Young voters the focus as Montreal mayoral candidates debate
Four mayoral candidates took part in a debate Tuesday night with a focus on young Montrealers.
Presented by six local youth organizations, the debate at the University of Montreal welcomed anyone running for mayor of Montreal. Of the 10 candidates on the ballot, four took part.
It was an unusual format: the candidates took the stage individually, answering moderator questions without any interaction with their opponents. There were several youth-oriented themes, but the questions for each candidate varied.
On the issue of affordable housing, Projet Montreal’s Valerie Plante called it a huge challenge for all major cities.
“In our next mandate we've already announced there will be 2,000 units for students,” she said, promising those units will be affordable.
Denis Coderre of Ensemble Montreal highlighted similar goals from his platform.
“We're talking about a goal of 2,000 student units and when we talk about student housing, it's also families, so it's housing with three apartments,” he said.
But Balarama Holness on Mouvement Montreal said with nearly 200,000 students in Montreal, a few thousand units won't cut it.
He promised to fix loopholes in Projet Montreal's housing regulation to make housing more affordable.
When asked about mobility, Holness promised free rides on the STM.
“Over a period of 10 years, we'll ensure the STM is free for the population,” he said, adding he believes it will cost $500 million per year.
Plante highlighted collective transportation improvements already in the works, including the REM and the extension of the metro’s Blue line. Coderre also pointed to the need to complete the Blue line.
Mayoral hopeful Gilbert Thibodeau of Action Montreal went in a different direction, saying he'd expand Yellow and Orange metro lines.
“There's a colour that exists and it's Yellow and Orange and my intention would be to finish the loop,” he told voters.
The candidates all agreed on one issue: the importance of young people engaging in local politics and casting their vote.
Municipal elections are on Nov. 7. Details on how to register to vote are here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.