Heightened security at PQ election night headquarters

Whether it’s top of mind or buried deeper in subconsciousness, the memory is there for many Quebec voters.

But this year’s venue for the Parti Quebecois election night gathering does what it can to quash any memories of the last election night, when one man was shot dead and another critically injured.

On Sept. 4, 2012, a gunman approached an unlocked back entrance of Montreal institution Metropolis, came within feet of PQ leader Pauline Marois, shot two people and set fire to a door before he was apprehended.

READ MORE: Accused Quebec election-night shooter to have legal-aid hearing

Plain-clothed officers whisked the premier-elect offstage in the midst of her victory speech; confusion reigned, then sorrow when police confirmed the killing.

The security that night was virtually nil.

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Flash forward 17 months to a remote room high up at an Old Montreal hotel. The difference between security at Metropolis and the Westin hotel is night and day. At the former, doors  with immediate access to the venue opened onto Ste. Catherine, St. Dominique and Boisbriand streets.

At the latter, PQ supporters, workers and members of the media will walk from the street to a covered driveway and up a small set of stairs to an automatic, slow revolving door.

Once inside the hotel, attendees take an escalator, then walk straight ahead to set of three elevators, where a man in a suit — one of many stationed at intervals throughout — is standing guard.

Six storeys later, elevator doors glide open to reveal a placard bearing Marois’ smiling face with her name and party emblazoned across the bottom.

To the left, uniformed security agents guide people through one of two metal detectors and rummage through bags.

After getting the all-clear from the guards, supporters may glimpse some provincial police agents before picking up their accreditation lanyards and making their way up another long escalator to the doors to the room where Marois will deliver her speech Monday.