“Let’s put it this way,” says VM candidate David B. Hanna, an urban planning professor at UQAM who is running in the district of NDG. “Now that everybody has their Péquiste, where does it leave the anglo voter?”
He points out that former Vision leader Benoît Labonté, who stepped aside to allow Harel to step in and effectively revitalize the party (especially in Montreal’s east end), is ironically a staunch federalist with a track record of accomplishments in the federal sphere.
“Our party is a coalition, shall we say, of ideas and different political stripes, in the same fashion the Union is,” he says. “The Union is a coalition that is neither federalist nor separatist.” He notes that Union executive committee member André Lavallée was Louise Harel’s political attaché at one time. “Let’s not lose sight of that. So where is the difference? The difference to me is not so much in who’s PQ or who’s federalist, which frankly is irrevelant, I think, to municipal politics.
“That’s not what any of us are here for. We’re not here to either take Quebec out of Confederation or to keep it in. We’re not the ones deciding this issue. It’s not here it’s going to be decided. We want to make Montreal work and my contention is that the big difference is that Union has the corruption and we don’t. We’re promising to clean up. They basically have police investigations and it’s going to be very hard for them to demonstrate to voters how suddenly they magically transformed themselves into a clean and democratic party.”
Montreal’s west end was never as fertile electorally for Vision Montreal as the east end, even under former mayor and VM leader Pierre Bourque. While Bourque’s party was able to win a majority of seats and effectively gain control of city council following the 1998 election, it was largely with support from districts in the east, after which Vision’s fortunes went into a dive and Union Montreal gained a footing at City Hall.
However, Hanna is running in an area of the west end where Vision Montreal scored a crucial victory in 1998. Bourque loyalist and insider Sonya Biddle defeated longtime Montreal city councillor Sam Boskey, who was one of only two city councillors belonging to the devoutly left-wing Democratic Coalition party at that time. Marcel Tremblay won it for the Union in 2001 and 2005. But with Tremblay running for mayor now in the Borough of Villeray/St-Michel/Park Extension, the task of retaining the seat for the Union has fallen to CSDM school commissioner Marie-José Mastromonaco, a relative newcomer to municipal politics.
While Hanna’s wife, Diane, is perhaps better known among readers of west end community news because of her frequent appearances before the Côte des Neiges-NDG borough council and her strident opposition to the borough’s handling of the Benny Sports and Recreation Complex project, David Hanna’s Vision Montreal biography describes him as “being a critic of the undemocratic process related to the Benny Center.”
With his expertise in urban planning, Hanna is pledging to greatly boost the public consultation mechanisms at the disposal of City of Montreal officials if he is elected. He refers to the failure by centre city mayor Gérald Tremblay and borough mayor Michael Applebaum to fully use available consultation processes as “false democracy” and promises, “They’re going to be used every time now and it’s going to be systematic. No more finessing and fudging. That’s our guarantee.”
Vision Montreal’s David B. Hanna hopes to win back NDG
Vision Montreal’s David B. Hanna hopes to win back NDG
If anyone is intimating there could be resistance to Vision Montreal here in the west end because the party is led by former PQ cabinet minister Louise Harel, what of Diane Lemieux who was also in the PQ cabinet and is now running for the incumbent Union Montreal?
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Comments
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- Patrick McDonnell
- - February 10th, 2010 at 11:46:31
In light of recent events, I wonder about the veracity of this statement that David Hanna says came from former Vision Montreal candidate Benoit Labonté? But as David Hanna states on his web site David Hanna believes Benoit Labonté who believes, " that Montrealers deserve better." "Benoit Labonté, formerly executive committee member responsible for libraries, did offer in May to include the Fraser-Hickson in a new infrastructure budget, a multi-million dollar opportunity for N-D-G. On June 22, Phyllis Lambert, Clément Demers (Quartier International), David Hanna (UQAM), and Labonté’s representative met with Mayor Applebaum. It was agreed that the deal to upgrade the Library could go through once the Borough Council resolved to make it a priority project."
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- Patrick McDonnell
- - February 10th, 2010 at 11:46:30
Question? Should TVA Montreal hire David Hanna as a reporter, because he puts up youtube videos that expose "corruption, scandals and bad management" in Montreal? Answer: Nope because David missed the big scoop of his friend's Benoit Labonté small memory problem and leadership race funding of 211 500 dollars.
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- Patrick McDonnell
- - February 10th, 2010 at 11:46:28
A couple of comments on David Hanna and Louise Harel. In a September 19th La Presse interview Louise Harel stated that she would push a public beach project in Point-aux-Trembles during her first mandate if not in her first year (Celui-là, assure-t-elle, serait réalisable au cours d'un premier mandat, voire dans la première année.) as well as a swimming pool in old Montreal. She didn't mention any public consultations, or Urban planning concerning these projects. I suppose this is what David Hanna calls "true democracy"? David Hanna wrote of his support for a tramway on St Catherine street in a July 30 Gazette article. It sounds like a good idea until one thinks about this tramway going through the areas that are closed off during various festivals - not very good urban planning. David Hanna will be happy to learn the following brought to you through the efforts of NDG present government. Highlights of the CDN—NDG Borough Council Meeting on September 29, 2009 The request for financial support of $1.3 million, submitted by the Fraser-Hickson Institute under the Building Canada program, was endorsed, so that it can carry out the work necessary to recommence its library operations in the Trinity Memorial Church in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
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- Patrick McDonnell
- - February 10th, 2010 at 11:46:26
quotes from RDI mayor's debate Oct 19th. During the debate, Project Montreal leader Richard Bergeron said he had warned Harel about Labonte last spring. "When you say you want to clean up city hall, you don't associate with Benoit Labonte," Bergeron said. "If she had done her homework she wouldn't be in the situation she was in yesterday and today," he added.
