Verdun borough council

The Verdun borough council is the local governing body of Verdun, a borough in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The council consists of seven members: the borough mayor (who also serves as a Montreal city councillor), two city councillors representing the borough's electoral districts, and four borough councillors representing of the same electoral districts (two per division).[1]

Équipe Denis Coderre pour Montréal won a narrow majority on council in the 2013 Montreal municipal election, taking four seats to Projet Montréal's three. The same composition was returned in the 2017 election; however, shortly after the election, Mayor Parenteau left his party and became an independent upon assuming a position on the Montreal Executive Committee, leaving an evenly split council.[2]

Members in the current term (2017-2021) edit

District Position Name   Party
 — Borough mayor
City councillor
Jean-François Parenteau   Équipe Denis Coderre (2017)
  Independent (2017–)
Champlain–L'Île-des-Sœurs City councillor Marie-Josée Parent   Équipe Denis Coderre (2017–18)
  Projet Montréal (2018–)
Borough councillor Pierre L'Heureux   Équipe Denis Coderre
Véronique Tremblay   Équipe Denis Coderre
Desmarchais-Crawford City councillor Sterling Downey   Projet Montréal
Borough councillor Luc Gagnon   Projet Montréal
Marie-Andrée Mauger   Projet Montréal

Members in previous terms edit

2013–17 edit

District Position Name   Party
 — Borough mayor
City councillor
Jean-François Parenteau   Équipe Denis Coderre
Champlain–L'Île-des-Sœurs City councillor Manon Gauthier   Équipe Denis Coderre
Borough councillor Pierre L'Heureux   Équipe Denis Coderre
Véronique Tremblay   Équipe Denis Coderre
Desmarchais-Crawford City councillor Sterling Downey   Projet Montréal
Borough councillor Luc Gagnon   Projet Montréal
Marie-Andrée Mauger   Projet Montréal

2009–13 edit

District Position Name   Party
 — Borough mayor
City councillor
Claude Trudel (2009–12)   Union Montreal
Ginette Marotte (2012–13)   Independent
Champlain–L'Île-des-Sœurs City councillor Ginette Marotte (2009–12)   Union Montreal (2009–12)
  Independent (2012)
Vacant (2012–13)  
Borough councillor Paul Beaupré   Union Montreal (2009–13)
  Independent (2013)
Andrée Champoux   Union Montreal (2009–12)
  Independent (2012–13)
Desmarchais-Crawford City councillor Alain Tassé   Union Montreal (2009–12)
  Independent (2012–13)
Borough councillor Ann Guy   Union Montreal (2009–12)
  Independent (2012–13)
André Savard   Union Montreal (2009–12)
  Independent (2012–13)
  • Paul Beaupré served on the borough council from 2005 to 2013 and was for a time as chair of the borough's environment commission.[4] He was the only Union Montreal member of the Verdun borough council not to resign from the party in late 2012, following Gérald Tremblay's resignation as mayor of Montreal in response to serious revelations of municipal corruption at the Charbonneau Commission.[5] Union Montreal subsequently dissolved, and Beaupré ran in the 2013 municipal election as a candidate of Coalition Montréal; he was defeated. A candidate named Paul Beaupré sought election to the Verdun city council in the 1985 municipal election, prior to Verdun's amalgamation into Montreal; this was presumably the same person.
  • Andrée Champoux served on the borough council from 2009 to 2013. She left Union Montreal on December 4, 2012.[6] When Verdun borough mayor Claude Trudel resigned from office shortly thereafter, Champoux put forward her name to become his interim successor. She was defeated by city councillor Ginette Marotte in a four-to-two vote among the remaining borough council members.[7] She sought election for borough mayor in the 2013 municipal election as the candidate of her own Équipe Andrée Champoux pour Verdun party but was defeated.
  • Ann Guy served on the borough council from 2009 to 2013. She resigned from Union Montreal on December 4, 2012,[8] and did not seek re-election in 2013.
  • André Savard served on the borough council from 2005 to 2013, having previously sought election without success in 2001 as a Vision Montreal candidate. In his second term, he served as chair of the borough's public works, traffic, and public safety and security committee.[9] He left Union Montreal in late November 2012.[10] He sought election for borough mayor in the 2013 municipal election as the candidate of the Option Verdun/Montréal party but was defeated. Savard is the son of Raymond Savard, a former Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) and the mayor of Verdun from 1985 to 1993.[11]

