Frank Venneri
Encyclopedia
Frank Venneri is a politician in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
. He served on the Montreal city council
from 1986 to 1990, was re-elected in 1998, and has been returned to council in every election since then. Venneri is a member of mayor
Gérald Tremblay
's Union Montreal
party.
Optimist Club. He owned a men's hairstyling salon during his time out of council in the 1990s. In 1995, he spoke against a proposed municipal by-law to permit hair salons in private homes.
for the east-end François-Perrault division. Running for the progressive Montreal Citizens' Movement
(MCM), he defeated incumbent councillor Rocco Luccisano
of Civic Party of Montreal
(CPM).
Frank Venneri is a politician in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
. He served on the Montreal city council
from 1986 to 1990, was re-elected in 1998, and has been returned to council in every election since then. Venneri is a member of mayor
Gérald Tremblay
's Union Montreal
party.
Optimist Club.Ingrid Peritz, "Dore, MCM sweep to power," Montreal Gazette, 10 November 1986, A1; Robert Winters, "Who is who in the new MCM administration; MCM backbenchers will demand more say in decision-making than Drapeau-era councillors," Montreal Gazette, 15 November 1986, A4. He owned a men's hairstyling salon during his time out of council in the 1990s. In 1995, he spoke against a proposed municipal by-law to permit hair salons in private homes."City will rethink new bylaw allowing hair salons in homes," Montreal Gazette, 14 September 1995, A4; Michelle Lalonde, "Choquette runs old-style campaign," Montreal Gazette, 18 October 1994, A1.
for the east-end François-Perrault division. Running for the progressive Montreal Citizens' Movement
(MCM), he defeated incumbent councillor Rocco Luccisano
of Civic Party of Montreal
(CPM).
Frank Venneri is a politician in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
. He served on the Montreal city council
from 1986 to 1990, was re-elected in 1998, and has been returned to council in every election since then. Venneri is a member of mayor
Gérald Tremblay
's Union Montreal
party.
Optimist Club.Ingrid Peritz, "Dore, MCM sweep to power," Montreal Gazette, 10 November 1986, A1; Robert Winters, "Who is who in the new MCM administration; MCM backbenchers will demand more say in decision-making than Drapeau-era councillors," Montreal Gazette, 15 November 1986, A4. He owned a men's hairstyling salon during his time out of council in the 1990s. In 1995, he spoke against a proposed municipal by-law to permit hair salons in private homes."City will rethink new bylaw allowing hair salons in homes," Montreal Gazette, 14 September 1995, A4; Michelle Lalonde, "Choquette runs old-style campaign," Montreal Gazette, 18 October 1994, A1.
for the east-end François-Perrault division. Running for the progressive Montreal Citizens' Movement
(MCM), he defeated incumbent councillor Rocco Luccisano
of Civic Party of Montreal
(CPM).Several years later, Venneri said that he joined the MCM because of its decentralized approach to municipal government. See Lison Budzyn, "Frank Venneri : « J’ai l’âge de la retraite mais j’ai l’envie de continuer »", Journal de St-Michel, 30 September 2009, accessed 19 August 2011. The MCM won a landslide victory in this election under Jean Doré
's leadership. Venneri was initially a backbench supporter of the Doré administration and served as a city representative on the regional Montreal Urban Community
.Ingrid Peritz, "Dore, MCM sweep to power; New mayor controls 55 seats to rivals' 3," Montreal Gazette, 10 November 1986, A1; "The MICU Chief and Mayor of Montreal GDerald Tremblay [sic] presents his new team in the Villeray / Saint-Michel / Parc-Extension borough," Canada NewsWire, 21 June 2005, p. 1.
In 1987, Venneri spoke against Miron Inc.'s plans to continue operating a cement-mixing business near his ward that had long been subject to complaints about noise, pollution, and heavy traffic. Miron's original quarry site had been purchased by the city in 1984 and shut down, but, due to an administrative error, the company later received a permit to build a new factory in the same area. The Montreal executive committee
later revoked Miron's permit, but Venneri charged that the company did not immediately comply with this decision."Councillor proposes a deal to end Miron dispute," Montreal Gazette, 19 September 1987, A3; "Miron will face court action if it doesn't close, councillor warns," Montreal Gazette, 16 September 1987, A3; Clair Balfour, "What constitutes big news remains a judgment call," 13 October 1987, B3. The 19 September article includes the incorrect statement that Venneri had tried to work out a deal for Miron to receive a two-month extension on its cement operations in return for a promise to shut down the site thereafter. In fact, Venneri proposed that the company be allowed to continue its administrative office work for two months while discontinuing its cement operations immediately. The city was ultimately able to take over the site without incident, and the quarry was demolished a year later.
