Residents on the western side of Montreal are gearing up for a fight against Elections Quebec over changes to the electoral map.
On March 2 the provincial agency announced it will merge the ridings of Mount Royal and Outremont, and make substantial changes to other nearby ridings.
Montreal city councillor Marvin Rotrand was one of the leaders at a packed meeting Tuesday night calling the move unfair, and discriminatory to anglophones and other minority communities.
"They're taking away minority voices by fusing urban ridings that are largely anglophone, allophone, with large numbers of visible minorities, reducing our weight at the National Assembly," said Rotrand.
Many of the people attending the meeting felt the same way.
"The anglo population is being marginalized and the rural Quebec population is being increased in their effect on the vote," said Greg Butt.
Rotrand said the new ridings will also include many more voters than the provincial average, while some ridings that were untouched have fewer voters than the legal minimum.
"There was a similar case in Nova Scotia about minority language rights and the court overthrew the election map," said Rotrand.
Former MP Marlene Jennings agrees with Rotrand.
"I'm appalled, I'm simply appalled. And in my view it's a continuing behaviour on the part of our provincial government... of trying to minimize the impact of the English-speaking minority and the ethnic vote," said Jennings.
Political leaders at the meeting believe they have a good case for a legal battle, and they are seeking public support.
"We need to go to court, and we need to put our money where our mouth is," said Jennings.
She is calling for people to donate money toward a committee launching a legal challenge.
Several residents said they were willing to do so.
"If we have to go to court we go to court. If they need some money then we give some money," said Hensy Fernandez.