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- Patrick McDonnell
- - February 10th, 2010 at 11:46:23
From gazette One trait the Vision Montréal leader put on display Sunday when interviewed on Radio-Canada’s Tout le monde en parle was slipperiness. Here is the first question put to the former Parti Québécois minister: “You are one of the makers of the controversial municipal mergers for which many Quebecers have still not forgiven the PQ. You are a strong sovereignist. You are criticized for not speaking English very well. How do you expect to persuade federalists, anglophones and those still upset over the mergers to vote for you?” Fine question. To allow you to appreciate how Harel tackled it, I’ll quote her response in full: “Those who were really against the merger – the (people of) the 15 municipalities from the island’s western part – left Montreal in 2005. The program of Vision Montreal, and its renewed team, will allow us to return to normal. It is not normal for a mayor not to know what is happening (with public-works contracts) in his city. It is not normal! A mayor has a duty to know!” And on she went, attacking Mayor Gérald Tremblay, who was also on the show. Notice how she minimized popular dissent over the forced mergers, failed to address sovereignty and English, claimed her party program and slate will be a solution without saying how, and never hinted at what “normal” means. Then she changed the subject by launching a diversionary attack on her rival on an entirely unrelated matter. It was vintage Harel. Evade, evade, evade. In imposing the mergers, for example, she evaded all public consultation at which she would have to deal with tough questions.
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- Patrick McDonnell
- - February 10th, 2010 at 11:46:23
Thanks to Michael Applebaum and his team, NDG will have an incredible Sports Recreation Facility and now a new library cultural center. What is David Hanna's offering? PRESS RELEASE For immediate release Work Continues on Upgrading and Modernizing Montréal Libraries Montréal, September 25, 2009 – For several months now, work to upgrade and develop Montréal municipal libraries has been ongoing. Following discussions with Christine Saint-Pierre, Minister of Culture, Communications and the Status of Women, an agreement in principle was signed to expand the 2008-2011 agreement on the cultural development of Montréal (Entente sur le développement culturel de Montréal) and allow Montréal to go ahead with more qualifying projects under the library renovation, expansion and construction program (REC). Ms. Saint-Pierre signed a letter of commitment for this purpose on September 10. For example, one project has already been identified and funds earmarked to build a new Benny Library and provide venues for cultural activities in the Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough. A diagnosis of municipal libraries on Montréal Island, produced jointly by the City and the MCCCF in July 2005, identified a number of priority projects aimed at making major improvements to our library network. Since then the municipal administration has made developing libraries a priority, and set up the REC program under the Agreement, with the MCCCF. “Since 2005, consolidating the Montréal library network has been one of our priorities. We are making every effort to offer Montrealers access to library services of similar quality to those in other large Canadian cities. To reach this objective, we have injected $13.5 M since 2006, and are continuing in this direction. Our libraries enhance cultural, educational, community and democratic life in Montréal, and that’s why we want to make sure they are improved, well-used and appreciated,” said Catherine Sévigny, Executive Committee member responsible for culture. About the REC program The diagnosis of municipal libraries on Montréal Island pointed to the need to improve library services in the Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough, with over 169,000 residents – Montréal’s most populous borough. The construction of the new Benny Library will help to meet their needs. The new and expanded library, modern and attractive, functional and open to the community, will be the perfect venue for bringing together culture and information in the borough. In addition, 80,600 new documents will be added to the collection now held in the existing library. It will be located at the corner of Monkland and Benny avenues, across from the future Sports and Community Complex. It will be part of the Benny Area, home to modern cultural, sports and recreational facilities. The project cost is evaluated at $21 million. Library component: $11.5 M, of which 20% will come from the borough, 40% from the city of Montréal, and 40% from the Quebec department of culture, communications and the status of women (MCCCF); basic collection: $4 M, of which 20% will come from the borough and 80% from the city of Montréal. Cultural component: $5.5 M, of which 40% will come from the borough and 60% from the program to support municipal cultural facilities. The new Benny Library will include a number of features relating to ergonomics, universal accessibility and LEED certification. It will also include a multipurpose room with seating for 180 (dance, new artistic practices) and support facilities (dressing rooms, control room, loading docks, storage space, etc.), a convertible room (exhibitions, cultural mediation), specialized spaces (administration offices, space for artists or companies in residence, etc.) and cutting-edge equipment and furniture (sound and light equipment, dance flooring, retractable bleachers, exhibition modules, etc.). Some funding for this aspect, including a multipurpose room and a convertible room for exhibitions and cultural mediation, has come from the Forum des équipements culturels, a body with departmental and municipal representatives, tasked with developing a joint vision of Montréal cultural facilities. “This new library will meet the needs of residents in the Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough with regard to culture and sharing knowledge. They will be able to enjoy a suitable and inviting space with the latest in technology. This new library is just one example of the projects we plan to carry out over the next several years as we modernize our facilities and continue developing a city where knowledge is valued and shared,” said Montréal Mayor Gérald Tremblay. “This new library will be a major component of the Benny Area, a hub of modern recreational and cultural facilities. We have a clear vision of this district’s vocation, and we are doing our utmost to obtain the necessary funding,” noted Michael Applebaum, Mayor of the Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough. Source: Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough
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- Patrick McDonnell
- - February 10th, 2010 at 11:46:22
quotes from RDI mayor's debate Oct 19th. During the debate, Project Montreal leader Richard Bergeron said he had warned Harel about Labonte last spring. "When you say you want to clean up city hall, you don't associate with Benoit Labonte," Bergeron said. "If she had done her homework she wouldn't be in the situation she was in yesterday and today," he added.