Venneri ran as a Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
candidate in the 1988 Canadian federal election
in the division of Papineau—Saint-Michel
. As the MCM's constitution prevented party members from running for other parties (at any level of government), he was required to resign from caucus and sit as an independent councillor."MCM splits with Tory councillor," Montreal Gazette, 13 August 1988, A4. Some political pundits believed that Venneri could win election to the Canadian House of Commons
, but he ultimately finished second against Liberal
incumbent André Ouellet
.Bertrand Marotte, "Liberals struggle to maintain hold in Montreal," Globe and Mail, 22 November 1988, C2.
Venneri did not rejoin the MCM after the federal election, and he formally severed his ties with that party in November 1989 to join the newly formed Montreal Municipal Party
(MMP)."MCM loses two councillors from its ranks," Montreal Gazette, 1 December 1989, A3. He ran under the latter party's banner in the 1990 municipal election
and was defeated by fellow incumbent Vittorio Capparelli
, an MCM councillor whose previous ward had been eliminated by redistribution.Lynn Moore, "Challenger celebrates `win over confusion'," Montreal Gazette, 5 November 1990, A4.
.Michelle Lalonde, "Leader quits, once-powerful Civic Party in tatters," Montreal Gazette, 29 June 1994, A3. The CPM was unable to find a mayoral candidate, and in August 1994 Venneri helped merge the venerable organization into the newly formed Montrealers' Party
. Venneri himself was the CPM's interim president and de facto leader in the final days of the party's existence.Michelle Lalonde, "Civic Party planning to team up with Choquette," Montreal Gazette, 29 July 1994, A3; Graeme Hamilton, "Tattered remnant of party founded by Drapeau dies Monday," Montreal Gazette, 6 August 1994, A3; Susan Semenak, "Drapeau's party disappears; Civic Party name dies in municipal merger," Montreal Gazette, 9 August 1994, A1.
Venneri ran for the Montrealers' Party in the 1994 municipal election and finished third against Vittorio Capparelli, who had by this time joined the Vision Montreal
(VM) party. The Montrealers' Party dissolved the following year, with Venneri remarking that its questionable financial strategies had doomed it from the start.Monique Beaudin and Helena Katz, "Choquette party may pull plug on itself," Montreal Gazette, 19 April 1995, A1.
in a rematch against Capparelli, who had left Vision Montreal the previous year and rejoined the MCM. Vision Montreal won a council majority, and Venneri served for the next three years as a backbench supporter of Pierre Bourque
's administration. He was re-elected in the 2001 election
for the redistributed Jean-Rivard division, as VM was defeated by Gérald Tremblay's Montreal Island Citizens Union (MICU).
In December 2003, Venneri and five other Vision Montreal councillors left Bourque's party to join MICU. This allowed Tremblay to consolidate his majority on council, and in January 2004 Venneri was named vice-chair of Montreal's finance committee.Sue Montgomery, "Tremblay gets six new councillors," Montreal Gazette, 13 December 2003, A8; Linda Gyulai, "Mayor plays the suburb card," Montreal Gazette, 26 January 2004, A4; "Tremblay purges independents: New allies on council named to committees," Montreal Gazette, 27 January 2004, A7. He was re-elected as a MICU candidate in the 2005 election
, again defeating Capparelli, who had by this time rejoined Vision Montreal. The Jean-Rivard electoral division was renamed as the François-Perrault division for this election, though it had different boundaries from the previous division of that name.
Venneri remained vice-chair of Montreal's finance committee after the election and also served on the city's committee on services to residents."City wages war on dirt," Montreal Gazette, 26 May 2006, A7. He was elected to a fifth term on council in the 2009 municipal election
, for Tremblay's renamed Union Montreal party.
By virtue of holding his city council seat, he also serves on the Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension borough council
.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served on the Montreal city council
Montreal City Council
The Montreal City Council is the governing body of Montreal, Quebec. The head of the city government in Montreal is the mayor, who is first among equals in the City Council. The mayor is Gérald Tremblay, who is a member of the Union des citoyens et des citoyennes de l'Île de Montréal...
from 1986 to 1990, was re-elected in 1998, and has been returned to council in every election since then. Venneri is a member of mayor
Mayor of Montreal
The Mayor of Montreal is head of the executive branch of Montreal City Council.The Mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and provincial laws within Montreal....
