Montreal mayor pledges to revitalize city’s East End, a flagship promise during her campaign
Posted December 17, 2025 5:16 pm.
Last Updated December 17, 2025 5:27 pm.
Soraya Martinez Ferrada chose the East Montreal Chamber of Commerce as the setting for what she says is a key message as mayor.
Wednesday’s address came alongside promises to revitalize the city’s East End – one of Martinez Ferrada’s flagship promises during her fall campaign.
“We deserve and must have financial support to make this project a reality,” the mayor said.
“The development of the east end will be carried out with other levels of government, civil society and the business community.”
The public address rallied officials from multiple levels of government, including federal Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly and provincial Minister of Economy Christine Fréchette.
Stimulating the economy and making it easier to get around the East End were at the top of the agenda.
“I think we’ve neglected the east of Montreal for 40 years,” said Jean-Denis Charest, the CEO of the East Montreal Chamber of Commerce.
Martinez Ferrada agrees the east has for too long been isolated from the island’s economic centre. She says the city can fix that by building up the Projet structurant de l’Est (PSE) – the spiritual successor to Montreal’s abandoned REM de l’Est.
“We in the east would love that, to be able to get from the east to downtown in under 30 minutes. My god,” the mayor said.
Martinez Ferrada isn’t the only one who has their eyes on the east.
Minister Joly says developing east Montreal’s copper industry will be essential in peeling away Canada’s economic dependence on the United States.
“Our goal is really to create more of a domestic market,” Joly said. “We can do that with our new ‘Buy Canadian’ policy, which was implemented yesterday.”
“If we lose that element, as we embark on an energy transition and copper is one of the minerals we need, then we have to make sure we preserve that chain in order to maintain our comparative advantage,” added Fréchette.
The East Montreal Chamber of Commerce warns losing the industry could cost around 500 jobs.
“We’re able to recycle copper that is used in every single electrification project,” Charest explained.
Election year for provincial politicians
Collaboration with the federal and provincial government has been a recent staple of the Martinez Ferrada playbook.
Experts like Daniel Tran says the mayor has the best chance to win gains for Montreal while provincial politicians are in the market for favours leading into next year’s election.
“She only has a very short window of opportunity, which is now until the elections,” said Tran, the director of communications and governmental affairs at Casacom.
Tran adds that any investment in transit needs to be equally matched with housing.
“What’s really important when you develop transit is what we called ‘transit oriented development,’ so to make sure that the transit project make sense that you have housing there,” he explained.
“I dream of a community that is inclusive, a community that is mobilized, a community that will finally regain its ability to dream for this city,” said Mayor Ferrada Martinez. “And that is what I hope to give you as mayor of Montreal.”
