Mayor Bruno Marchand has the upcoming provincial elections in mind and is hoping for a minister responsible for the region who will push the Capitale-Nationale forward.
“I think that after the election the cards will be reshuffled. We shall see who the government puts at the head of the Capitale-Nationale. No matter who it is, I will always have the same ambitions,” he confides in an interview with the editor on the eve of the summer holidays.
In particular, to the east of the city, in the D’Estimauville and Beauport sectors, where it is due to the development of the neighborhood, the conversion of the Dufferin-Montmorency motorway into an urban boulevard and the completion of the linear phase 4 of the Samuel-De Champlain promenade.
“I want a minister who has this desire to see this capital city shine through sectors of the city and various projects that put them in the spotlight. »
“No Hostility”
He describes his relationship with the current Minister Geneviève Guilbault as “good”. “We meet, we can talk to each other. There is no animosity. »
But no one is aware that after the honeymoon of departure, relations grew harder, particularly in the tram file, where the minister had stepped in to position herself against a common end of the road.
The mayor then made a thunderous exit, urging the government to stop interfering with municipal powers. Since then he has “handed over the towel,” he says.
Genevieve Guilbault
Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale
A few weeks later, Ms Guilbault said the CAQ never committed to conducting Phase 4 of the walk before withdrawing a few days later.
Bruno Marchand agrees that the composition of the Council of Ministers is in the hands of the Prime Minister.
He stressed that François Legault was on the same wavelength as him when it came to the influence of the capital.
“I honestly know. I’ve always heard that we need to create a metropolis here, a strong city, a city that develops economically and socially. I believe him, he wants that.”
Little appetite for harassment
And this bickering between the minister and the mayor does not please the population, he notes.
When people ask him about it, they often say, “Thanks for standing up,” he testifies.
“People expect the mayor of Quebec to defend the city. They don’t want a mayor of Quebec who is devastated and applauventrits. They are proud of their city and expect us to develop it further. »
tram
support in most districts
Contrary to the opponents, who claim that nobody wants the tram, Bruno Marchand emphasizes that 44% of the support “it’s not nobody”.
“In four out of six districts we are either well over 50% or at 50%. »
Demonstrations have yet to be held in Beauport and La Haute-Saint-Charles, he agrees.
And to those who think that he is playing his political career with this project, he replies: “Who cares about my career?”.
“Let’s see if I show up [à la prochaine élection]. And after that, if I run, people can decide if they want me back for mayor, but that’s not even part of the calculus for me. »
After 72 consulting activities since his arrival, he promises to answer more specific questions this fall, especially on access to shops.
Roaming in Saint Roch
“We are not good enough”
The situation in Saint-Roch, with homelessness and unsightly acts disrupting residents and workers in the Lauberivière sector, is “unsustainable”, according to Mr Marchand.
He, who promised during the election campaign to work for zero homelessness, finds that the efforts are not fruitful. “We’re not good enough,” he chimes in.
According to him, more commitment is needed from actors such as the CUSSS, the government, partners and the city, who need to set goals.
“In the fall I will put all my weight on it. I am not happy with the way this file has evolved over the past few months. […] We’ll all stick our heads up and say to ourselves: We’ll give ourselves two or three years to achieve the goal.
The increase in funds will be one of his demands in the next election campaign.
hate speech and messages
We need to better protect elected officials, the mayor said
The city will increase staff to better surround elected officials and filter hateful messages and comments citizens send them, the mayor advises.
“Some people are disgusting,” he notes. He takes as an example the comments received by Executive Councilor Maude Mercier Larouche, responsible for the tram file.
“She’s being bullied, washed, shouted names, mostly by men. »
He denounces this behavior and even says he sometimes fears for the safety of elected officials.
Any threat will be reported to the police, he says. “I’m adamant about that. »
The inappropriate comments discourage other men and women from entering politics, he laments.
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