As election day approaches, Transition Montréal recaps ‘campaign of ideas, not attacks’

With Montrealers just three days away from heading to the polls, a municipal party is offering a recap of its campaign.

Mayoral candidate Craig Sauvé, the leader of Transition Montréal, described his six-week campaign as “bold and citizen driven” and motivated by “ideas, not attacks, not fear.”

“We had the courage to talk about ideas,” Sauvé said. “The courage to propose, not to attack. The courage to dream of Montreal differently. Transition Montréal is the change we need – a citizen movement driven by the conviction that together, we can do better.

“Transition Montreal led a campaign that built bridges between communities — a campaign of unity, courage, and respect. We’ve shown that it’s still possible to do politics differently, with courage and humanity,”

Sauvé, a former city councillor for the Sud-Ouest borough, ran on promises to increase the level of affordable housing in Montreal by banning short-term rentals and creating a public agency responsible for building non-market housing faster and more efficiently.

“Montreal must once again become a city where everyone belongs. We care for Montrealers like no one else, and that starts with guaranteeing the fundamental right to decent, truly affordable housing,” said Sauvé.

He also vowed to implement a progressive municipal tax reform that would ensure the city’s “ultra-rich” residents pay more taxes while tackling real estate speculation, and reinvesting those revenues into social housing and community services.

Unlike perceived frontrunners Projet Montréal and Ensemble Montréal, Sauvé’s party is promising electoral reform, including a preferential voting system for the mayor and borough mayors; proportional representation for other elected positions; and direct election of the Ville-Marie borough mayor.

If elected, Transition Montréal would also create a “nightlife office” and aim to protect independent cultural venues key to the city’s nightlife.

“Montreal is unique in the world because it lives, creates, and vibrates at every hour,” Sauvé said. “We must keep supporting our neighbourhoods and celebrating the creativity that defines us.”

Sauvé says Transition sets itself apart from other parties by being independent of lobby groups and trough its grassroots approach.

Montrealers head to the polls Nov. 2.