With less than two weeks until Montrealers head to the polls, Mayor Denis Codere is hoping to get young voters interested in municipal politics.
The incumbent spent part of the day Sunday at a skate park in Verdun flanked by his team of youth councillours. Coderre made several promises aimed at Montreal's younger demographic.
The Mayor said if re-elected he would create a youth council, similar to the one already in place in Verdun, in every borough. The council would have the opportunity to review projects in their neighbourhoods and comment on the development. Projet Montreal has made a similar promise.
Coderre and his team also pledged to develop more housing for students, in locations to better serve them: near universities and metro stations.
Team Coderre also committed to dedicating $500,000 for various projects aimed at youths.
Coderre is expected to appear with Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough mayor Russell Copeman as they discuss unsanitary housing prior to tonight's debate.
Projet Montreal's Valerie Plante and Denis Coderre will square off in the only English-language debate tonight at Oscar Peterson Hall on the Loyola Campus of Concordia University at 7:00 P.M.
The debate is being moderated by CJAD 800's Leslie Roberts. CJAD 800's Aaron Rand and The Gazette journalists Allison Hanes and Linda Gyulai will be on hand to offer pre- and post-debate analysis. CTV Montreal's Caroline Van Vlaardingen will source audience questions for the two candidates.
When residents in the Plateau-Mont-Royal there will be fewer options than when the campaign started.
Following sexual harassment allegations involving editor Michel Brûlé reported in the Journal de Montreal last week, Caroline Moreno of Plateau sans frontières says she is dropping out of the race. She told reporters the accusations made by the women against Brûlé in the report have hurt the party so much it would be impossible to continue.
Later Sunday night, Brûlé took to Facebook to vehemently deny the allegations of sexual misconduct that were reported in the Journal, however he said he has decided to bow of the race to become the mayor of the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough.
He said unlike the justice system the court of public opinion does not presume innocence until proven guilty, and that the accusations were concocted by supporters of his political opponents.
Last week it was reported that seven of Brûlé's former employees accused him of sexual harassment. An eighth woman, author Jill Cote, later came forward and claimed Brûlé assaulted her and grabbed her genitals during a professional meeting in 2014.
Brule said he will continue to fight the accusations.