Former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister Sam Hamad runs for mayor
Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
peterblack@qctonline.com
It’s official. After months of speculation and a certain amount of teasing, Sam Hamad has entered the race for mayor of Quebec City.
The 67-year-old former provincial Liberal cabinet minister and MNA for Louis-Hébert made the announcement April 6 in front of an enthusiastic crowd of some 300 supporters packed into the Salle du Quai du Cap-Blanc meeting hall.
The site for the announcement, on Boul. Champlain, was a particularly symbolic one for Hamad, who said in his 15-minute speech that the creation of the three phases of the Promenade Champlain project was his proudest achievement.
Hamad, introduced by two Cégep de Ste-Foy students and his two sons, Jean-Simon and Louis-Joseph, said, “As you know, I left politics in 2017, but in reality, politics has never left me. Since then, I have found a quality of life, a rewarding job and precious time with my loved ones. It’s true, I have everything to lead a happy life, but I have always had the need to serve my community.”
Hamad was born in Syria and came to Canada in 1978 to study engineering. “I arrived in Quebec alone. Very young. All I had were two suitcases, but big dreams. This city welcomed me, it offered me exceptional opportunities and today, I feel more than ever a duty to give back to this city that has given me so much.”
Under the banner of a new party called Leadership Québec, Hamad said he is “running so that Quebec [City] can regain its momentum. So that it can start dreaming big again. So that we can finally emerge from the uncertainty, the division and the stagnation.”
First elected in Louis-Hébert in 2003, Hamad was a minister in a string of portfolios under Jean Charest and Philippe Couillard, including natural resources, labour, treasury board, economic development and transport, as well as minister for the capital region.
Besides the Promenade Champlain redevelopment, Hamad said he had “delivered the merchandise” for other major city projects, including the PEPS at Université Laval, the Videotron Centre, the expansion of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and the Hôpital de l’Enfant-Jésus.
Hamad noted his collaboration with former mayors Jean-Paul L’Allier and Régis Labeaume, former PQ minister and MNA for the downtown riding of Taschereau Agnès Maltais, Conservative MP Gérard Deltell and federal ministers and premiers from all parties.
“What has always guided me is working together in the best interests of the citizens of Quebec,” he said.
Hamad unveiled a five-point program at the launch: “Bring back strong, mobilizing leadership to Quebec City; put citizens back at the heart of municipal decisions; revive Quebec City’s economy with ambition and boldness; uphold its status as the national capital; and manage public finances responsibly, respecting taxpayers’ ability to pay.” As for his position on the current tramway project, Ha- mad said he would be laying out a detailed plan that serves both the downtown and the suburbs during the campaign. He has stated previously the tramway in its current form is too expensive. He told the QCT, “I will come back with this. It’s 210 days [in the campaign], so we have enough time to explain exactly what the project is, what we need.”
As for candidates for Leadership Québec, Hamad said, “I’ll launch with a solid team, rooted in the reality on the ground. We won’t campaign against an administration or another party. We’ll campaign for the citizens of Quebec. We want to rally all those who believe that Quebec can do better.”
Attendees the QCT spoke to cited Hamad’s experience as the main reason for support- ing him, as well as uncertainty about the tramway project.
One supporter was even more specific. Francine DeBlois, active in a Saint-Jean-Baptiste neighbourhood citizens group, said, “Hamad is a man who listens to us, which is not the case with the current mayor.” She said her group had gone to a city council meeting to raise concerns, but “it was always the same cassette. Everything was already decided.”
Besides Hamad, the other declared mayoral candidates are incumbent mayor Bruno Marchand of Quebec Forte et Fière, Claude Villeneuve of Quebec d’abord, Jackie Smith of Transition Québec and Stéphane Lachance of Parti Respect Citoyens.
Municipal elections in Quebec take place on Nov. 2.