Elections in Montreal | Ten newcomers to the municipal scene

Beyond the re-election of Valérie Plante, the end of the Montreal electoral campaign also marks the arrival on the scene of many new faces at City Hall. Press introduces you to 10 of these new personalities, some of whom could quickly gain traction.

Henri Ouellette-Vézina
Press

Laurence Parent, Project Montreal

Known for her involvement in defending the rights of people with disabilities in Montreal, Laurence Parent made a sensational entry onto the municipal scene, garnering more than 80% of the votes in the De Lorimier district, in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, 100% owned by Projet Montreal. M^me Parent had also sat on the board of directors of the STM for four years, in addition to campaigning with municipal authorities for greater universal accessibility.

Serge Sasseville, Ensemble Montreal

Former Quebecor vice-president of corporate and institutional affairs Serge Sasseville won his bet in the Peter-McGill district, winning by 164 votes against Project Montreal candidate Daniel Tran, manager in the health network. Mr. Sasseville, who will be in his first steps in politics, will however have to deal with a borough council coming mainly from Projet Montreal, in a borough led de facto by the mayor Valérie Plante.

Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, Project Montreal

A nurse by profession, the new mayor of Côte-des-Neiges – Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, entered the political scene after a long suspense. In this borough – the most populous on the island – ex-opposition leader Lionel Perez was ahead for a while, before seeing Mr.^me Kasoki Katahwa take the lead in earnest, towards the end of the count. She finally won by 177 votes, becoming the first black mayor of Montreal. However, a judicial recount is not excluded in the coming days.

Laurent Desbois, Ensemble Montreal

The economist Laurent Desbois, who has more than 10 years of experience at the Caisse de dépôt, also managed to dislodge the outgoing mayor Philippe Tomlinson as mayor of Outremont. He was originally a member of the local Citoyens d’Outremont party, but it allied with the Coderre team in June. However, a judicial recount is not excluded in the borough either, Mr. Desbois having won only by twenty votes. He will retain the majority, but two advisers from Projet Montréal will remain in office.

Daphney Colin, Project Montreal

Further east, in the Pointe-aux-Prairies district, lawyer Daphney Colin has managed to carve out a post of borough councilor, winning by just over 120 votes over her closest rival. , nurse Patrick Laliberté, from Ensemble Montréal. Involved with Mayor Plante’s party for a few years, particularly in support of elected officials, Mr.^me Colin is, however, in his first steps in active politics. Along with Gracia Kasoki Katahwa and others, she is also part of a group of many black women who have been elected in Greater Montreal.

Vana Nazarian, Ensemble Montreal

Committed for a decade in the political sphere – especially with provincial and municipal cabinets -, Vana Nazarian also led for the first time a campaign with her name on the bulletin. She entered the municipal council as a councilor in the Côte-de-Liesse district in Saint-Laurent, after having easily won by more than 2,700 votes. On social networks, the young woman in her thirties revealed “to start this great adventure in the most unexpected circumstances”, she who gave birth last Thursday, two days before the vote.

Julie Roy, Project Montreal

The one who was until now responsible for mobilization for the David Suzuki Foundation, Julie Roy, caused some surprise on Sunday by winning by more than 500 votes against the outgoing councilor in Saint-Sulpice, Hadrien Parizeau. Passed by Oxfam-Québec and Greenpeace, M^me Roy is also co-author of the ecological book Tomorrow, Quebec, published by Éditions La Presse in 2018, with Karel Mayrand, Louise Hénault-Éthier and Diego Creimer. For her debut, the young woman will have free rein, with a borough council with a strong majority for Projet Montreal.

Stéphanie Valenzuela, Ensemble Montreal

Described as a “first generation Filipino-Canadian,” the director of communications of the Philippine Heritage Society of Montreal, Stéphanie Valenzuela, managed to win the Darlington district in Côte-des-Neiges – Notre by 1600 votes. -Dame-de-Grâce, who until now belonged to opposition leader Lionel Perez, who was defeated as mayor by Gracia Kasoki Katahwa. M^me Valenzuela will however have only one ally who has also just been elected in the borough: Sonny Moroz, a former close associate of the federal deputy for Mount Royal, Anthony Housefather.

Vicki Grondin, Project Montreal

In Lachine, the former spokesperson for the Réclame ta rive collective Vicki Grondin won Sunday by nearly 2,000 votes. In the public arena, M^me Grondin became known through his involvement in the marina file, which Projet Montréal wants to transform into a new park on Lake Saint-Louis, to make the shores more accessible, a project that his group supported. At the borough’s town hall, his opponent Josée Côté, who was the spokesperson for the Association of boaters, failed to dislodge outgoing mayor Maja Vodanovic, of Projet Montréal.

Alba Ramos, Ensemble Montreal

In Mercier – Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, the Louis-Riel district, which was until now occupied by Karine Boivin-Roy, defeated as mayor of the borough, will now be represented by immigration lawyer Alba Stella Zúñiga Ramos, originally from Colombia. Unknown to the general public, M^me Ramos has nonetheless been involved with the party for some time now, having notably been political attaché and liaison officer for elected officials in the last term.