, he was the candidate who spoke the least, acting as a sort of extra in a debate that overwhelmed him.
Soraya Martinez Ferrada – Ensemble Montréal
In my opinion, the clear winner of yesterday’s debate was the Ensemble Montréal candidate, who impressed me even more than usual with her extensive knowledge and mastery of Montreal municipal issues. Having served as a city councillor, federal MP, and federal minister, she has a comprehensive understanding of all levels of decision-making, both at the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec, which is certainly an asset for someone who intends to tackle the numerous crises affecting the Quebec metropolis head-on.
Soraya Martinez Ferrada was able to answer all questions, not only by providing concrete solutions to the problems presented to her but also by frequently challenging Luc Rabouin of Projet Montréal, the party currently in power in Montreal for the past eight years with Mayor Valérie Plante. She did so meticulously, explaining why the current administration had made certain mistakes and what different decisions should have been taken.
She even tried to explain to Luc Rabouin that Montreal was wealthier than he believed, thanks to existing programs that have been left unused by the current administration. She was measured while being very strong in her explanations, never raising her voice, and displaying a refreshingly humorous style that I had not known from her before.
Gilbert Thibodeau – Action Montréal
The leader of Action Montréal presented interesting facts and questioned the current administration, including Luc Rabouin of Projet Montréal, illustrating his points with concrete examples. He often supported ideas defended by Soraya Martinez Ferrada, pointing out each time that certain Ensemble Montréal proposals had been borrowed from his party’s program, Action Montréal. After a while, the Ensemble Montréal leader responded with humor and kindness that the world existed and the Earth rotated long before Gilbert Thibodeau entered Montreal politics, which made the other candidates laugh.
Several interesting points were raised by Mr. Thibodeau and deserve follow-up after the election. He advocated a series of proposals aimed at reducing costs for citizens and simplifying municipal management. He first stated that the « 20-20-20 » standard had slowed real estate growth in Montreal and called for its abolition. He then criticized the biweekly garbage collection in some neighborhoods, which he deemed inadequate. Concerned about Montrealers’ purchasing power, he promised to freeze municipal taxes for an entire term, assuring that « Montrealers will have more money in their pockets. » He also proposed capping hourly parking at $2 across the island and limiting annual parking passes to $50.
An unusual act occurred during the debate by Gilbert Thibodeau, as he sought to confront the Ensemble Montréal candidate regarding a deposit required from her tenants and the mention of her studies on her website, in an apparent attempt to damage Ms. Martinez Ferrada’s reputation.
Gilbert Thibodeau himself had sparked controversy in September 2024 by claiming that Geoff Molson, president of the Montreal Canadiens, supported his candidacy. This statement was denied by the Groupe CH, which labeled it as “fake news.” In 2013, he had unsuccessfully attempted to become mayor of the Plateau with Denis Coderre’s team, which later became Soraya’s Ensemble Montréal party.
Luc Rabouin – Projet Montréal
The leader of Projet Montréal and heir to Valérie Plante’s political dynasty started from a very difficult position, with eight years of managing Montreal according to his party’s vision, marked by dogmatism that lost its way and had catastrophic effects on several sectors: economy, mobility, housing, cleanliness, and the homelessness crisis.
He tried, with difficulty, to dissociate himself from Valérie Plante and past decisions by announcing certain elements of his program, but he chose to position himself in continuity, while his biggest project, if elected mayor of Montreal, would be to modify the size of orange cones to reduce their visual impact on Montrealers.
To all questions asked, Mr. Rabouin was unable to provide answers or propose more than what had been done or omitted over the past eight years, using a carefully honed political language that could serve as a beam for a Montreal skyscraper.
What shocked me most was his response to Patrice Roy’s question about Montreal being in a worse overall situation than before his party came to power eight years ago. Rather than making amends, he simply said Montreal was not the only major city in the world facing similar problems. A shocking response that did nothing to help him, as he should know that Montreal is not San Francisco or Paris and is not obliged to follow the world’s bad examples to claim membership in the exclusive club of major international cities.
A Noticeable and Remarkable Absence in the Debate
Unfortunately, a major absence from the debate, the Montreal Gay Village, was not mentioned in the candidates’ comments nor in Patrice Roy’s questions. And yet!
The Gay Village and the Ville-Marie Montreal borough concentrate a large share of the crises shaking Montreal due to their urban density, central role in the economic and cultural life of the metropolis, and the social diversity that coexists there. These neighborhoods host a mixed population of permanent residents, workers, tourists, and vulnerable communities, amplifying the impact of issues related to mobility, housing, and public safety.
Rising rents, a shortage of affordable housing, and pressure on municipal services hit these areas particularly hard, already marked by intense commercial activity and a saturated transport network. Moreover, the concentration of social services and infrastructure for vulnerable populations, combined with constant media exposure, heightens both the perception and reality of the crises, making the Gay Village and Ville-Marie highly visible showcases.
NOTHING was proposed to address the difficulties faced in the Gay Village, and this was a mistake in my opinion, as the Village is the perfect example of what went most wrong under Projet Montréal – Valérie Plante and Luc Rabouin. Turning a blind eye to this reality was ultimately very discouraging. There are a few days left in the election campaign; let’s hope the topic is addressed specifically. The Village is the crucible of all possible solutions – let’s not forget that.
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