Canadian by-elections, 2016 (next event: Quebec provincial byelections [Dec 5])

[MaxQue]

In Quebec, two more municipal by-elections to be scheduled.

Borough mayor of Montréal-Nord, after the resignation of Gilles Deguire (Équipe Denis Coderre) after being charged for sexual assault of a minor.

My very own city, Val-d'Or (district 2), due to Michael Prince resigning in late February, moving to Montreal due to a professionnal opportinuity and to get closer of his son. I suppose I should bother writing a post about my city politics since 2009 (the last time I wrote about it).

[MaxQue]

Denyse Tremblay 329 votes (55.8%)
Bruno St-Amand 211 votes (35.8%)
Victoire Collard 36 votes (6.1%)
Normand St-Laurent 14 votes (2.4%)

[MaxQue]

Vancouver-Mount Pleasant

Melanie Mark (NDP) 5353 votes (60.82%; -5.01)
Pete Fry (Green) 2325 votes (26.42%; +14.50)
Gavin Dew (Liberal) 994 votes (11.29%; -7.45)
Bonnie Boya Hu (Libertarian) 74 votes (0.84%; +0.84)
Jeremy Gustavson (Your Political Party) 55 votes (0.62%; -0.62)

Coquitlam-Burke Mountain

Jodie Wickens (NDP) 3562 votes (46.24%; +8.87)
Joan Issacs (Liberal) 2936 votes (38.11%; -11.79)
Joe Keithley (Green) 1061 votes (13.77%; +7.93)
Paul Geddes (Libertarian) 145 votes (1.88%; +0.46)

[MaxQue]

Mainstreet Whitby-Oshawa: 44-38-13
If this seat is closer than it was in 2014, it is very ominous news for the PCs.

Or a reflection of lingering Trudeaumania lifting the Libs at the expense of the NDP.  After all, the PC share is still 3-4% higher here than in 2014--so for the real "ominous news", look orangeward rather than blueward.

We oranges only have to wait for Trudeau starting to do as every Liberal PM before, i.e. becoming right-wing.

His left-wing rhetoric pleases our voters, I'm not sure his actions will.

[MaxQue]

Chicoutimi by-election April 12. Safe PQ hold.

11, not 12.

[MaxQue]

In Quebec, two more municipal by-elections to be scheduled.

Borough mayor of Montréal-Nord, after the resignation of Gilles Deguire (Équipe Denis Coderre) after being charged for sexual assault of a minor.

Called for April 24th.

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By-election in Paquinville-Fatima called for May 15th.

[MaxQue]

Also,

March 20th: District 3 in Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval and District 4 (Lake) in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures.

April 10th: Côte-Saint-Luc mayor and District 7 councillor.

April 17th: District 7 (Arthabaska West) in Victoriaville, District 4 in Carignan and District 4 (East Chandler) in Chandler.

April 24th: Montréal-Nord borough mayor, Saint-Hippolyte councillor (seat 4, at-large election).

[MaxQue]

Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval is an exurb to the north-east of Quebec City. As usual with those, it's quickly growing.

Ward 3 (unofficial name: du Golf) covers a neighbourhood to the west of the town, separated from it by a golf course (obviously). As one can expect, the result is quite right-wing politics.

Provincially, the ward is in Liberal-held Montmorency, but it voted heavily for the CAQ. Boundaries of precincts don't fit at all, but it was roughly CAQ 54, PLQ 27, PQ 9, Conservative 5, QS 4.

Federally, it’s in Conservative Portneuf--Jacques-Cartier (but had an NDP incumbent before 2015), with approximate results for the ward of Con 53, Lib 19, NDP 15, BQ 12.

In 2013, most of the previous municipal team retired, but a few tried to continue and created the party Partenaires Sainte-Brigitte (Partners Ste-Brigitte). However, they only kept 1 of the 6 seats and the mayorship and the 5 other seats were won by Équipe Wanita (Team Wanita), led by the new mayor Wanita Daniele. In ward 3, Marie-Ève Racine (Wanita) won 252 to 133 (65-35) against Carl Boisvert (Partenaires).

Politics of the town in the last 2 years were mainly about the firing (by the city council) and the subsequent reinstatement by courts of 2 high-ranking municipal public servants. Let’s note the new mayoress was also a high-ranking public servent which was fired by them in 2012. Emotions were high and since then, councillors are routinely insulted by citizens during city council meetings.

Marie-Ève Racine resigned to return to her native region.

