Plateau Mont-Royal borough mayor Luc Ferrandez quits political life

Outspoken Plateau Mont-Royal borough mayor Luc Ferrandez has quit political life.

Ferrandez made the announcement on his Facebook page.

He says he has realized that he can’t push his ecological agenda far enough.

“I’ve been dreaming of quitting for months and a thousand reasons make me want to stay — starting with the true passion I have for this job and my sincere affection for my colleagues,” he said in his post.

“Only one thing makes me want to leave and it comes back repeatedly, and more strongly: an impression of imposture. More precisely, of fooling citizens that we collectively are taking all measures to slow the demise of our planet.”

Ferrandez said the city has taken several steps towards being more environmentally friendly such as its ban on single-use plastics and on oil heating by 2030.

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But he says more needs to be done. He said he would like to see a tax on parking, on waste and lobbying against the expansion of the Montreal airport among other initiatives. Ferrandez added that with those revenues, the city should invest in buying green spaces and building a green belt around Montreal, for example.

Ferrandez also criticized the proposed Royalmount mega development, the largest real estate project ever proposed for Montreal, as well as the proposed baseball stadium in the Sud-Ouest borough, insinuating the city should oppose the projects deeming them “over-consumption”.

“Incapable of influencing the mayor (and the executive committee president and its members) on the severity of the situation and the measures that should be imposed, I choose not to stay within this team,” Ferrandez said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Incapable of influencing the mayor (and the executive committee president and its members) on the severity of the situation and the measures that should be imposed, I choose not to stay within this team," Ferrandez said.

Ferrandez, however, thanked Valerie Plante for entrusting him with the parks and green spaces dossier in the city and for taking on Projet Montreal’s leadership during “a crucial time in history”. He said he understands how difficult it is to make progressive policies in an political environment that isn’t.

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“I don’t want to weaken her leadership nor work for another team,” Ferrandez added. “I hope Projet Montreal stays strong and unified and wins the next election.”

Ferrandez ended by thanking residents of the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough for “these 10 years of bliss.”

In a press release, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante thanked Ferrandez for his service and praised the work he did for the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough.

“As a mayor, he was a true agent of change,” Plante said. “He started a great urban revolution that is now a reference in urban planning and greening.”

Plante went on to say that the Plateau has become a destination for Montrealers and tourists alike because of Ferrandez, who turned the borough around after inheriting it in poor financial shape.

Ferrandez’s resignation will take effect in June. A byelection will be called within 120 days. ​