Longtime Montreal city councillor Marvin Rotrand not running for re-election
Longtime Montreal city councillor Marvin Rotrand says he will not be seeking reelection this coming November, after almost four decades in politics.
Rotrand states he is now a grandfather and wants to spend more time with his family.
“I used to say I work eight days a week, but now that I'm getting older, I'm working seven days a week,” quips the 70-year-old.
Rotrand is the city's longest-serving councillor, having spent the last 39 years representing the west-end district of Snowdon under eight different mayors.
He says he plans to throw his support behind his "once nemesis" Denis Coderre and endorse Lionel Perez for borough mayor of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce-Côte-des-Neiges.
Mayor Valérie Plante and her Projet Montréal party, he insists, are too ideological.
Rotrand first entered politics in 1982, when he was part of a group that founded the Montreal citizen's movement. They would go on to help elect Jean Doré as mayor in 1986.
During his time in office, Rotrand has become a lightning rod for social causes.
“I've tried to represent the point of view of my constituents more than the point of view of my party at any time and I think people have come to welcome that,” he said, adding he has always despised the "party affiliation" political structure.
“We are the most confrontational, the least collegial, rigid party position. If one party says black, the other says white,” he notes. “It's destructive, it empowers too few people at the top.”
Rotrand admits he envies how Toronto does things -- there are no political parties and everyone is considered independent.
“I'm progressive. I admit that, but I'm pragmatic also and I believe people work hard for their living and the city as such can't do too much at one time with their tax dollars,” he states.
His greatest political achievement, he believes, is forcing Montreal police to be held accountable for its actions by pushing for the creation of the police ethics commission.
While Rotrand won't say what he plans to do in retirement, the life-long activist admits he will likely stay involved in social issues.
He says he plans to keep his position until the official transition of power on November 18.
That will give him a chance to send his Christmas cards from City Hall for the last time before taking some time off.
“Just a few days,” he insists.
The municipal election in Montreal will take place on Nov. 7.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.