Gérald Tremblay
Gérald Tremblay
Gérald Tremblay is a Canadian politician and businessman currently serving his third term as mayor of Montreal and as president of the Montreal Metropolitan Community...
's Union Montreal
Union Montreal
Union Montreal is a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It currently governs Montreal's city government.-Origins:It was established as the Montreal Island Citizens Union in the aftermath of the province-wide municipal merger of 2001 and not long before the municipal election...
party.
Private career
Venneri owned a hairstyling salon for over two decades before his election to city council and served as president of the Saint-MichelSaint-Michel, Montreal
Saint-Michel is a neighborhood in the Montreal borough ofVilleray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension. Its boundaries corresponds to the former city of Ville Saint Michel, which was annexed to Montreal in 1968. This former independent city was known as Saint-Michel-de-Laval from its inception in 1912 to...
Optimist Club. He owned a men's hairstyling salon during his time out of council in the 1990s. In 1995, he spoke against a proposed municipal by-law to permit hair salons in private homes.
First council term (1982–86)
Venneri was first elected to council in 1986 municipal electionMontreal municipal election, 1986
The 1986 Montreal municipal election took place on November 9, 1978, to elect a mayor and city councillors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Longtime mayor Jean Drapeau did not seek re-election, and Jean Doré from the opposition Montreal Citizens' Movement was elected to the position by a significant...
for the east-end François-Perrault division. Running for the progressive Montreal Citizens' Movement
Montreal Citizens' Movement
The Montreal Citizens' Movement was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It existed from 1973 to 2001.-Origins:...
(MCM), he defeated incumbent councillor Rocco Luccisano
Rocco Luccisano
Rocco Alexander Luccisano was a politician in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was a member of the Montreal city council from 1970 to 1986, serving as a member of mayor Jean Drapeau's Civic Party.-Councillor:...
of Civic Party of Montreal
Civic Party of Montreal
The Civic Party of Montreal was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It existed from 1960 to 1994. Throughout its history the Civic Party was dominated by the personality of its leader Jean Drapeau.-Origins:...
(CPM).
Frank Venneri is a politician in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served on the Montreal city council
Montreal City Council
The Montreal City Council is the governing body of Montreal, Quebec. The head of the city government in Montreal is the mayor, who is first among equals in the City Council. The mayor is Gérald Tremblay, who is a member of the Union des citoyens et des citoyennes de l'Île de Montréal...
from 1986 to 1990, was re-elected in 1998, and has been returned to council in every election since then. Venneri is a member of mayor
Mayor of Montreal
The Mayor of Montreal is head of the executive branch of Montreal City Council.The Mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and provincial laws within Montreal....
Gérald Tremblay
Gérald Tremblay
Gérald Tremblay is a Canadian politician and businessman currently serving his third term as mayor of Montreal and as president of the Montreal Metropolitan Community...
's Union Montreal
Union Montreal
Union Montreal is a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It currently governs Montreal's city government.-Origins:It was established as the Montreal Island Citizens Union in the aftermath of the province-wide municipal merger of 2001 and not long before the municipal election...
party.
Private career
Venneri owned a hairstyling salon for over two decades before his election to city council and served as president of the Saint-MichelSaint-Michel, Montreal
Saint-Michel is a neighborhood in the Montreal borough ofVilleray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension. Its boundaries corresponds to the former city of Ville Saint Michel, which was annexed to Montreal in 1968. This former independent city was known as Saint-Michel-de-Laval from its inception in 1912 to...
Optimist Club.Ingrid Peritz, "Dore, MCM sweep to power," Montreal Gazette, 10 November 1986, A1; Robert Winters, "Who is who in the new MCM administration; MCM backbenchers will demand more say in decision-making than Drapeau-era councillors," Montreal Gazette, 15 November 1986, A4. He owned a men's hairstyling salon during his time out of council in the 1990s. In 1995, he spoke against a proposed municipal by-law to permit hair salons in private homes."City will rethink new bylaw allowing hair salons in homes," Montreal Gazette, 14 September 1995, A4; Michelle Lalonde, "Choquette runs old-style campaign," Montreal Gazette, 18 October 1994, A1.