Candidates :
Jean-Philippe Mathieu (Équipe Wanita)
Carl Thomassin (Partenaires Ste-Brigitte), their defeated candidate in 2013 in ward 6.
Daniel Racine (Independent), no relation to Marie-Ève, opposed to current mayoress and high debt of the city.





Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures is an suburb to the west of Quebec City. As usual with those, it's quickly growing. It had been merged to Quebec City in 2002, but voted to demerge in 2004.

Ward 4 (Lake) covers, quite obviously, the area around St-Augustin Lake and the barely populated rural fringe between Quebec City overspill within St-Augustin city limits (which is one pole of the city) and St-Augustin proper (the other pole of the city)

Provincially, the ward is in Liberal-held Louis-Hébert (held by the wonderfully not understandable Sam Hamad). Boundaries of precincts don't fit at all, but it was roughly PLQ 47, CAQ 34, PQ 14, QS 3

Federally, it’s in also Conservative Portneuf--Jacques-Cartier (but had an NDP incumbent before 2015), with approximate results for the ward of Con 44, Lib 24, NDP 20, BQ 10.

In 2013 the previous municipal team (Horizon Saint-Augustin - Équipe Marcel Corriveau) was easily reelected, winning all seats. In ward 4, incumbent Marie-Julie Cossette (Horizon) won 502-392 (56-44) against independent Jean-Claude Desroches.

Politics of the town are perpetual fights with Quebec City about agglomeration taxes. It was all fine until long-time mayor Marcel Corriveau had to resign in March 2015 for health reasons. A opponent of the administration won the mayorship and since then, it’s a disaster. Council block all the projects of the mayor and mayor keeps calling on them to resign, saying than they are not legitimate anymore and should obey the will of the voters and pass his projects. Council passed various motions asking government to launch various probes into ethics and lack of respect to them. All rejected as being vexatious.

Marie-Julie Cossette resigned in December after public complaints she didn’t attend any meeting since July.

Candidates (let’s note opponents of the mayor are NOT running a candidate and that all 4 candidates are pro-mayor, anti-council):
Éric Dussault (finished last in last mayoral by-election)
Raynald Brulotte  (campaign director of the candidate which finished 2nd in the mayoral by-election)
René Dequen (former general in the French Army)
Chantal Bazin (former municipal worker)

[MaxQue]

There needs to be a by-election for mayor of Côte Saint-Luc (Anthony Housefather was elected MP Mont-Royal) but I have not found a date.

No by-election, as Mitchell Brownstein (counncillor for the 7th ward since 1990 and immigration lawyer) was the only candidate.

There will be a by-election on April 10th to replace him as councillor, as there is 4 candidates for that seat.

[MaxQue]

Charts and a map for today's by-election: http://canadianelectionatlas.blogspot.ca/2016/04/chicoutimi-by-election-charts-and-maps.html

It should have been cose, but the last weeks were a disaster for Liberals.

[MaxQue]

That's the kind of place PQ wins thanks to unions and Liberal being generally weak in "régions éloignées" (in 2012, PQ won all seats in those).

But the PQ grasp in the Saguenay (their former stronghold) is weakening (due to demographic changes; move from an unionised manufacturing industry to a service-one). And Liberals are getting stronger over time in regional cities. All the seats in Saguenay are becoming closer and closer (Dubuc fell once) and so, in the right circumstances, they may fall.

[MaxQue]

Since when is Parc-Extension a neighbourhood of 'dirty hippies'?

Since never, unless it changed in the last 2 years. Given the state of housing there, I doubt hippies would move there anyways.

It's rather "poor immigrants talking not French nor English". Also "forest of satellite dishes", there is like 10 on every building.

[MaxQue]

Fleury I am pretty sure is a Liberal. He's the mayor's biggest ally on council, and he's surrounded by the local Liberal machine.  Fleury might actually be a potential Liberal candidate.

Fleury decided not to run in provincial Ottawa-Vanier. Wants to stay close to home for now. Madeleine Meilleur was ready to support him.

Preparing to replace Mauril Bélanger, then?

[MaxQue]

This is rather morbid speculation, considering Belanger is still alive. Is there talk of him stepping down?

I'm not speculating on his death or resignation, I think Bélanger will try to end his term and retire in 2019. It's quite obvious the seat will be open next election, through.

[MaxQue]

Marie-Victorin: Drainville is quitting politics to replace Normandeau on her radio show. Safe PQ. He's the 11th MNA to quit this Assembly.

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/politique-quebecoise/201607/18/01-5002140-deja-six-candidats-pour-linvestiture-du-pq-dans-marie-victorin.php

La Presse reports there is 6 candidates so far for being the PQ candidate. Former Higher Education minister, Pierre Duchesne, declined to run.

