Pointe-Claire city council asks Quebec for help to solve dysfunction
Like its iconic windmill on Montreal's West Island, a majority of the municipality of Pointe-Claire's elected officials say its city council is broken.
"Things aren't working properly," said city councillor Eric Stork. "Issues aren't being resolved. There's tension. We can't meet."
In a special council meeting on Tuesday night, Pointe-Claire city councillors voted seven to two in favour of asking Quebec's Ministry of Municipal Affairs for help.
"Let them come in, look at us, determine what our problems are, and give us a path moving forward," said Stork.
"The only means left is to have the government, the provincial government, come in and see for themselves," said city councillor Brent Cowan.
Another city councillor, Bruno Tremblay, and Pointe-Claire Mayor Tim Thomas voted against the motion.
Thomas believes the 2025 municipal election will be the ultimate resolution.
"In the meantime, I think this will bring some disrepute to Pointe-Claire, which has been a proud political actor on the provincial and municipal stage," said Thomas.
The motion asks Quebec to identify the nature of the problems and propose an action plan to improve the general functioning of the city.
In cases like this, experts say the province is known to intervene quickly, and councillors say it could be as simple as a few modifications or a trusteeship.
"I'm worried that we lose control or actual control of the city is taken over by higher level of government," said Thomas. "That concerns me because this city doesn't deserve it."
Some residents at Tuesday's meeting argue something needs to be done about the council's decorum.
One told CTV News that there has been a lot of dysfunction and disrespect on council.
City councillors say they expect Pointe-Claire to send a letter with demands to the ministry soon.
The ministry told CTV News in an email that it is looking into the case.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot in assassination attempt, shocking Europe before elections
Slovakia's populist prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday after a political event in an attempted assassination that shocked the small country and reverberated across Europe.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge slammed into a bridge pillar in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a smaller and separate island that is home to a university, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION If you think you can’t focus for long, you’re right: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.