Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify that the topic of the Westmount greenhouse was brought up by an audience member and addressed by mayoral candidate Christina Smith.
Hundreds packed into Westmount’s Victoria Hall on Wednesday night for the city’s mayoral debate.
It was standing room only.
“I’ve been in Westmount 25 years, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Westmount Municipal Association’s Liz McCallum said.
It is the first real race for mayor that citizens have seen in many years. Longtime former mayor Peter Trent was acclaimed several times between 1991 and 2013 when the last municipal elections were held.
The three candidates, Westmount councillor Patrick Martin, incumbent mayor Christina Smith, chosen as interim mayor in April 2017, and Suburban newspaper editor Beryl Wajsman faced off on varied issues.
These include taxes, infrastructure spending, traffic concerns, the refurbishing of the beloved but neglected greenhouse and the provincial government’s controversial Bill 62.
The bill prohibits people covering their faces from accessing public services – including using public transit.
“When I saw the justice minister say the solution was to just not get on the bus I thought that was horrifying and I couldn’t believe i was hearing it, I wouldn’t impliment it,” Smith said.
“In Canada, in a democratic society, it is unacceptable,” Wajsman told the crowd.
Martin also criticized the bill saying: “that law doesn’t make any sense.”
But that was the one issue all three candidates were able to agree on.
The city’s surplus became a recurring theme.
A member of the audience posed a question about the Westmount greenhouse, which has been closed to the public and in a state of disrepair.
Smith then accused former councillor Patrick Martin, who sat on the committee in charge of the greenhouse, of not doing enough to preserve the landmark site.
Even though, according to Smith, funds were available to do the work.
Martin retaliated, criticizing Smith and those on the city’s finance committee about the municipality’s large surplus, suggesting that tax cuts could and should be on the table for residents.
While Wajsman refused to say what he would do with a surplus until he saw the city’s financial books.
The event was organized by the Westmount Municipal Association.
Organizers say that after years of having acclaimed mayors, people are excited for a competitive race.
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