Police investigate anonymous flyers amid hotly contested mayoral race in Cote St-Luc
A hotly contested mayoral race playing out in the Montreal suburb of Cote St-Luc has become so negative that police are now involved.
Anonymous letters some are describing as intimidating have been mailed to residents.
“[It’s] very, very uncomfortable,” said incumbent mayor Mitchell Brownstein. “There's no place for that in our society.”
Seeking a third mandate, Brownstein said the tone of this election feels very nasty compared to past races.
He said at least five different anonymous, unsigned flyers have been mailed to some residents within the last year. The most recent was also shared in a local Facebook group.
The latest letter attacks Brownstein's character and leadership on everything from COVID-19 to transparency and claims he cares more about his image than his constituents.
It's unclear how many of the flyers were distributed, but Brownstein says some constituents and his staff find it intimidating.
He gave the letter to Montreal police and also to Elections Quebec to determine if it violates election rules.
“It's very difficult for someone in political life to deal with social media and then have to deal with anonymous flyers attacking one's reputation,” he said.
Brownstein's opponent, Cote St-Luc city councillor David Tordjman, agrees it's been a divisive campaign.
“There are issues of transparency, how we spend taxpayer money, and our investment in our infrastructure,” he said.
Tordjman said that neither he nor anyone on his team is responsible for the flyers.
“Everything that comes from my team has our name on it,” he said. “Everything that I say is about our policies.”
Tordjman said he believes the flyers may have come from an angry voter.
“It's unfortunate that letters like these have to go out, that people feel they don't have a voice and they can't say these things," he said, "but we denounce it."
Tordjman said so far no one from Montreal police or Elections Quebec has contacted him.
Montreal police confirmed, though, that they're looking into the matter. Elections Quebec won't confirm or deny whether they are also investigating.
“I only know it's from someone who doesn't want me as mayor, and I have to leave it to the police to determine where it's coming from,” said Brownstein.
Municipal elections are on Nov. 7.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.