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
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.