The Verdun borough council is the local governing body of Verdun, a borough in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The council consists of seven members: the borough mayor (who also serves as a Montreal city councillor), two city councillors representing the borough's electoral districts, and four borough councillors representing of the same electoral districts (two per division).Electoral Process and Districts: Verdun borough , City of Montreal, accessed 7 December 2013.
Équipe Denis Coderre pour Montréal won a narrow majority on council in the 2013 Montreal municipal election, taking four seats to Projet Montréal's three. The same composition was returned in the 2017 election; however, shortly after the election, Mayor Parenteau left his party and became an independent upon assuming a position on the Montreal Executive Committee, leaving an evenly split council.
Members in the current term (2017-2021) District Position Name Party — Borough mayorCity councillor Jean-François Parenteau Équipe Denis Coderre (2017) Independent (2017–) Champlain–L'Île-des-Sœurs City councillor Marie-Josée Parent Équipe Denis Coderre (2017–18) Projet Montréal (2018–) Borough councillor Pierre L'Heureux Équipe Denis Coderre Véronique Tremblay Équipe Denis Coderre Desmarchais-Crawford City councillor Sterling Downey Projet Montréal Borough councillor Luc Gagnon Projet Montréal Marie-Andrée Mauger Projet Montréal
Pierre L'Heureux is a history professor at Dawson College and the son of noted Quebec journalist and television presenter Gaston L'Heureux.Marian Scott, "Parenteau, Barbe to lead boroughs," Montreal Gazette, 2 November 2013, B5. He first ran for a borough council seat in the 2009 municipal election as a Vision Montreal candidate and was narrowly defeated by Andrée Champoux of Union Montreal. He was first elected in 2013.
Members in previous terms
2013–17 District Position Name Party — Borough mayorCity councillor Jean-François Parenteau Équipe Denis Coderre Champlain–L'Île-des-Sœurs City councillor Manon Gauthier Équipe Denis Coderre Borough councillor Pierre L'Heureux Équipe Denis Coderre Véronique Tremblay Équipe Denis Coderre Desmarchais-Crawford City councillor Sterling Downey Projet Montréal Borough councillor Luc Gagnon Projet Montréal Marie-Andrée Mauger Projet Montréal
2009–13 District Position Name Party —Borough mayorCity councillorClaude Trudel (2009–12) Union MontrealGinette Marotte (2012–13) Independent Champlain–L'Île-des-Sœurs City councillorGinette Marotte (2009–12) Union Montreal (2009–12) Independent (2012)Vacant (2012–13) Borough councillorPaul Beaupré Union Montreal (2009–13) Independent (2013)Andrée Champoux Union Montreal (2009–12) Independent (2012–13) Desmarchais-Crawford City councillor Alain Tassé Union Montreal (2009–12) Independent (2012–13) Borough councillorAnn Guy Union Montreal (2009–12) Independent (2012–13)André Savard Union Montreal (2009–12) Independent (2012–13)
Paul Beaupré served on the borough council from 2005 to 2013 and was for a time as chair of the borough's environment commission."Verdun Cited as the Cleanest Waterfront Area in Québec - World Wildlife Federation," Canada NewsWire, 24 August 2011. He was the only Union Montreal member of the Verdun borough council not to resign from the party in late 2012, following Gérald Tremblay's resignation as mayor of Montreal in response to serious revelations of municipal corruption at the Charbonneau Commission."«Beaucoup de choses se sont dites à la Commission Charbonneau, sauf la vérité» – le conseiller Paul Beaupré", Le Magazine Île-des-Sœurs, 6 December 2012. Union Montreal subsequently dissolved, and Beaupré ran in the 2013 municipal election as a candidate of Coalition Montréal; he was defeated. A candidate named Paul Beaupré sought election to the Verdun city council in the 1985 municipal election, prior to Verdun's amalgamation into Montreal; this was presumably the same person. Andrée Champoux served on the borough council from 2009 to 2013. She left Union Montreal on December 4, 2012.Tracey Ariel, "Ginette Marotte