I was able to take the pulse of party members and hear their concerns for Montreal. I also attended all the elected officials' caucuses, which enabled me to understand the reality of the Montreal administration and the many challenges it faces.
In my last term as president, I ensured the party's excellent financial health and mobilized a management team ready and motivated to win the next election. I'm also proud to have helped build a diverse and inclusive team of candidates for the 2021 election.
My vision for Montreal
Montréal is a metropolis rich in opportunities, but also facing major challenges. As leader of Projet Montréal, I want to continue along the path laid out by Valérie Plante, while introducing bold new ideas to ensure that Montréal remains a peaceful and safe city for all, a city that is the envy of the world.
Here are just a few examples:
Homelessness: Pursue and strengthen initiatives aimed at supporting vulnerable people in order to reduce and prevent homelessness. Include targeted approaches to ensure territorial equity.
Housing: Support housing cooperatives and all non-market housing projects by streamlining the permitting process.
Climate change: Pursue actions to reduce the impact of climate change on Montrealers' quality of life. Increase greening in underprivileged neighborhoods, which are particularly affected by heat islands.
Urban mobility: In collaboration with the provincial and federal governments, prioritize the development of light transportation in the east and south-west of Montreal, while continuing to make active modes of transportation safer.
Efficiency of infrastructure projects: Integrating best practices into project management by actively encouraging upstream collaboration between the administration and utility companies (Bell, HQ and Energir), the CSEM and general contractors would reduce costs and project delivery times. This approach would also help reduce the costs borne by the city for unforeseen changes. The savings generated would go to debt servicing, giving the city greater financial leeway.
Together, we can make Montreal an even more inclusive, resilient and forward-looking city. My commitment is to ensure that every citizen has a place and can contribute to the development of our metropolis.
Guedwig Bernier