One of the fastest growing communities in Canada is also home to one of the most hotly contested election campaigns for mayor.
Vaudreuil-Dorion, a sprawling off-island Montreal suburb, is the battleground for incumbent mayor Guy Pilon and his challenger, real estate lawyer Pierre Séguin.
The challenger argues the city’s urban planning strategy is a failure. Séguin says the current administration has allowed pockets of land to be developed for both commercial and residential use without a smart plan.
“Everything is focused on power centers instead of the heart of the city itself,” Séguin told Global News Friday morning.
READ MORE: Mayoral candidates debate on Focus Montreal in upcoming municipal elections
There has been a population boom in Vaudreuil-Dorion in recent years. The number of residents has grown by almost 50 per cent since 2006. Currently, more than 38,000 people call the city home.
Dealing with the growth in traffic and mass transit are key issues in the campaign.
Pilon is campaigning on what he says are his accomplishments: keeping property taxes low, redesigning Saint-Charles Avenue off of Highway 40, and attracting new businesses.
READ MORE: Plans for new Vaudreuil-Dorion city hall could sink
Pilon also told Global News the urban planning is no accident.
“Everything is planned. Everything has been planned,” he said.
Voters go to the polls November 5th.
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