You could call it an early birthday present for Montreal from the province of Quebec: the Couillard government tabled a bill to give Montreal special status as a metropolis. Montreal will have a lot more power and Mayor Denis Coderre knows exactly what he’s going to do with it.
In 2016, the city of Montreal still has to ask the provincial government for permission to pass minor laws. Now Montreal could finally be able to decide things for itself, like the operating hours of stores and bars.
“All the time if we had to amend the charter, we had to come at the end of the session and say, ‘Can you do something about it?'” said Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre.
That political hand-holding could soon be over. The provincial government has given special status and powers to the newly-titled “Montreal Metropolis.”
“Montreal is the economic, social and cultural heart of Quebec,” said Premier Philippe Couillard.
The new partnership also grants the city $150 million for economic development and $83 million in other grants. It will establish a new integration office to welcome new immigrants with say in determining the needs of the city and what sort of immigrant profiles Quebec should approve. Montreal city council will also have autonomy for culture and heritage and housing decisions.
“I’ve been talking since day one, day one, even during my campaign, that we have to do better with homeless,” said Coderre.
Coderre wants to put forward an urban health policy, which will aim to prevent homelessness. He said that will now be possible because the provincial government and the city have this new agreement that outlines how they will approach big issues that affect Montrealers.
“There was a great plan on homelessness from Quebec, from the Quebec government, (and another) one in Montreal. How can we act on both of them instead of having double employment and saying, ‘You can do that and I can do that.'”
On Tuesday, the government announced a similar bill that will grant other Quebec cities autonomy. They are also giving Quebec City special status as a provincial capital. The laws are also expected to come into effect in the spring.