Six months after taking office, Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante and her Projet Montreal team took stock of their term thus far on Sunday at a convention.
Plante was elected mayor with 51 percent of the vote, and recent polls show six out of ten Montrealers are not happy with her administration.
While part of that unpopularity is due to tax hikes, Montreal Executive Committee Chairman Benoit Dorais said Montrealers will change their minds when they start seeing results.
“Obviously, it was a difficult moment for the budget but after that, we can see the results of the budget,” he said. “Our new strategy for affordable housing and all those other things.”
Plante used the convention as a chance to outline her wish list for October’s provincial election. She said she wants the city to take the lead on regulating the purchase and use of marijuana.
“We don’t want the government of Quebec to tell us how to apply the bylaw,” she said.
Plante declined to say exactly how she’d like the new pot regulations to work but said she’s willing to negotiate with the Canadian and provincial governments.
“What’s important is we’re the ones deciding how the bylaw will be applied in terms of where to use marijuana,” she said. “Is it in a public space, in a park, yes or no.”
The mayor said she plans to meet with provincial leaders as they begin their campaigns to get leverage her priorities.
“How we will redevelop some of the areas on the Island of Montreal, the east side needs lots of love and attention,” she said. “Same for the waterfronts, there are opportunities to make sure we save those lands.”
Plante added that she will also be focusing on programs to better integrate immigrants in the workforce.