Candidates:
Philippe Cloutier, philosophy teacher in college, Bloc candidate for Longueuil--Charles-LeMoyne (2nd, 27%)
Nicolas Dionne, negociator for a teacher union and former businessman.
Carl Gilbert, former journalist for the Canadian Press and the (defunct) business news channel of Quebecor.
Catherine Fournier, candidate for Bloc leadership, former President of the Bloc, formerly on the staff of Péladeau when he was PQ leader, Bloc candidate in Montarville (2nd, 28%)
Mathieu Marcotte, lawyer.
Sophie Stanké, TV host, actress, spokeperson of the "Mouvement Montréal Français" (they fight for the primauty of the French language in Montreal), Bloc candidate in Châteauguay-Lacolle (2nd, 24%) and PQ candidate in Laporte in 2014 (2nd, 24%) and in Saint-Henri--Sainte-Anne in 2012 (2nd, 32%)

[MaxQue]

The St-Jérôme, Marie-Victorin and Arthabaska Quebec by-elections will be held in late November or early December, according to La Presse.

St-Jérôme must be called before November 2 and the government wants the PQ to have a new leader before calling them (which is in October).

[MaxQue]

There is huge tensions between Orthodox Jews and non-Orthodox Jews in Outremont, the core of it seems to be than businesses don't want temples near them, due to all the traffic they generate (they take parking spaces). They are also afraid of potential complaints (a YMCA had had to put frosting in windows after Orthodox Jews complained than women doing gym was disturbing young men studying in the school across the street). Since then, businesses live in fear of "reasonable accomodements" demands. Note than there is a similar ban on Van Horne Avenue since 2 decades without any complaints.

The borough offered them a plot near the new University Campus than they won't need finally, but the Hassidim says it's too far from where they live (men need to go to the temple twice a day and can't use cars on some days).

[MaxQue]

Why doesnt the Quebec government offer to give the Hassidim a plot of land in northern Quebec

Ancestral Cree land, they would have to give Crees compensations for the loss of land (like in the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement or in the Paix des Braves).

[MaxQue]

There is huge tensions between Orthodox Jews and non-Orthodox Jews in Outremont, the core of it seems to be than businesses don't want temples near them, due to all the traffic they generate (they take parking spaces). They are also afraid of potential complaints (a YMCA had had to put frosting in windows after Orthodox Jews complained than women doing gym was disturbing young men studying in the school across the street). Since then, businesses live in fear of "reasonable accomodements" demands. Note than there is a similar ban on Van Horne Avenue since 2 decades without any complaints.

The borough offered them a plot near the new University Campus than they won't need finally, but the Hassidim says it's too far from where they live (men need to go to the temple twice a day and can't use cars on some days).

Are you sure you don't mean the Ultra Orthodox Jews?  The Orthodox Jews are the mainstream religious Jews.

Well, that's how the Quebec media reports it. Hassidim=Orthodox, while the others are mainstream.

[MaxQue]

This legislation is obviously a big disgrace and I don't understand how issues like these are allowed to be on the ballot anyway, since freedom of religion is a human right and minority rights shouldn't be on the ballot -- and I know this referendum was technically about all houses of worship but everybody knows this was a referendum on synagogues.

Well, I would say the referendum was a demand from the Jew community.

The borough council passed a law banning worship places on Bernard Avenue, but, as it is a planning law, local citizens (living in zones affected by the change and those contiguous to them) can petition a referendum on it (with a petition with 10% of the registered electors of the zone). So, they collected signatures and forced a referendum (which they lost).

They are probably going to court, now.

[MaxQue]

Well, I would say the referendum was a demand from the Jew community.

The borough council passed a law banning worship places on Bernard Avenue, but, as it is a planning law, local citizens (living in zones affected by the change and those contiguous to them) can petition a referendum on it (with a petition with 10% of the registered electors of the zone). So, they collected signatures and forced a referendum (which they lost).

They are probably going to court, now.

Oh, I didn't know, thanks for clarifying Well, I cannot blame them for trying to change the status-quo, though I guess it was a bit naive to expect the others in the neighborhood to, you know, respect the Jews' freedom of worship. Not going to engage in an exercise of blaming the victim, though. Shame on the elected politicians that have kept this law in place and necessitated the referendum initiative.

Apart from that... "Jew community"?

Well, the petition drive was openly organized by the Hassidim community leaders. They have spokepersons and usually speak as a common voice on issues involving the community.

