Will Michel Leblanc enter the race for mayor of Montreal in 2025? Wednesday, on the sidelines of a speech by Mayor Valérie Plante to business people, the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM) did not close the door to a possible candidacy. In the meantime, the business community is worried about the fate of the city center, the housing crisis and fluidity issues, he said.
Valérie Plante was invited by the CCMM to talk about the major economic issues facing the metropolis. At the end of a speech in which she reviewed the City’s projects, notably the Montreal Urban Planning and Mobility Plan (PUM) and the massive investments in underground infrastructure, and addressed less glorious episodes, such as the intervention of the Fire Safety Service to close the terraces on Peel Street in the middle of the Grand Prix weekend, she spoke with Michel Leblanc.
On the issue of the fluidity of automobile traffic which concerns the economic community, Valérie Plante insisted on the importance of encouraging active travel. “I’m not in a car war. Absolutely not,” she replied to Michel Leblanc who asked her about mobility. “But it’s not true that in 50 years, the city will be like it is today. It’s impossible because we’re going to have more and more people. »
Michel Leblanc also spoke of the growth in homelessness and the decline in the feeling of security for families and workers who frequent the city center and expressed the concern of business people about the future of Montreal. “I do not want to minimize the concerns […], but it is impressive to what extent Montreal is valued and validated elsewhere in the world,” retorted the mayor, praising the attractions of Montreal as a university city and the presence of a qualified workforce. “We are in a good position. »
Michel Leblanc hardly seemed satisfied with the mayor’s comments. “We clearly see that from the City’s point of view, the housing crisis is largely due to social and affordable housing. But what I hear are private entrepreneurs who are having difficulty starting their projects,” explained Mr. Leblanc during a press scrum following his exchange with Valérie Plante. “On the question of fluidity, I have not heard many responses that provide reassurance. On the issue of cleanliness in the city center — it was raised by many visitors recently — I don’t see any new solution emerging. »
The name of Michel Leblanc has been circulating for months as a potential candidate for mayor of Montreal. Asked about his intentions on Wednesday, he remained cautious. “I am not making political positioning,” he assured, specifying that his role was to present the concerns of economic Montreal to the mayor,” he maintained. “I don’t plan, I don’t want to get into politics. This is one of the questions that have been asked since I arrived in this role 15 years ago. [de président de la CCMM]. »
“It would be a lie to say that for 15 years, moments have not come to me — we had a mayor who was called [Michael] Applebaum. We had a mayor who was called [Laurent] Blanchard — where I happened to say, “My God, maybe I would do a better job,” he added.