First council term (1982–86)
Venneri was first elected to council in 1986 municipal electionMontreal municipal election, 1986
The 1986 Montreal municipal election took place on November 9, 1978, to elect a mayor and city councillors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Longtime mayor Jean Drapeau did not seek re-election, and Jean Doré from the opposition Montreal Citizens' Movement was elected to the position by a significant...
for the east-end François-Perrault division. Running for the progressive Montreal Citizens' Movement
Montreal Citizens' Movement
The Montreal Citizens' Movement was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It existed from 1973 to 2001.-Origins:...
(MCM), he defeated incumbent councillor Rocco Luccisano
Rocco Luccisano
Rocco Alexander Luccisano was a politician in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was a member of the Montreal city council from 1970 to 1986, serving as a member of mayor Jean Drapeau's Civic Party.-Councillor:...
of Civic Party of Montreal
Civic Party of Montreal
The Civic Party of Montreal was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It existed from 1960 to 1994. Throughout its history the Civic Party was dominated by the personality of its leader Jean Drapeau.-Origins:...
(CPM).
Frank Venneri is a politician in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served on the Montreal city council
Montreal City Council
The Montreal City Council is the governing body of Montreal, Quebec. The head of the city government in Montreal is the mayor, who is first among equals in the City Council. The mayor is Gérald Tremblay, who is a member of the Union des citoyens et des citoyennes de l'Île de Montréal...
from 1986 to 1990, was re-elected in 1998, and has been returned to council in every election since then. Venneri is a member of mayor
Mayor of Montreal
The Mayor of Montreal is head of the executive branch of Montreal City Council.The Mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and provincial laws within Montreal....
Gérald Tremblay
Gérald Tremblay
Gérald Tremblay is a Canadian politician and businessman currently serving his third term as mayor of Montreal and as president of the Montreal Metropolitan Community...
's Union Montreal
Union Montreal
Union Montreal is a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It currently governs Montreal's city government.-Origins:It was established as the Montreal Island Citizens Union in the aftermath of the province-wide municipal merger of 2001 and not long before the municipal election...
party.
Private career
Venneri owned a hairstyling salon for over two decades before his election to city council and served as president of the Saint-MichelSaint-Michel, Montreal
Saint-Michel is a neighborhood in the Montreal borough ofVilleray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension. Its boundaries corresponds to the former city of Ville Saint Michel, which was annexed to Montreal in 1968. This former independent city was known as Saint-Michel-de-Laval from its inception in 1912 to...
Optimist Club.Ingrid Peritz, "Dore, MCM sweep to power," Montreal Gazette, 10 November 1986, A1; Robert Winters, "Who is who in the new MCM administration; MCM backbenchers will demand more say in decision-making than Drapeau-era councillors," Montreal Gazette, 15 November 1986, A4. He owned a men's hairstyling salon during his time out of council in the 1990s. In 1995, he spoke against a proposed municipal by-law to permit hair salons in private homes."City will rethink new bylaw allowing hair salons in homes," Montreal Gazette, 14 September 1995, A4; Michelle Lalonde, "Choquette runs old-style campaign," Montreal Gazette, 18 October 1994, A1.
First council term (1982–86)
Venneri was first elected to council in 1986 municipal electionMontreal municipal election, 1986
The 1986 Montreal municipal election took place on November 9, 1978, to elect a mayor and city councillors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Longtime mayor Jean Drapeau did not seek re-election, and Jean Doré from the opposition Montreal Citizens' Movement was elected to the position by a significant...
for the east-end François-Perrault division. Running for the progressive Montreal Citizens' Movement
Montreal Citizens' Movement
The Montreal Citizens' Movement was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It existed from 1973 to 2001.-Origins:...
(MCM), he defeated incumbent councillor Rocco Luccisano
Rocco Luccisano
Rocco Alexander Luccisano was a politician in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was a member of the Montreal city council from 1970 to 1986, serving as a member of mayor Jean Drapeau's Civic Party.-Councillor:...
of Civic Party of Montreal
Civic Party of Montreal
The Civic Party of Montreal was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It existed from 1960 to 1994. Throughout its history the Civic Party was dominated by the personality of its leader Jean Drapeau.-Origins:...
(CPM).Several years later, Venneri said that he joined the MCM because of its decentralized approach to municipal government. See Lison Budzyn, "Frank Venneri : « J’ai l’âge de la retraite mais j’ai l’envie de continuer »", Journal de St-Michel, 30 September 2009, accessed 19 August 2011. The MCM won a landslide victory in this election under Jean Doré
Jean Doré
Jean Doré is a Canadian politician and former mayor of the City of Montreal, Quebec.-Background:Jean Doré studied law at the Université de Montréal, where he was president of the student union from 1967 to 1968. He received a Master's Degree of Political Science from McGill University...
