Montreal municipal candidates debate greener options for Chinatown
Green space and access to recreation was a central issue for residents at Saturday's municipal election debate, where candidates from four parties went head-to-head to gain supporters within the neighbourhood.
The subject of the debate was Chinatown. Specifically, how the parties aim to address anti-Asian racism and new property development that could threaten the neighbourhood’s historic character.
About 60 people attended the debate inside the Chinese Community and Cultural Centre of Montreal.
For those who couldn't attend, a livestreamed version of the debate is available on the organizer's social media page.
Candidates from four parties attended: Balarama Holness of Mouvement Montréal, Robert Beaudry of Projet Montréal, Aref Salem of Ensemble Montreal, and Robert Souvigny of Action Montréal.
Holness, for his part, was the only mayoral candidate to attend the debate.
Each candidate offered their own takes on how to improve access to green space for those living in and around Chinatown.
“We need to address territorial disparities,” said Holness. “What that means is there are fewer green spaces in low-income areas.
“We want to make sure that access to leisure, sports, recreation, and green spaces are put in place,” he said.
Some candidates suggested more creative options to increase green space.
“Maybe closing the Ville-Marie expressway where it is and putting a park on top of it,” said Sevigny.
“We know that we cannot develop the city without having green roofs anymore,” said Salem, who pointed to urban agriculture company Lufa Farms, which has built rooftop farms in Ville Saint-Laurent, as a blueprint to what could be implemented elsewhere in Montreal.
“Every single project that’s going to pass through the city is going to have a climate risk test,” said Baudry.
On the subject of zoning laws and infrustructure, Holness pledged to repair all community buildings and sidewalks that need it. He also vowed to consult all Chinese working groups and community organizations on "anything built here."
"That will be crucial in maintaining the cultural integrity of Chinatown."
Action Montreal's candidate committed to reducing commercial taxes within the next four years, though they could not say by how much.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.