kramberger: amid escalating tension in pointe-claire, a byelection
though the april 23 vote won't alter the balance of power, the tone is likely to reflect the polarized views at council meetings and on social media.
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the byelection set for april 23 was called after erin tedford resigned last month as councillor for district 1 (cedar/le village).
pierre obendrauf
/
montreal gazette
it would not be surprising if the ongoing rift between the mayor of pointe-claire and a majority of city councillors spills into the spring byelection campaign.
it seems to me that questions over high-density residential development, mandates and leadership have been tipping points in the city of 34,500 residents since a general civic election was held in fall 2021.
some might consider this byelection to be a public opinion poll on support for the mayor’s position or for the vision set forth by the majority of councillors. but only eligible electorate in district 1 can vote, so it’s not a citywide plebiscite. perhaps one side can claim a moral victory.
the byelection set for april 23 was called after erin tedford resigned last month as councillor for district 1 (cedar/le village). she was elected to her first term in 2021, as was bruno tremblay (district 6) and mayor tim thomas. this trio echoed the save fairview forest group’s goal to conserve the entire woodland along brunswick blvd., just west of fairview ave. where a réseau express métropolitain light-rail station is being erected next to the highway 40 service road.
the forest and fairview shopping centre were included in an interim control bylaw tabled by city council last year. both properties are owned by cadillac fairview, which launched legal action in response.
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six councillors — paul bissonnette, brent cowan, kelly thorstad-cullen, cynthia homan, tara stainforth and eric stork — voted last week in favour of mandating the city manager to kick-start talks with cadillac fairview regarding its two properties placed in the imposed development freeze. the mayor and tremblay objected, stating it favours a developer’s input over citizens.
cowan has stated the aim is to work out a mutually agreeable path forward with fairview cadillac, which would lead to a citizens-based task force. the objective is to create a comprehensive development plan that could protect the forest as is, he noted.
the mayor lost an ally on council with tedford’s departure. but no matter who wins in the district 1 byelection, the six councillors who were returned to office from the previous administration can continue to hold a majority vote on contentious issues until the next general election in november 2025.
thomas bested outgoing mayor john belvedere by 61 votes in the 2021 election. he received around 46 per cent of votes cast for mayor, compared to about 45 per cent for belvedere and almost nine per cent for lois butler. voter turnout was just over 40 per cent.
will voter participation be any higher in the byelection, considering the escalating public war of words between the mayor and the council majority? probably not, in my estimation. it’s also unlikely in this case that a lone candidate will be acclaimed.
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while the fairview forest and the shopping centre parking lot are not specifically located in district 1, potential byelection candidates will surely face questions about urban planning tactics, how many storeys is too high for multi-unit buildings, or how many more condo or rental unit projects are a good fit for pointe-claire in general.
the tone of the byelection campaign is likely to reflect the polarized views at pointe-claire city council meetings and in many social media posts.
for those brave enough to face fractious debate, nomination papers for the pointe-claire byelection must be filed at city hall between march 10 and 24.
albert kramberger is editor of the montreal gazette’s west island/off-island section.
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