's leadership. Venneri was initially a backbench supporter of the Doré administration and served as a city representative on the regional Montreal Urban Community
Montreal Urban Community
The Montreal Urban Community was a regional government that covered all municipalities that later merged into the megacity of Montreal.- History :...
.Ingrid Peritz, "Dore, MCM sweep to power; New mayor controls 55 seats to rivals' 3," Montreal Gazette, 10 November 1986, A1; "The MICU Chief and Mayor of Montreal GDerald Tremblay [sic] presents his new team in the Villeray / Saint-Michel / Parc-Extension borough," Canada NewsWire, 21 June 2005, p. 1.
In 1987, Venneri spoke against Miron Inc.'s plans to continue operating a cement-mixing business near his ward that had long been subject to complaints about noise, pollution, and heavy traffic. Miron's original quarry site had been purchased by the city in 1984 and shut down, but, due to an administrative error, the company later received a permit to build a new factory in the same area. The Montreal executive committee
Montreal Executive Committee
The Montreal Executive Committee is the executive branch of the municipal government of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The committee reports directly to city hall and is responsible for generating documents such as budgets and by-laws, which are then sent to the Montreal city council for approval...
later revoked Miron's permit, but Venneri charged that the company did not immediately comply with this decision."Councillor proposes a deal to end Miron dispute," Montreal Gazette, 19 September 1987, A3; "Miron will face court action if it doesn't close, councillor warns," Montreal Gazette, 16 September 1987, A3; Clair Balfour, "What constitutes big news remains a judgment call," 13 October 1987, B3. The 19 September article includes the incorrect statement that Venneri had tried to work out a deal for Miron to receive a two-month extension on its cement operations in return for a promise to shut down the site thereafter. In fact, Venneri proposed that the company be allowed to continue its administrative office work for two months while discontinuing its cement operations immediately. The city was ultimately able to take over the site without incident, and the quarry was demolished a year later.
Venneri ran as a Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
candidate in the 1988 Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
in the division of Papineau—Saint-Michel
Papineau (electoral district)
Papineau is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1948 to 1988 and since 2004. Its population in 2006 was 101,019....
. As the MCM's constitution prevented party members from running for other parties (at any level of government), he was required to resign from caucus and sit as an independent councillor."MCM splits with Tory councillor," Montreal Gazette, 13 August 1988, A4. Some political pundits believed that Venneri could win election to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
, but he ultimately finished second against Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
incumbent André Ouellet
André Ouellet
André Ouellet, P.C., Q.C. is a former Chairman of Canada Post, and a long time Liberal politician in Canada.First elected to the Canadian House of Commons in a 1967 by-election, Ouellet served in a number of different positions in the cabinets of Prime Ministers Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chrétien...
.Bertrand Marotte, "Liberals struggle to maintain hold in Montreal," Globe and Mail, 22 November 1988, C2.
Venneri did not rejoin the MCM after the federal election, and he formally severed his ties with that party in November 1989 to join the newly formed Montreal Municipal Party
Parti municipal de Montréal
The Parti municipal de Montréal was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1987 to 1994.-Emergence :...
(MMP)."MCM loses two councillors from its ranks," Montreal Gazette, 1 December 1989, A3. He ran under the latter party's banner in the 1990 municipal election
Montreal municipal election, 1990
The 1990 Montreal municipal election took place on November 4, 1990, to elect a mayor and city councillors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Jean Doré was elected to a second term as mayor by a significant margin....
and was defeated by fellow incumbent Vittorio Capparelli
Vittorio Capparelli
Vittorio Capparelli is a politician in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He served on the Montreal city council from 1986 to 1998 and was a member of the Montreal executive committee from 1994 to 1996.-Early life and career:...
, an MCM councillor whose previous ward had been eliminated by redistribution.Lynn Moore, "Challenger celebrates `win over confusion'," Montreal Gazette, 5 November 1990, A4.
Out of council
The MMP fell victim to internal divisions after the 1990 election, and in 1992 the party leadership announced plans to merge with the Civic Party. The merger never formally took place, but many Municipal Party members later joined the Civic Party as individuals. Venneri was among these, serving as the CPM's vice-president in an unsuccessful attempt to relaunch the in during the buildup to the 1994 municipal electionMontreal municipal election, 1994
The 1994 Montreal municipal election took place on November 6, 1994. Pierre Bourque was elected to his first term as mayor, defeating incumbent Jean Doré...
