Hanes: Montreal and the rest of Quebec

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When Montréal’s think of video game giant Ubisoft, many imagine its red brick headquarters in a renovated historic industrial building on St-Laurent Blvd. in Mile End.

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For better or for worse, Ubisoft’s arrival in Quebec a quarter-century ago helped transform the neighborhood that came to life in the pages of Mordecai Richler’s novels into one of the most modern (and most gentrified) in the city.

But when Ubisoft revealed its latest investment on Tuesday, it was in Sherbrooke . Quebec’s Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon was present, fresh from a weekend party convention focused on the regions. He promised that similar announcements would be made, from Abitibi-Témiscamingue to Gaspésie, as part of the Avenir Québec Coalition’s strategy to create jobs and, more importantly, create wealth in the regions.

However, more than pure economic strategy, it is also part of a political effort to strengthen areas of the province where its base of support is deep and where its nationalist message resonates.

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But will this regionally oriented approach come at the expense of Montreal?

The CAQ was limited to two seats on the island of Montreal when it came to power thanks to a wave of suburban and rural votes in 2018. And the priorities of the populist premier François Legault seemed very at odds with those of the Montreal mayor, conscious of ecology, Valérie Plante.

But any expectation on Legault’s part that Plante could one day be replaced at City Hall by someone more aligned with his own views was firmly dissolved by his decisive reelection victory on November 7.

Plante returned to office with 52 percent of the vote. His progressive Projet Montréal party has its second consecutive majority on the council and an agenda that includes fighting climate change, promoting public transportation, biking and walking, and trying to tame the runaway housing market to keep more. families in the city.

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Montréal’s elected a more diverse roster of city councilors, with 17 percent of the 65 members coming from different ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds, better reflecting the population. Plante even got support at Rivière-des-Prairies – Pointe-Aux-Trembles, where the CAQ has one of its two seats in Montreal.

When Legault returned from the COP26 summit in Glasgow, he gave Plante a courtesy call, promising that he would continue as usual between the province and Montreal. But that doesn’t say much, as the relationships between the two have never been particularly warm.

Legault barely mentioned Montreal in last month’s inaugural address to the National Assembly, a hint that it has politically ruled out the city, especially compared to its regional push. The convention over the weekend that emphasized the importance of the regions was another sign that your attention ahead of the next provincial elections in less than a year will not be on Montreal.

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Every Quebec government campaigning for re-election spreads treats in the regions. The way the seats are laid out dictates that the path to the majority passes through places like the Bas-St-Laurent and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean regions. But in Legault’s case, there is a feeling that his heart is also firmly installed in those places.

Perhaps he has calculated that he is simply not going to make inroads in Montreal, where seats are currently divided between Liberals and Quebecois solidarity. And you may be right.

But how much can Legault, or any economy-driven prime minister, afford to neglect the city, once the province’s economic giant?

Legault’s priorities for Montreal are getting CDPQ Infra to build REM de l’Est to help open empty industrial lines on the eastern edge to new development. He seems less concerned with how the concrete pillars of the elevated rail network might shape the urban landscape through low-income neighborhoods in the name of opportunity.

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The remainder of his economic plan focuses on making Quebec the green battery of North America, by exporting hydroelectric power and promoting industries such as St-Jérôme-based bus manufacturer Lion Electric.

Legault may not need Montreal to return to power, but Plante will need his help to advance his own priorities. Launching the expansion of the Blue Line and guaranteeing the social acceptance of REM de l’Est will require provincial assistance. The center also needs love after 20 months of office workers doing their jobs remotely.

Plante said during the campaign that, unlike his rivals, he did not need additional powers from the provincial or federal governments to run Montreal. But it might have to reconsider if the political moat that divides the city from the rest of Quebec widens.

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