Latest news with #Sauvé
Montreal Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Opinion: New party aims to ‘shake up' Montreal election. It just might
With just over three months to go before Montrealers elect their new mayor, the race for the city's top job has taken a new turn with the arrival of a party promising to 'shake things up.' Independent city councillor Craig Sauvé has launched Transition Montréal, aiming to offer 'another choice for Montrealers, instead of the two older parties.' This could spell trouble for Sauvé's former party, Projet Montréal, which he represented from 2013 to 2021 before leaving following allegations of sexual misconduct dating back to 2012. With a progressive, unapologetically left-leaning platform, Transition Montréal risks splitting the vote, potentially hurting Luc Rabouin's chances of succeeding Valérie Plante as mayor — and of securing a majority at city hall this November. That could benefit Ensemble Montréal — Denis Coderre's former party, now led by ex-federal minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada. In tightly contested boroughs and districts, just a few dozen votes might be enough to swing the outcome. So instead of the two-way race many were expecting, Montrealers will now have a third option — and having more choice is usually a good thing in a democracy. While Ensemble Montréal currently faces little competition on the centre-right of the political spectrum, left-leaning voters will have not one but two parties to choose from. Depending on Transition Montréal's performance this fall, this could be a real game changer. That said, Sauvé is entering the race quite late. Building a party from scratch — including raising funds for the campaign, recruiting over 100 candidates to run in each of the city's boroughs, hiring a complete team of organizers, bringing in dozens of volunteers to help with canvassing and getting the vote out — is no small feat, especially in such a short time. It's an ambitious plan, to say the least, if not nearly impossible to achieve. Still, the party is putting forward ideas that could appeal to many of Projet Montréal's traditional supporters. One of its main promises is to further tax the city's so-called 'ultra-wealthy' — those who own a single-family home or luxury condo worth more than $3.5 million. Sauvé wants to use the resulting revenue to fund homelessness initiatives, saying it could double the current funding for such programs. Sauvé, who was first elected in the Sud-Ouest borough in 2013, also wants to make public transit more affordable for those who need it most. If elected, he plans to reduce fares for residents earning less than $45,000 a year. In short: Take more from the rich to give to the poor. Some kind of municipal Robin Hood, basically. This type of rhetoric is typical of the left — and it's likely to resonate with many Montrealers, particularly in areas where Projet Montréal enjoys strong support, such as Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, Rosemont, Ville-Marie, and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. That's where Sauvé could do the most damage to his former party. Could there be surprises? Many will remember the 'Mélanie Joly effect' from the 2013 election. Though virtually unknown to the general public at the beginning of the campaign, she came close to defeating Coderre in the end — and even outperformed high-profile candidates like Richard Bergeron and Marcel Côté. Whether Sauvé can replicate that kind of momentum this fall remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: If neither of the two 'old parties' wins a majority and Transition Montréal manages to secure even just a few seats within city council, the new party could end up holding the balance of power — and the necessary leverage to significantly influence the next administration's agenda. And, who knows, maybe even negotiate with the new mayor to get a few seats on Montreal's executive committee — the municipal equivalent of a cabinet. Montreal's municipal marathon is just getting started. And all of a sudden, the race just got a lot more exciting.
