Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Parc Extension city councillor Mary Deros, who is considered the “dean” of Montreal City Council after seven electoral victories, is tossing her hat in for yet another run. She confirms to Nouvelles Parc Extension News that she will a candidate in the November 2 municipal elections.

First elected in 1998 with Mayor Pierre Bourque’s Vision Montreal party, Deros served as an executive-committee member under Bourque.

Proven track record

As well, she served in the administration of Mayor Gérald Tremblay under the Union Montreal party. In more recent years, she ran under the banner of Équipe Denis Coderre, eventually becoming a member of Ensemble Montréal.

During an official announcement last week in Parc Extension’s Centennial Park, Ensemble Montréal mayoralty candidate Soraya Martinez Ferrada said she felt privileged to have Deros run with her party.

“I’m very, very honored and proud that Mary, who I’ve known for twenty years now from the borough and city councils, accepted to run again,” said Martinez Ferrada.

New blood and experience

“She is somebody who knows the city very well – Mary knows every single street in this district – and we need people like that,” she added.

“Not only do we need new people, like Sylvain Gariépy who is running for borough mayor, but we need people with experience who know how to try and make the city great again,” said Martinez Ferrada.

“She’s seen a lot. She’s seen what works and what doesn’t work, and it’s important to have that perspective when you’re working in a city. Having somebody like that on board puts us in the right place. And that’s why I’m so happy that she’s here.”

In an interview, Deros described her last four years of dealing with an administration dominated by Projet Montréal as “extremely difficult,” involving contentious local issues such as the creation of bike paths and loss of street parking, as well as the failure of Projet Montréal to build more social housing in Parc Extension.

Critical of Projet Montréal

“We’ve been trying to work with an administration and a party that doesn’t care, doesn’t listen,” she said. “I’ve been asking for certain improvements. Nothing’s been done. Although they claim they’re putting in the effort, the effort is not there. We have no results. And when you don’t have results, it means they’re not doing the proper management.”

Deros said she felt very confident knowing that Soraya Martinez Ferrada could be taking over the reins at Montreal City Hall. “Having Soraya taking this leap into city politics, I feel very secure that we’re going to have an administration that cares for people, that listens to people,” she said.

At the same time, Deros welcomed Sylvain Gariépy, who is running under the Ensemble Montréal banner for mayor of Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc Extension.

Restoring Montreal

“Having worked with the number of people I have over the last twenty-seven years, I feel very confident in this partnership we’re forming under Ensemble Montréal with Soraya, Sylvain and all the candidates,” said Deros. “It’s very encouraging to see that people care and want to put Montreal back on the map. Because we’re not a village, we’re a metropolis. And for the last eight years, Montreal has been going down.”

Gariépy’s professional background is in urban planning, having been a partner in two urban planning firms. In that capacity, he worked closely with officials from the City of Montreal, as well as with suburban municipalities.

“I think I can bring good ideas from my experience to the borough, including Parc Extension,” he said.