Vision Montreal
Encyclopedia
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
.
for Mayor of Montreal
.
Jean Doré
in 1994. 39 of his candidates were elected to City Hall
. In 1998, he and his team were re-elected for a second term.
The Bourque administration is credited with:
On the other hand Bourque was criticized for his perceived lack of flexibility. During his first term, he suffered a mutiny
within his party. Fifteen of his councillors left
his administration to sit as Independents
. By August 1997, only a minority of the councilmembers (24 out of 51) were members of Vision Montreal.
Furthermore, the merger was met with so much resistance from residents and politicians of Montreal
’s predominantly English-speaking West Island
that by 2005 fifteen municipalities had demerged from the city center. After it had reached 1.8 million people, the population of Montreal was reduced to 1.6 million residents.
Also, Bourque was often ridiculed because his strong emphasis on environmental issues was sometimes dismissed as nothing more than a simple annoyance. He was soon known as Géranium Ier (Geranium the First) to the public. During a May 12, 2006 interview with then journalist
Bernard Drainville
though, Bourque claimed that he was not offended by the nickname, pointing at the fact that there is nothing shameful about "being a gardener".
, who was backed by former members of the Montreal Citizens' Movement (RCM)
as well as anti-merger activists, became mayor.
Member of the provincial legislature
in the district of Bourget
. He lost and decided to resume his career at the municipal level. Councillor Ivon Le Duc
slammed the door and made the decision to sit as an Independent
, but the majority of the Vision Montreal members wanted Bourque back.
Bourque stayed for three more years.
However he decided to quit city politics in May 2006. Following his resignation, François Purcell (Councilmember for the district of Saint-Édouard) was selected as the party’s Acting Leader. Noushig Eloyan (Councilmember for the district of Bordeaux-Cartierville
) has become the Acting Leader of the Opposition.
A leadership convention occurred in June 2009 where Louise Harel was unanimously chosen as the party leader and candidate for Mayor of Montreal for the 2009 municipal elections.
of the political party.
Victories are indicated with bold fonts.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
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...
. It has been in existence since 1994 and presently forms the Official opposition on 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...
under leader Louise Harel
Louise Harel
Louise Harel is a Québec politician. In 2005 she served as interim leader of the Parti Québécois following the resignation of Bernard Landry. She was also interim leader of the opposition in the National Assembly of Quebec. She represented the riding of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in the Montreal region...
.
Origins
The party was established in 1994 to promote the candidacy of Director of the Montreal Botanical Garden and then rising political star Pierre BourquePierre 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:...
for Mayor of Montreal
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....
.
Accomplishments
Bourque was elected Mayor against incumbentIncumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
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...
in 1994. 39 of his candidates were elected to City Hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
. In 1998, he and his team were re-elected for a second term.
The Bourque administration is credited with:
- the introduction of a balanced city budget, with the help of the provincial governmentGovernment of QuebecThe Government of Quebec refers to the provincial government of the province of Quebec. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
in 1998; - the revitalization of the Old MontrealOld MontrealOld Montreal is the oldest area in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, dating back to New France. Located in the borough of Ville-Marie, the area is bordered on the west by McGill St., on the north by Ruelle des Fortifications, on the east by Berri St. and on the south by the Saint Lawrence River...
Historic District; - the implementation of neighborhood programs known as Éco-quartiers; such programs consist of:
- recyclingRecyclingRecycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
; - adding greenery on public property;
- recycling
- the reopening of the Lachine CanalLachine CanalThe Lachine Canal is a canal passing through the southwestern part of the Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, running 14.5 kilometres from the Old Port of Montreal to Lake Saint-Louis, through the boroughs of Lachine, Lasalle and Sud-Ouest.The canal gets its name from the French word for China...
in 1997; - the expansion of diplomatic and commercial relations between Montreal and ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
; - a modest reversal of MontrealMontrealMontreal 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...
's suburbanization between 1996Canada 1996 CensusThe Canada 1996 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 14, 1996. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 28,846,761...
and 2001Canada 2001 CensusThe Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
; - the mergerMontreal MergerAs with other large cities like New York City and Toronto, the legal geographic boundaries of Montreal have been reorganized to incorporate adjacent communities which are integral to its social and economic life.-Merger and demerger:...
of Montreal and 27 other surrounding municipalities into one city government that covers the entire island of Montreal in 2001-02 (an idea known as Une île, une ville or One island, one city in EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
).
Shortcomings and criticism
However, Vision Montreal's performance was not beyond reproach.On the other hand Bourque was criticized for his perceived lack of flexibility. During his first term, he suffered a mutiny
Vision Montreal Crisis, 1997
The Vision Montreal Crisis of 1997 was one of the most severe internal party crises in Montreal politics.-Origins:In January 1997, Mayor Pierre Bourque tried to dismiss two members of Montreal's Executive Committee: Deputy Chairman Sammy Forcillo and Pierre Goyer. Yet, the City Charter of 1921...
within his party. Fifteen of his councillors left
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
his administration to sit as Independents
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
. By August 1997, only a minority of the councilmembers (24 out of 51) were members of Vision Montreal.