.Michelle Lalonde, "Leader quits, once-powerful Civic Party in tatters," Montreal Gazette, 29 June 1994, A3. The CPM was unable to find a mayoral candidate, and in August 1994 Venneri helped merge the venerable organization into the newly formed Montrealers' Party
Parti des Montréalais
The Parti des Montréalais was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It existed from 1993 to 1995 and won two council seats in the 1994 municipal election.-Origins:...
. Venneri himself was the CPM's interim president and de facto leader in the final days of the party's existence.Michelle Lalonde, "Civic Party planning to team up with Choquette," Montreal Gazette, 29 July 1994, A3; Graeme Hamilton, "Tattered remnant of party founded by Drapeau dies Monday," Montreal Gazette, 6 August 1994, A3; Susan Semenak, "Drapeau's party disappears; Civic Party name dies in municipal merger," Montreal Gazette, 9 August 1994, A1.
Venneri ran for the Montrealers' Party in the 1994 municipal election and finished third against Vittorio Capparelli, who had by this time joined the Vision Montreal
Vision Montreal
Vision Montreal is a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It has been in existence since 1994 and presently forms the Official opposition on Montreal City Council under leader Louise Harel.-Origins:...
(VM) party. The Montrealers' Party dissolved the following year, with Venneri remarking that its questionable financial strategies had doomed it from the start.Monique Beaudin and Helena Katz, "Choquette party may pull plug on itself," Montreal Gazette, 19 April 1995, A1.
Return to council (1998–)
Venneri was re-elected to Montreal city council as a Vision Montreal candidate in the 1998 electionMontreal municipal election, 1998
The city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada held municipal elections on November 1, 1998, to elect a mayor and city councillors. Pierre Bourque was returned to a second term as mayor against a divided opposition....
in a rematch against Capparelli, who had left Vision Montreal the previous year and rejoined the MCM. Vision Montreal won a council majority, and Venneri served for the next three years as a backbench supporter of Pierre Bourque
Pierre Bourque
Pierre Bourque, CQ is a businessman and politician in Quebec, Canada. He founded the Vision Montreal political party and served as mayor of Montreal from 1994 to 2001.-Background:...
's administration. He was re-elected in the 2001 election
Montreal municipal election, 2001
The 2001 Montreal municipal election took place on November 4, 2001, to elect a mayor and city councillors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Gérald Tremblay defeated incumbent Pierre Bourque to become mayor of the newly amalgamated city....
for the redistributed Jean-Rivard division, as VM was defeated by Gérald Tremblay's Montreal Island Citizens Union (MICU).
In December 2003, Venneri and five other Vision Montreal councillors left Bourque's party to join MICU. This allowed Tremblay to consolidate his majority on council, and in January 2004 Venneri was named vice-chair of Montreal's finance committee.Sue Montgomery, "Tremblay gets six new councillors," Montreal Gazette, 13 December 2003, A8; Linda Gyulai, "Mayor plays the suburb card," Montreal Gazette, 26 January 2004, A4; "Tremblay purges independents: New allies on council named to committees," Montreal Gazette, 27 January 2004, A7. He was re-elected as a MICU candidate in the 2005 election
Montreal municipal election, 2005
The 2005 Montreal municipal election was held on November 6, 2005, to elect a city mayor, borough mayors, city councillors, and borough councillors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
, again defeating Capparelli, who had by this time rejoined Vision Montreal. The Jean-Rivard electoral division was renamed as the François-Perrault division for this election, though it had different boundaries from the previous division of that name.
Venneri remained vice-chair of Montreal's finance committee after the election and also served on the city's committee on services to residents."City wages war on dirt," Montreal Gazette, 26 May 2006, A7. He was elected to a fifth term on council in the 2009 municipal election
Montreal municipal election, 2009
The city of Montreal, Quebec, held a municipal election at the same time as numerous other municipalities in Quebec, on November 1, 2009. Voters elected the Mayor of Montreal, Montreal City Council, and the mayors and councils of each of the city's boroughs....
, for Tremblay's renamed Union Montreal party.
By virtue of holding his city council seat, he also serves on the Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension borough council
Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension borough council
The Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension borough council is the local governing body of Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension, a borough in the City of Montreal...
.
Electoral record
External links
- Council biography (in French)