Montreal North candidates promise better public security, recreation
A community hit hard by the pandemic, and reeling from recent incidents of gun violence, Montreal North election candidates say the borough needs a strong voice in council.
Even on a rain-soaked weekend, mayor-hopefuls hit the pavement Saturday in an effort to garner support in their neighbourhoods.
“The citizens of Montreal-Nord need proactive teams that listen to them,” said Ensemble Montreal candidate Christine Black, a former youth support worker and incumbent mayor.
She’s betting her re-election, in part, on vows to build a new sports centre, as well as improving road safety and parks -- she blames Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante for delays. She also vowed to build more social housing.
Montreal North was one of the hardest hit communities in the country by the pandemic, and vaccinations rates lagged behind other areas.
Projet Montreal candidate Will Prosper says the borough could’ve handled the pandemic better.
“We were the epicenter of COVID-19 in all of Canada,” he said. “Our organization [was the first] to go and distribute mask and healthcare to the population,”
Prosper co-founded the youth group Hoodstock after police shot and killed Fredy Villanueva in 2008.
In the face of several apparent instances of gang violence, he wants more funding for youth services and additional resources for police.
“Right now, we're investing in adding social workers who understand the realities of people with mental issues to be the first responders,” he said. “I think that's huge progress from what we've seen in the past”
His candidacy hasn't been without controversy, however. Prosper was forced to resign from the RCMP for disciplinary reasons over 20 years ago, it was recently revealed.
Another candidate, Mouvement Montreal's Carl-Henry Jean-Francois, is presenting himself as an alternative. He says previous administrations haven’t done enough to address long-standing issues within the community.
In the past, Jean-Francois has blamed a rise in gun violence in the borough on inaction from Black and former mayor Denis Coderre’s administration, specifically their “failure to invest in urban youth in Montreal North.”
“We’re going to come, and we're going to work on the problems,” he said Saturday.
All three agreed that, whoever is in power after the Nov. 7 vote, the administration should allocate more resources to police and recreational facilities.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.