new mayor of Verdun" , The Suburban, 19 December 2012, accessed 17 December 2013; Pierre Lussier, "Mairie de Verdun: que nous réserve 2013?" , Le Reflet du Lac, 2 January 2013, accessed 14 December 2013. When Verdun borough mayor Claude Trudel resigned from office shortly thereafter, Champoux put forward her name to become his interim successor. She was defeated by city councillor Ginette Marotte in a four-to-two vote among the remaining borough council members.Pierre Lussier, "Ginette Marotte, élue maire de Verdun" , Le Messager Verdun, 12 December 2012, accessed 12 December 2013. She sought election for borough mayor in the 2013 municipal election as the candidate of her own Équipe Andrée Champoux pour Verdun party but was defeated. Ann Guy served on the borough council from 2009 to 2013. She resigned from Union Montreal on December 4, 2012,Karim Benessaieh, "Une autre élue quitte Union Montréal", La Presse, 6 December 2012, accessed 5 May 2017. and did not seek re-election in 2013. André Savard served on the borough council from 2005 to 2013, having previously sought election without success in 2001 as a Vision Montreal candidate. In his second term, he served as chair of the borough's public works, traffic, and public safety and security committee."Reconfiguration of L'Ile-des-Soeurs entrances/exits - Reopening of Exit 5 This Weekend," Canada NewsWire, 20 July 2011. He left Union Montreal in late November 2012."Verdun councillor leaves civic party," Montreal Gazette, 27 November 2012, A3. He sought election for borough mayor in the 2013 municipal election as the candidate of the Option Verdun/Montréal party but was defeated. Savard is the son of Raymond Savard, a former Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) and the mayor of Verdun from 1985 to 1993.Pierre Vigneault, "Les membres du conseil rendent hommage à l'ancien maire Raymond Savard", Le Magazine Île-des-Soeurs, 9 July 2012, accessed 5 May 2017.
2005–09 District Position Name Party — Borough mayorCity councillor Claude Trudel Montreal Island Citizens Union Champlain–L'Île-des-Sœurs City councillor Ginette Marotte Montreal Island Citizens Union Borough councillor Paul Beaupré Montreal Island Citizens Union Marc Touchette Montreal Island Citizens Union Desmarchais-Crawford City councillor Alain Tassé Montreal Island Citizens Union Borough councillor Josée Lavigueur Thériault Montreal Island Citizens Union André Savard Montreal Island Citizens Union
Note: The Montreal Island Citizens Union changed its name to Union Montreal in 2007.
Marc Touchette served on the borough council from 2005 to 2009 and was a member of its public safety committee.David Johnston, "Careful, drivers," Montreal Gazette, 12 May 2008, A2. He did not seek re-election in 2009. He ran for Montreal city council in the 2013 municipal election as a candidate of Option Verdun/Montréal and was defeated. Touchette was also elected to the Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys in 2003 and was re-elected in 2007. As of 2013, he served on the commission's governance and ethics committee.Marc Touchette , Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys, accessed 18 December 2013. He did not seek re-election as a trustee in 2014.
2002–05 District Position Name Party —City councillor(three members, at large)Georges BosséBossé was selected as the council's first chair, a position that was later restyled as borough mayor. Montreal Island Citizens UnionLaurent Dugas Montreal Island Citizens Union (2002–04) Independent (2004–05)Claude Trudel Montreal Island Citizens Union Champlain Borough councillor Ginette Marotte Montreal Island Citizens UnionDesmarchais-CrawfordBorough councillor John Gallagher Montreal Island Citizens Union
John Gallagher (1929–January 1, 2016) was a Verdun city councillor for many years prior to the city's amalgamation with Montreal,Obituary, John Gallagher, Montreal Gazette, accessed 8 March 2017. having been elected in 1985, 1989, 1993, and 1997. He served on the borough council for one term from 2002 to 2005 before retiring.
References