Montreal Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Transition Montréal proposes ‘social fares' for low-income transit users, unveils first candidates
Montreal Politics By Transition Montréal is vowing to slash public transit fares for people with low incomes as the new municipal party begins to unveil parts of its platform and its first candidates across the city. The proposed measure of a 'social fare system' specifically targets Montrealers who earn $45,000 or less per year, party leader Craig Sauvé explained at a campaign event Monday morning. Transport and mobility are both 'key for social justice,' he said. 'It's a big one because as we see cost of living is going up everywhere, families are feeling pressure, people of all ages and backgrounds are feeling pressure,' Sauvé said. It marks Transition Montréal's third election promise since it officially launched earlier this month. Sauvé, its leader, has said he wanted to 'shake this race up.' The party, which bills itself as a progressive option, has also promised to fight homelessness through a luxury property tax for the 'ultra rich' and create a municipal task force to handle public work projects 'in house,' to rely less on private contractors. Sauvé unveiled the party's first set of candidates Monday and all three of them live in the boroughs in which they hope to be elected. He said Transition Montréal is aiming for 'quality candidates that represent their neighbourhoods.' Luc Corbin, who hopes to become the next mayor of the Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie borough, is a manager in manufacturing and co-founded the non-profit Masson Village, which brings green spaces to the busy Promenade Masson. He said if he is elected, he wants to meet with constituents across the sprawling borough and address their needs. Mama Khan restaurant owner Abdul Raziq Khan is running for city councillor in the Parc-Extension district, where he has lived for his entire life. He has distributed free meals outside the Parc métro station and he is behind the Madinah Foundation, which fights food insecurity in Montreal. Khan is hoping to oust stalwart Mary Deros, saying 'it's time for change.' UQAM law student Marika Lalime, who has run for the federal New Democratic Party multiple times, is Transition Montréal's candidate for borough councillor in Outremont's Joseph-Beaubien district. She has worked with Indigenous youth and the unhoused community through legal workshops and clinics, experiences she said has inspired her to help the city's most vulnerable. When asked about how many districts Transition Montréal has filled with candidates so far, Sauvé declined to give a precise number but said he's 'waiting on responses from so many people.' He added full slates are 'really tough to come by' but the party plans to 'cover as much as we can of the ground and try to get people in every borough.'
Montreal Gazette
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Craig Sauvé is running for mayor of Montreal with a new party, vowing to ‘shake this race up'
By Craig Sauvé is throwing his hat in the ring for mayor of Montreal alongside the launch of a new political party, The Gazette has learned. The independent city councillor confirmed the move Wednesday, saying Transition Montréal is a progressive option that wants to 'redefine the campaign.' 'We're going to shake this race up,' he said in an interview. 'We're going to offer another choice for Montrealers, instead of the two older parties. And we'll try to do it in a way that's fun, respectful and interesting.' Sauvé will officially make the announcement Thursday morning. In vying for the city's top job, he will be facing off against Projet Montréal Leader Luc Rabouin, who is also mayor of the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, and Soraya Martinez Ferrada, a former federal Liberal cabinet minister who was acclaimed leader of Ensemble Montréal earlier this year. Sauvé said he brings the most experience with his 12 years as a city councillor and if he is elected, he will be connected to the ground and 'trying to bring people together.' When asked what he would do first if he becomes the next mayor of Montreal, he said he would 'reach out to the other teams and try to see how we can work together going forward.' 'I would have an executive committee where there's not just my party members sitting on the executive committee, but open it up to talented members of Ensemble Montréal and Projet Montréal so that we can work together,' he said. Since 2013, Sauvé has served as a city councillor representing the Saint-Henri—Little-Burgundy—Pointe-Saint-Charles district, and was first elected with Projet Montréal. He withdrew from the party caucus during the 2021 municipal election over a 2012 sexual abuse allegation he categorically denied. At the time, Sauvé said that he was already cleared of any wrongdoing, following investigations. When asked about the allegation Wednesday, Sauvé noted that both Projet Montréal and the police had investigated, and police had closed the file. He said it was something he wanted to 'address in a responsible, open, transparent, integral process' but that he is 'trying my best to move forward, with respect to everybody.' Since withdrawing from Projet Montréal in 2021, Sauvé has remained an independent city councillor. Did he consider returning to the party? He said there were discussions. 'There was a possibility there. At the same time, and this is again, I ran two campaigns federally, right? In between, I ran for the NDP twice, I came close during the byelection. After the second election, which we didn't win again, I started discussing with Projet again.' The long-time politician said he thought about it, adding he has 'very dear friends in the party' but ultimately decided against it. 'I'm not sure if that's the best motivation to do politics, you know? And to say, I want to be with this party,' he said, referring to friendships. 