'Ideological' divide between Montreal and the CAQ: analyst
Of the 90 seats the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) won in the Quebec election, only two came from the province's largest city.
It appears Montreal really is an island, in every sense of the word -- and now, in the wake of the election, there's concern the city won't be a priority in the re-elected government.
"There is a sense that [the CAQ doesn't] need Montreal and a sense, on the part of Montrealers, that they feel alienated," McGill University political analyst Daniel Beland told CTV News.
The party won just two seats out of a possibly 27 in Montreal; CAQ candidate Karine Boivin Roy was victorious in Anjou—Louis-Riel, while Chantal Rouleau won her seat in Pointe-Aux-Trembles.
Despite these low numbers, party leader and premier Francois Legault has defended his relationship with the city.
"I think we had a good relationship with the mayor, and we worked hard for Montreal," Francois Legault told reporters last week.
"We have to remember that I'm from Montreal," he added. "I know how important Montreal is for Quebec."
The election results on Monday meant Montreal's colourful mix of red, orange and dark blue will be in a massive sea of CAQ light blue.
Over the last four years, there have been tensions between the city and the province, notably over issues like funding the pink metro line and Bills 21 and 96 -- laws that impact religious and linguistic minorities, which have a larger presence in the metropolis.
"The divide here is also ideological. It's the divide between a progressive left-wing mayor and a centre-right premier," Beland explained.
That mayor, Valerie Plante, did acknowledge the influence of provincial political power within the city. But that influence lies within the opposition, she says.
"I feel like Montrealers wanted to be sure their priorities would be spoken by every party. When you look at it, we have three leaders of the four elected parties here in Montreal," Plante stated on Tuesday.
Liberal leader Dominique Anglade ran and won in the Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne riding; Quebec solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau Dubois won in Gouin; and Parti Quebecois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon got his seat in Camille-Laurin.
Francois Legault, meanwhile, was the only elected leader who ran outside the city, in L'Assomption, of Quebec's Lanaudiere region.
And the riding themselves are unequal, Beland noted.
The Magdalen Islands, for instance, has just over 11,000 eligible voters, while Montreal's D'Arcy McGee riding has over 55,000 -- but both ridings represent one seat in the National Assembly.
"We have a government that is region-centric and an opposition that is Montreal-centric, and that should create an interesting dynamic in the National Assembly," he said.
Legault made a point to say in his victory speech that he grew up in Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue, a suburb on the western edge of Montreal.
But with just two of his party's representatives in Montreal, there are concerns the CAQ will need to build more bridges to the island.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From AI running wild to collapsing ecosystems, government report outlines future disruptions
From artificial intelligence running wild to collapsing ecosystems, a new Canadian government report outlines 35 disruptions that could rattle the country in the near future.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Police in Ontario say suspects charged in armed home invasion near Toronto part of 'larger criminal network'
Police in Ontario say a group of suspects charged in an armed home invasion north of Toronto last year were driving a vehicle stolen in a carjacking in Calgary just one month earlier.
Stolen septic truck swerves through traffic, spike belt needed to stop it: Manitoba RCMP
A 29-year-old woman has been charged after police say she stole a septic truck from a Manitoba community and drove erratically on the highway.
Orphan orca's extended family spotted off northeast side of Vancouver Island
Members of a killer whale pod related to an orphan orca calf that escaped a remote British Columbia tidal lagoon last month have been spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.