Mayor Bruno Marchand is keeping an eye on the upcoming provincial elections and hopes for a minister responsible for the region who will promote the Capitale-Nationale.
“I think there will be a reshuffle of the cards following the election. We will see who the government decides to put at the head of the Capitale-Nationale. No matter who it is going to be, I will always have the same ambitions, ”he confides in an editorial interview, on the eve of the summer holidays.
Particularly in the east of the city, in the D’Estimauville and Beauport sectors, where it is due to the development of the district, the transformation of the Dufferin-Montmorency highway into an urban boulevard and the completion of linear phase 4 of the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain.
“I want a minister who has this desire to see this capital radiate through sectors of the city and various projects that put it at the forefront. »
‘No animosity’
His relations with the current minister, Geneviève Guilbault, he describes as “good”. “We meet, we are able to talk to each other. There is no animosity. »
But no one is unaware that after the honeymoon of departure, relations got tougher, especially in the tram file, where the minister had interfered to position herself against a shared end of street.
The mayor then made a thunderous exit, demanding that the government stop interfering in municipal powers. Since then, he has “passed the towel”, he says.
A few weeks later, Ms. Guilbault said that the CAQ had never made a commitment to carry out phase 4 of the walk, before retracting a few days later.
Bruno Marchand agrees that the composition of the Council of Ministers rests in the hands of the Prime Minister.
He underlines that François Legault is on the same wavelength as him on the question of the radiation of the capital.
“I know it sincere. I’ve always heard it said that we need to make a metropolis here, a strong city, a city that develops economically and socially. I believe him, he wants this. »
Little appetite for chicanery
And among the population, these bickerings between minister and mayor do not please, he remarks.
Often, when people approach him about this, they say to him: “Thank you for standing up”, he testifies.
“People expect the mayor of Quebec to defend the city. They do not want a mayor of Quebec who is crushed and who “applaventrit”. They are proud of their city and expect us to develop it. »
tram
Support in most boroughs
Contrary to the opponents, who affirm that nobody wants the tram, Bruno Marchand underlines that 44% of support, “it is not nobody”.
“In four out of six boroughs, we are either well above 50% or on 50%. »
In Beauport and La Haute-Saint-Charles, there are still demonstrations to be done, he agrees.
And to those who think that he is playing his political career on this project, he retorts that “who cares about my career”.
“We’ll see first if I show up [à la prochaine élection]. And after that, if I run, people can decide if they want me back as mayor, but for me, that’s not even part of the calculation. »
After 72 consultation activities since his arrival, he promises to answer more specific questions this fall, particularly on access to shops.
Roaming in Saint-Roch
“We are not good enough”
The situation in Saint-Roch, with homelessness and unsightly acts that disturb residents and workers in the Lauberivière sector, is “untenable”, according to Mr. Marchand.
He who had promised in the election campaign to work to achieve zero homelessness finds that the efforts are not bearing fruit. “We are not good enough,” he drops.
According to him, more commitments are needed from players such as the CIUSSS, the government, partners and the City, which must set targets.
“In the fall, I’m going to put all my weight on it. I am not satisfied with how this file has progressed in recent months. […] We are all going to put our heads on the block and say to ourselves: we are giving ourselves two, three years” to achieve the objective.
The increase in funding will be one of his demands during the next campaign.
Hate speech and messages
We must better protect elected officials, according to the mayor
The City will add staff to better surround elected officials and filter hateful messages and remarks that citizens send them, advises the mayor.
“There are people who are disgusting,” he notes. He takes as an example the comments received by the councilor member of the executive and responsible for the tramway file, Maude Mercier Larouche.
“She gets bullied, washed, shouted names, most often by men. »
He denounces these behaviors and even says he fears for the safety of elected officials at times.
Every threat is reported to the police, he says. “I am intransigent on this. »
The inappropriate comments discourage other men and women from entering politics, he laments.