Camillien-Houde Way.

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Newly-acclaimed Ensemble Montréal leader Soraya Martinez Ferrada went after Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante last week, after the executive committee approved a contract for the planned redesign of Mount Royal that would close cross-mountain car access.

If Ensemble Montréal is elected to office next November, making Martinez Ferrada mayor of Montreal, she said she would retain car traffic on Camillien-Houde Way.

“What’s the hurry?” Martinez Ferrada said in a news conference, insisting that the mayor should rather make it an election issue and let Montrealers decide.

Ensemble Montréal says that Plante has consistently been ignoring Montrealers’ true feelings on the subject, and are accusing her of pushing the plan through to make sure it is a done deal before she leaves office. In a post to X (Twitter) the party reiterated Projet Montréal’s “lack of respect for consultations will cost taxpayers.”

The approved contract was awarded to two companies – CIMA+ and Lemay. The two teamed up to present one bid. Alex Norris, the executive committee member responsible for Mount Royal Park, said there were five bids in total, even though as recently as two weeks ago only one bid had been presented by deadline.

The six-year, $89 million redesign of the mountain would begin with a preliminary $12.8 million planning contract, approved at last Wednesday’s executive committee meeting, with a view to bringing the project to completion by 2029.

At last Wednesday’s meeting Plante said that she is in the last 300 days of her tenure, emphasizing the importance of getting things done. The mayor insists the plan is the right one, telling her executive committee “I will continue to strongly defend this project.” n