Transition Montréal launches campaign slogan, promising to fight for the city

Voters head to the polls on Nov. 2 for the municipal election, and Transition Montréal is hoping to make its mark with a new campaign slogan.

At a press conference outside City Hall on Friday, party leader and mayoral candidate Craig Sauvé unveiled the slogan “Avec courage pour Montréal.” He said the word “courage” reflects bold ideas and action at a time when the city is facing multiple crises.

“We’re facing a homelessness crisis. We’re facing a housing crisis, economic crisis, environmental crisis, and small measures are not the way we’re going to face these crises head on,” Sauvé said. “Montreal is the economic motor of Quebec. It’s the cultural motor of Quebec. And for too long, Quebec has ignored our needs.”

Sauvé said the party’s campaign will focus on encouragement and “heart,” not aggression, while promising to fight for greater respect from the provincial government. He argued Montrealers would be electing “fighters” if they chose Transition Montréal.

On Friday, Sauvé also announced that Samah Khandker would serve as his colister in the Sud-Ouest borough. In Montreal, the role allows a mayoral candidate to become a city councillor even if they lose the mayoral race, provided the colister is elected.

“I have known Craig for a long time and his ability to bring people together always impresses me,” Khandker said. “If he does not win the Montreal mayoral election, I hope he will remain an elected official to continue defending the issues of the Sud-Ouest.”

The party said it has already nominated 52 candidates across 18 boroughs, enough to meet criteria to participate in upcoming leaders’ debates.

But while the party sharpens its message, for voters one question remains: what issues will drive them to the ballot box?

Seth, who lives in the Plateau, said he wants to see more support for small businesses. “There’s so much preventing and making it challenging for local businesses to continue to thrive right now,” he said.

Antoine, a downtown resident, said he would like to see fewer summer construction projects, which he believes drive away tourists. Another resident, Zeid, said he simply wants “cleaner streets.”

The official municipal campaign period kicks off Sept. 19.