Candidates debate on future of St-Leonard ahead of municipal election

St-Leonard residents gathered on Tuesday night to outline their priorities with candidates ahead of the Nov. 2 municipal elections.

The discussion included Ensemble Montréal’s Domenic Perri running for borough mayor; Projet Montréal’s Luckny Guerrier —also running for borough mayor; and the newly created party Équipe St-Leonard, represented by Suzanne De Larochellière.

Both De Larochellière and Perri were councillors with Ensemble Montréal in the last borough council.

“I’m glad to see that there’s now real debate with three parties—it feels like our democracy is starting to take on a new face,” said Najat Boughaba, resident in St-Leonard and former municipal candidate in 2009.

The discussion was organized by the neighbourhood committee Concertation St-Leonard.

“I’m encouraged by the interest in public participation and the concerns the citizens have about the city,” said Giacomo Vigna, a member of Concertation St-Leonard. “It’s important they come here to express their point of view and find out what the different options are.”

The issue of flooding during heavy rains has been a long-standing issue in the borough.  

“The floods —what we’ve been living right now this year. I just hope there’s going to be a solution,” said Gina Rossi, who grew up in St-Leonard for 48 years.

“I was touched by the flooding twice in St-Leonard. So definitely that’s top of mind for me for sure,” said Dagenbach, a St-Leonard resident and student in political science. “Then secondary and third would be circulation, so everything around traffic, mitigation measures and stuff like that. And just the safety, overall safety in the borough.”

“Security is a growing concern. We’re facing serious challenges with youth and gun violence. Housing is also a major issue—St. Leonard has a real problem when it comes to families finding affordable housing,” added Boughaba.

The current Mayor Michel Bissonnet, part of Ensemble Montréal, said he would not seek re-election after 47 years of service for the community. In a recent Facebook video, he voiced his support for De Larochellière and Équipe St-Léonard. 

“I’m in my 30s, so just being here and supporting and really showing that municipal politics is for everyone, it has a huge impact on our day-to-day life, is important, so really go out there and vote,” concluded Dagenbach.