2005–09 edit

District Position Name   Party
 — Borough mayor
City councillor
Claude Trudel   Montreal Island Citizens Union
Champlain–L'Île-des-Sœurs City councillor Ginette Marotte   Montreal Island Citizens Union
Borough councillor Paul Beaupré   Montreal Island Citizens Union
Marc Touchette   Montreal Island Citizens Union
Desmarchais-Crawford City councillor Alain Tassé   Montreal Island Citizens Union
Borough councillor Josée Lavigueur Thériault   Montreal Island Citizens Union
André Savard   Montreal Island Citizens Union

Note: The Montreal Island Citizens Union changed its name to Union Montreal in 2007.

2002–05 edit

District Position Name   Party
 — City councillor
(three members, at large)
Georges Bossé[14]   Montreal Island Citizens Union
Laurent Dugas   Montreal Island Citizens Union (2002–04)
  Independent (2004–05)
Claude Trudel   Montreal Island Citizens Union
Champlain Borough councillor Ginette Marotte   Montreal Island Citizens Union
Desmarchais-Crawford Borough councillor John Gallagher   Montreal Island Citizens Union
  • John Gallagher (1929–January 1, 2016) was a Verdun city councillor for many years prior to the city's amalgamation with Montreal,[15] having been elected in 1985, 1989, 1993, and 1997. He served on the borough council for one term from 2002 to 2005 before retiring.

References edit

  1. ^ Electoral Process and Districts: Verdun borough , City of Montreal, accessed 7 December 2013.
  2. ^ Normandin, Pierre-André (20 November 2017). "Montréal: trois élus d'expérience à des postes-clés au comité exécutif". La Presse. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  3. ^ Marian Scott, "Parenteau, Barbe to lead boroughs," Montreal Gazette, 2 November 2013, B5.
  4. ^ "Verdun Cited as the Cleanest Waterfront Area in Québec - World Wildlife Federation," Canada NewsWire, 24 August 2011.
  5. ^ "«Beaucoup de choses se sont dites à la Commission Charbonneau, sauf la vérité» – le conseiller Paul Beaupré", Le Magazine Île-des-Sœurs, 6 December 2012.
  6. ^ Tracey Ariel, "Ginette Marotte new mayor of Verdun", The Suburban, 19 December 2012, accessed 17 December 2013; Pierre Lussier, "Mairie de Verdun: que nous réserve 2013?", Le Reflet du Lac, 2 January 2013, accessed 14 December 2013.
  7. ^ Pierre Lussier, "Ginette Marotte, élue maire de Verdun", Le Messager Verdun, 12 December 2012, accessed 12 December 2013.
  8. ^ Karim Benessaieh, "Une autre élue quitte Union Montréal", La Presse, 6 December 2012, accessed 5 May 2017.
  9. ^ "Reconfiguration of L'Ile-des-Soeurs entrances/exits - Reopening of Exit 5 This Weekend," Canada NewsWire, 20 July 2011.
  10. ^ "Verdun councillor leaves civic party," Montreal Gazette, 27 November 2012, A3.
  11. ^ Pierre Vigneault, "Les membres du conseil rendent hommage à l'ancien maire Raymond Savard", Le Magazine Île-des-Soeurs, 9 July 2012, accessed 5 May 2017.
  12. ^ David Johnston, "Careful, drivers," Montreal Gazette, 12 May 2008, A2.
  13. ^ Marc Touchette Archived December 19, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys, accessed 18 December 2013.
  14. ^ Bossé was selected as the council's first chair, a position that was later restyled as borough mayor.
  15. ^ Obituary, John Gallagher, Montreal Gazette, accessed 8 March 2017.