Montreal’s new mayor, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, was officially sworn into her new role on Thursday, with a message of hope and collaboration, as well as recognition for the English-speaking community.
Flanked by some of the most important women in her life, including her mother, aunt, and daughter, she signed the city’s golden book. Her partner also joined her on stage.
She is now the second woman to be elected mayor of Montreal after her predecessor, Valérie Plante, did not seek a third term. As she begins her four-year term, she is also the first person from a diverse background to be elected mayor of Montreal.
Martinez Ferrada led Ensemble Montréal to victory in the Nov. 2 election, ending eight years of rule by Projet Montréal.
Projet Montréal has chosen Erika Alneus to lead the opposition as interim leader, which marks another first.
“I think it’s an important symbol for the city to have two women from diverse backgrounds leading the council,” Montreal’s new mayor said.
Martinez Ferrada arrived in Canada in 1980 as a Chilean refugee child and served as a federal minister under the Trudeau Liberal government.
In her swearing-in speech, she acknowledged the many challenges ahead, including the homelessness crisis, housing, safety, cleanliness, the economic vitality of downtown, the environment and public finances, and said Montrealers sent a simple and powerful message that they want the new administration at city hall to work together to tackle the important issues.
“They want a city where the solutions replace divisions, where action replaces delays, where responsibility replaces ideology,” she said.
Montrealers, she said, “gave us a mandate to rebuild confidence, improve essential services, give back to Montreal the ambition of being a great metropolis — a city that compares to the best and not only to its neighbours.
“This mandate, I accept it with humility.”
She also spoke directly to Montreal’s English-speaking community.
“To my English community, a community which built this city, that contributed to the history of Montreal, and I want you to know that you can count on me,” she said in English.
After starting her speech off in French, she also switched to Spanish, her mother tongue, with her voice breaking at times as she became emotional speaking about the Latino community.
“I wanted to say to all communities from different backgrounds that they have a place in this town and that they can be part of this city,” she said at a news scrum following her speech.
Martinez Ferrada led centrist party Ensemble Montréal to victory in the Nov. 2 election.
She has promised to listen to Montrealers who feel ignored, particularly those who have questioned decisions regarding bike lanes and pedestrian streets.
She also says she’s hopeful she’ll be able to have constructive dialogue with the opposition and plans to form a table of borough mayors to work with the executive committee “because every decision we have will have an impact on the boroughs.”
Martinez Ferrada says her first order of business as mayor on Friday will be to speak to Prime Minister Mark Carney at the inauguration of the new Réseau express métropolitain (REM) line to the North Shore.
The City of Montreal said Thursday that, for the first time ever, there are more female mayors than male mayors representing the city’s boroughs. The official election results confirmed that there are 55 women and 48 men elected in the Nov. 2 election.
With files from The Canadian Press
