Soraya Martinez Ferrada, leader of Ensemble Montréal and a mayoral candidate, has revealed her comprehensive platform for the upcoming municipal elections, laying out a detailed 100-day action plan aimed at addressing key issues if she secures the mayoral seat.
Her 10-point plan encompasses various crucial aspects, with a significant focus on housing and homelessness. Martinez Ferrada’s proposals include establishing a specialized “Tactical Intervention Group on Homelessness,” creating a registry of vacant city-owned properties, and increasing funding to combat homelessness effectively.
Notably, she intends to scrap the controversial “20-20-20” bylaw, which mandated specific housing quotas in new developments, in favor of offering incentives to private developers. This move has received criticism from groups like the Corporation des propriétaires immobiliers du Québec (CORPIQ) and developers, who argued that the bylaw, implemented in 2021, posed challenges. The City had already begun to relax certain requirements last year.
In a statement accompanying the platform announcement, Martinez Ferrada emphasized the need for a more efficient, transparent, and citizen-centric approach to governance, highlighting a departure from perceived past shortcomings in municipal leadership.
Furthermore, she seized the opportunity to take a swipe at her primary rival, Luc Rabouin of Projet Montréal, drawing connections to the current mayor Valérie Plante and portraying herself as the candidate offering a fresh perspective and tangible outcomes.
Among the other commitments outlined in her ambitious 100-day plan are enhancing coordination through borough mayor roundtable discussions, implementing multidisciplinary teams for enhanced security measures, conducting a thorough inventory of construction sites and bike lanes, and reviving the Montreal Cultural Metropolis Office.
Martinez Ferrada also pledges to leverage artificial intelligence to streamline municipal operations and cultivate strategies to position Montreal as an appealing investment hub.
With Montrealers gearing up for the impending municipal elections on November 2, the unveiling of Martinez Ferrada’s platform sets the stage for a competitive and potentially transformative race.