EDIT: Oh, the issue is "Jew community" instead of "Jewish community"? Well, English isn't my mother tongue, to me, it's "communauté juive" in French, usually, so it's more an English error than any intent.

[MaxQue]

Oh, the issue is "Jew community" instead of "Jewish community"? Well, English isn't my mother tongue, to me, it's "communauté juive" in French, usually, so it's more an English error than any intent.

I tend to forget that, sorry for the emoji. "Jew" as an adjective has a rather pejorative connotation. I was sure you weren't going for that, but I still couldn't refrain from responding to it.

Well, in French, it's Jew for both the name and the adjective. Another note on your post (than I just noticed), than it wasn't an attempt to change the status quo from the Hassidim, it was rather an attempt to block the by-law changes.

Politically, there is no options really. Federal government has no power over planning. Montreal City can change a borough law (for 2 years, any renewal needs a 2/3 majority), but, as it would be a change from the new status quo, the anti-synagogue crowd can collect signatures and force another referendum to block the new change.

Provincial government can ban cities from banning worhship places in planning zones, but that won't happen, because there is plenty of reasons to curtain it (here, my city (like most) bans churches from residential areas, because it would be totally out of place on a small residential street). Usual rule in Quebec is than worship places are in commercial areas/downtowns/important streets/industrial parks.

[MaxQue]

Since when did Quebec allow for such trivial municipal referendums anyways? This kind of thing is unheard in Canada outside of BC. Well, I guess there were those de-merger referendums, but that's all I can think of.

Since decades. Referendums to block zoning changes (from worship places allowed to worship places disallowed, in this case) are legal since a long time (And like I said, it's the Hassidim who triggered it to try to block the ban).

[MaxQue]

There are virtually no secular Jews in Outremont.  The Mile End and Outremont were the heart of Jewish Montreal until the 1950s - then the bulk of the pre-war Jewish community moved out. Hasidic Jews moved in and today the Jewish population in Outremont is almost entirely Hasidic.

Outremont is basically: 1) francophone professionals and intellectuals and 2.) Hasidic Jews.  

Well, that only makes it worse.

Basically, as far as the ultra-religious Jews are conserned, a prohibition on synagogues is a prohibition of residence. If synagogues can only be built in commercial areas, that means those people can only live in commercial areas. And, I bet, commercial areas are zoned against residential housing: full circle.

Well, Bernard Avenue is a commercial area (and it makes sense, it's pretty much in the middle of the areas where the Hassidim are living). The Hassidim are not contesting the rule about no worship places in residential areas and quite agree with it. The issue is Outrement borough banning it in the commercial area of Bernard Avenue and asking to put new worship places in the north of the borough,  around Van Horne Avenue (which is the traditional place where most worship places are in Outremont, but isn't where the new generation of Hassidim is living).

[MaxQue]

There are virtually no secular Jews in Outremont.  The Mile End and Outremont were the heart of Jewish Montreal until the 1950s - then the bulk of the pre-war Jewish community moved out. Hasidic Jews moved in and today the Jewish population in Outremont is almost entirely Hasidic.

Outremont is basically: 1) francophone professionals and intellectuals and 2.) Hasidic Jews.  

Well, that only makes it worse.

Basically, as far as the ultra-religious Jews are conserned, a prohibition on synagogues is a prohibition of residence. If synagogues can only be built in commercial areas, that means those people can only live in commercial areas. And, I bet, commercial areas are zoned against residential housing: full circle.

Well, Bernard Avenue is a commercial area (and it makes sense, it's pretty much in the middle of the areas where the Hassidim are living). The Hassidim are not contesting the rule about no worship places in residential areas and quite agree with it. The issue is Outrement borough banning it in the commercial area of Bernard Avenue and asking to put new worship places in the north of the borough,  around Van Horne Avenue (which is the traditional place where most worship places are in Outremont, but isn't where the new generation of Hassidim is living).

Whatever. The non-Hassidic Outremont residents want to get rid of the Hassidim - and this should not be allowed, period.

Precisely. What's the point of a constitution if the quirks of bylaws mean some random municipality can discriminate against minorities?

Well, it's probably not respecting the Constitution, hence why Julius Grey (NDP supporter, lawyer in pretty much all law suits involving discrimination against a community) is involved now.

Their argument is, since the Hassidim cannot use the transportation on some days, they must be allowed to build a worship place within walking distance (whether it's on Bernard Avenue or another street within walking distance, because you cannot argue there is a right to build a worship place on a specific street, only a specific area).