Furthermore, the merger was met with so much resistance from residents and politicians of 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...
’s predominantly English-speaking West Island
West Island
The West Island is the unofficial name given to the western cities and boroughs of the Island of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada...
that by 2005 fifteen municipalities had demerged from the city center. After it had reached 1.8 million people, the population of Montreal was reduced to 1.6 million residents.
Also, Bourque was often ridiculed because his strong emphasis on environmental issues was sometimes dismissed as nothing more than a simple annoyance. He was soon known as Géranium Ier (Geranium the First) to the public. During a May 12, 2006 interview with then journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Bernard Drainville
Bernard Drainville
Bernard Drainville is a Quebec politician, television host and journalist. He is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Marie-Victorin in Longueuil and represents the Parti Québécois....
though, Bourque claimed that he was not offended by the nickname, pointing at the fact that there is nothing shameful about "being a gardener".
Opposition
In 2001, Vision Montreal was voted out of office. 64% of the residents of pre-merger Montreal voted for Bourque and his team. But elsewhere, Vision Montreal met a very strong, well-disciplined and united opposition. Gérald TremblayGérald 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...
, who was backed by former members of the Montreal Citizens' Movement (RCM)
Montreal Citizens' Movement
The Montreal Citizens' Movement was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It existed from 1973 to 2001.-Origins:...
as well as anti-merger activists, became mayor.
Bourque’s succession
In 2003, Bourque temporarily left his job as Leader of the Opposition, while he tried to become an ADQAction démocratique du Québec
The Action démocratique du Québec, commonly referred to as the ADQ is a centre-right political party in Quebec, Canada. On the sovereignty question, it defines itself as autonomist, and has support from both soft nationalists and federalists....
Member of the provincial legislature
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
in the district of Bourget
Bourget (electoral district)
Bourget is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The district is located in Montreal. The riding was created in 1960 from a part of Laval...
. He lost and decided to resume his career at the municipal level. Councillor Ivon Le Duc
Ivon Le Duc
Ivon Le Duc is a politician and entrepreneur in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He served on the Montreal city council from 1994 to 2005 and was a member of the Montreal executive committee in Pierre Bourque's administration from 1998 to 2001...
slammed the door and made the decision to sit as an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
, but the majority of the Vision Montreal members wanted Bourque back.
Bourque stayed for three more years.
However he decided to quit city politics in May 2006. Following his resignation, François Purcell (Councilmember for the district of Saint-Édouard) was selected as the party’s Acting Leader. Noushig Eloyan (Councilmember for the district of Bordeaux-Cartierville
Bordeaux-Cartierville
Bordeaux-Cartierville is a district of Montreal, Canada in the administrative borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville. It is bordered to the north by the Rivière des Prairies, to the east by the district of Ahuntsic., to the south by Villeray, Park-Extension, Mount Royal and Saint-Laurent and to the west...
) has become the Acting Leader of the Opposition.
A leadership convention occurred in June 2009 where Louise Harel was unanimously chosen as the party leader and candidate for Mayor of Montreal for the 2009 municipal elections.
Politburo Standing Committee of Vision Montréal
| Politburo Standing Committee of Vision Montréal | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Members | |||||
| Louise Harel | |||||
| Monsef Derraji | |||||
| Marc Vanier Vincent | |||||
| André Cordeau | |||||
| Gaëtan Primeau | |||||
| Anie Samson | |||||
| Guillaume Benoit-Gagné | |||||
| Claude de Lanauze | |||||
| Louise Gagné | |||||
| Sarah Gagnon | |||||
| Jean-François Parenteau | |||||
| Jocelyn Roy | |||||
| Rony Zéphir | |||||
Comité jeunesse de Vision Montréal
Comité jeunesse de Vision Montréal is the youth wingYouth wing
A youth wing is a subsidiary, autonomous or independently-allied front of a larger organization that is formed in order to rally support and allegiance for that organization's campaigns from members and potential members of a younger age...
of the political party.
Mayoral candidates
| Election | Mayoral Candidate | Popular Vote for Mayor | Number of Councillors |
1994 | 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:... | 47% | 39/51 |
1998 | 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:... | 44% | 39/51 |
2001 | 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:... | 44% | 31/73 |
2005 | 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:... | 36.3% | 15/64 |
2009 | Louise Harel Louise Harel Louise Harel is a Québec politician. In 2005 she served as interim leader of the Parti Québécois following the resignation of Bernard Landry. She was also interim leader of the opposition in the National Assembly of Quebec. She represented the riding of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in the Montreal region... | 32.7% | 16/64 |
Victories are indicated with bold fonts.