'I didn't feel inspired, by the recent, how can I say, the recent administration of Projet Montréal.' He said he doesn't want to bash other parties, but he was 'inspired by the project that Transition Montréal was proposing.' With his experience both behind the scenes and in office, he said he is in a unique position to 'undertake something like this.' The party will have its official launch Thursday. The new leader says he has already been working to recruit candidates and Transition Montréal plans to run them in all 19 boroughs. They want a diverse team, he added, including different linguistic and professional backgrounds. 'We want to stay above the fray of the bickering and the quarrelling,' he said. 'So we're going to try to propose this other voice for Montrealers that I think will appeal to many Montrealers.' The party will be announcing policies and candidacies in the coming weeks, he said. Sauvé mentioned two 'main pieces' will be addressed Thursday: one in economic justice and homelessness, and another in construction and public service. It will mark the third campaign for Sauvé in two years, including two attempts with the NDP in the LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. He said he didn't run because he grew bored of his current job, but he wanted to bring economic and social justice issues to a new level. 'I do love my job and I feel that this move is another way for me to bring my experience forward. And I'm excited about it,' he said.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Stanley park Christmas train cancelled after 26 years, burn fund faces $500K crisis
The BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund faces a significant challenge as the Stanley Park Christmas Train will remain out of service in 2025 due to costly repairs, impacting their annual Bright Nights fundraiser. This event, a crucial source of funding for burn survivor support, will be absent for the first time in 26 years. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads For the first time in 26 years, the BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund will not be operating its annual fundraising event alongside the Bright Nights Christmas Train in Stanley Vancouver Park Board announced Tuesday(July 8) that the Stanley Park train will remain out of service for the rest of 2025 due to extensive and costly mechanical repairs. The decision leaves the Burn Fund, which has relied on the event for a significant portion of its annual fundraising, without one of its most visible and successful Bright Nights fundraiser has long supported burn survivors across British Columbia, helping fund medical equipment, housing, and children's burn camps.'This is the first year that it won't operate with the train in Stanley Park,' said Jeff Sauvé, Executive Director of the Burn Fund. 'But now it's about pivoting and finding a solution.'The holiday train ride , part of the Bright Nights in Stanley Park attraction, has traditionally featured festive lights, family-friendly displays, and thousands of volunteer hours from local firefighters. Each year, about 800 firefighters spend nearly a month setting up the lights and decorations around the miniature train its height, the fundraiser brought in close to $500,000, with the Burn Fund receiving both donations and a portion of the ticket sales. Last year, however, the event only generated around $200,000, after the train service was halted mid-season due to an engineer falling ill from exhaust confirmed the Burn Fund had concerns earlier this year that the train might not operate, but the official news came Tuesday along with the public announcement. 'At this point, there hasn't been any discussion of what the future of the train will look like,' he the Burn Fund says the loss of the train is a significant hit, Sauvé remains optimistic. 'We are sure one of our partners will step up,' he said. The organization is now exploring alternative fundraising options to support its work in the absence of the train.
Global News
09-07-2025
- General
- Global News
For 1st time in 26 years, BC Fire Fighters Burn Fund will not operate with Stanley Park train
For the past 26 years, the BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund has held a fundraiser in Stanley Park alongside the Bright Nights Christmas Train. 'This is the first year that it won't operate with the train in Stanley Park,' Jeff Sauvé, executive director of the Burn Fund, told Global News. On Tuesday, the Vancouver Park Board announced that the Stanley Park train will remain out of operation for the rest of 2025 due to extensive and costly repairs needed. Sauvé said that while they had an inkling that the train would be unlikely to run this year, they found out on Tuesday along with everybody else. He added that the annual fundraiser makes up a big part of their budget for the year. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'But now it's about pivoting and finding a solution,' Sauvé said. Story continues below advertisement At its peak, he said the Bright Nights at Stanley Park fundraiser, where thousands of lights are strung up around the mini train station and people riding the train make a donation to the park, raised up to half a million dollars. They also received a percentage from the train sales. About 800 firefighters spend about a month putting up all the lights and displays. 0:38 Future of Stanley Park Train remains unclear 'Last year it was about half of what our traditional fundraising would be,' Sauvé said, totalling about $200,000. The Stanley Park Christmas Train did run at the beginning of last season but it was halted on Dec. 13 after one of the train's engineers became sick due to exhaust fumes from one of the locomotives. Sauvé said they are sure one of their partners will step up and they will figure out another fundraising venture. Story continues below advertisement 'At this point, there hasn't been any discussion of what the future of the train will look like,' he added.
