Coderre points to experience while Holness emphasizes new ideas on the campaign trail
Montreal mayoral candidate Denis Coderre and his Ensemble Montreal party kicked off its summer campaign on Sunday by unveiling a slate of candidates who will run in November's election.
At the Verdun event, nine candidates who will run in Ahuntsic-Cartierville, St-Leonard, Ville-Marie, Pointe-Aux-Trembles and Verdun were announced.
“We need experience. We need people who know what to do with the management. We need people who will be able to work with the bureaucracy,” said Coderre.
The once and possibly future mayor of Montreal said experience was key in finding candidates for Ensemble Montreal.
“We have people from the restaurant level, from enterprises, community level, sports, culture,” he said. “This is a greaty diversity. We don't study diversity, we are diversity.”
Also on the campaign trail was one of Coderre's opponents, also seeking to unseat incumbent Valerie Plante. Balarama Holness, the former Montreal Alouette and a community activist, said his Movement Montreal is “the only party that actually reflects the diversity of Montreal and that's something we're very proud of.”
Holness pitched himself as a salve for Montrealers who are sick of the Plante versus Coderre debate. The latter two ran against each other four years ago, with Plante emerging victorious over the then-mayor.
Holness said his party is one of big ideas, such as making Montreal a bilingual city and changing bylaws to increase social housing.
“We have a tremendous amount of support from all Montrealers,” he said. “They are telling us something very, very clear. We do not want to go back to the Plante/Coderre era.”
However, Holness admitted to facing a challenge in getting people to know his name in a field dominated by current and former mayors.
“Once I am on the debate stage with Valerie Plante and Denis Coderre and we are speaking about policy, we are speaking about Montrealers, that is when the game is going to change,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Asking rent prices up 9.3% across Canada, Ontario sees only decline: report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Mexico's president accuses press and volunteer searchers for missing people of 'necrophilia'
The administration of Mexico's president has accused the press and volunteer searchers who look for the bodies of missing people of 'necrophilia,' comments that drew criticism this week.
WATCH Expecting an interest rate cut in June? Don't bet on it after new jobs data
Canada's labour market rebounded in April, adding more than 90,000 jobs, a staggering number of new positions after four consecutive months of little change.
Out-of-control wildfire burning near Fort McMurray
As of 9 a.m. on Friday, the wildfire burning 28 kilometres southwest of the northeastern Alberta city was 25 hectares in size.
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.