Montreal elections 2017: Mayoral candidates debate on Focus Montreal

The municipal elections in Quebec are just around the corner and candidates are campaigning in earnest.

Global News Montreal’s weekly magazine Focus Montreal is hosting a series of televised debates in the lead up to Nov. 5.

READ MORE: Montreal municipal election campaign gets underway

Senior Anchor Jamie Orchard will moderate the debates, focusing on issues that matter to residents of the different municipalities or boroughs.

“There’s a lot of coverage of the main cities, but in terms of breaking it down in these small towns, people are often not well-informed,” said Orchard.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "There's a lot of coverage of the main cities, but in terms of breaking it down in these small towns, people are often not well-informed," said Orchard.

“We, as media, are not doing a good job of informing them. So, these debates give them an opportunity to hear what the issues are in their town, and hopefully it will inspire them to go out and vote.”

WATCH BELOW: Residents in Côte Saint-Luc have a lot of questions for their mayoral candidates

1:55 Montreal elections 2017: Questions from Côte Saint-Luc residents

The series kicks off Oct. 1 with debates between candidates vying for mayor in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (CDN-NDG), as well as mayoral candidates for the City of Côte Saint-Luc.

READ MORE: ‘We are the alternative to Denis Coderre’: Projet Montréal launches leadership race

CDN-NDG borough mayor Russell Copeman will go head-to-head with former Montreal Gazette journalist and co-creator of #BeenRapedNeverReported, Sue Montgomery; and former president of the Order of Engineers of Quebec and Engineers Canada, Zaki Ghavitian.

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Current Côte Saint-Luc mayor Mitchell Brownstein will debate the city’s former mayor, Robert Libman, in the second half of the show.

READ MORE: Ed Janiszewski running for mayor of DDO again

The debates will air on Global News on Oct. 1 at 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 am.

“Ultimately, what we need is for more people to get involved in municipal elections and to take an interest in their communities,” noted Orchard.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Ultimately, what we need is for more people to get involved in municipal elections and to take an interest in their communities," noted Orchard.

Next, Global News will hold debates with mayoral candidates from the cities of Beaconsfield and Vaudreuil-Dorion.

WATCH BELOW: Residents in CDN-NDG have a few things to ask their mayoral candidates

1:20 Montreal elections 2017: Questions from CDN–NDG residents

Incumbent Georges Bourelle will debate James Bonnell over what’s at stake for Beaconsfield, and Pierre Z. Séguin will face-off against current Vaudreuil-Dorion mayor Guy Pilon over off-island issues.

READ MORE: Jean Fortier challenges Denis Coderre for Montreal mayoralty

The debates will air over Thanksgiving weekend, Oct. 7 at 5:30 p.m. and Oct. 8 at 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Upcoming debates on Focus Montreal will also include municipalities like Westmount, Pointe-Claire and Pierrefonds-Roxboro.

Have a question for the candidates in your neighbourhood?

E-mail us at montreal@globalnews.ca with subject line “Questions for my candidates.”