Ensemble Montréal (officially Ensemble Montréal - Équipe Soraya) is a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Led by Soraya Martinez Ferrada, the party holds a majority on the Montreal City Council.
Ensemble Montréal - Équipe Soraya | |
|---|---|
| Active municipal party | |
 | |
| Leader | Soraya Martinez Ferrada |
| Founded | May 23, 2013 |
| Headquarters | 1100 Cremazie Boulevard East, apt. 207 Montreal, Quebec H2P 2X2 |
| Ideology | Localism Big tent |
| Political position | Centre to centre-right |
| Seats on City Council | 34 / 65 |
The party held power from 2013 until 2017 during the administration of Denis Coderre, at the time known as Équipe Denis Coderre pour Montréal. Following Coderre's defeat to Projet Montréal's Valérie Plante in the 2017 election, Coderre left municipal politics, and the candidates that had been elected under the party's banner changed its name to Ensemble Montréal. He returned in the 2021 election but resigned following his mayoral defeat. Led by former MP Soraya Martinez Ferrada, who was elected leader by acclamation on February 28, 2025, the party returned to power in 2025.[1]
The party has been a broad coalition of politicians who came from a variety of different parties prior to Ensemble's creation; however, it is generally considered to sit to the right of Projet Montréal on most issues. The party draws most of its support from wealthier parts of the city.
2013 elections
editThe party was created in 2013 under the name Équipe Denis Coderre pour Montréal to support the candidacy of Denis Coderre for Mayor of Montréal during the November 3, 2013 municipal elections. In 2012, Denis Coderre announced his candidacy for mayor of Montreal.[2] Beginning in June 2013, seventeen sitting members of Montreal City Council, as well as several borough councillors, switched their party affiliation to Coderre's team.[3] Most were sitting as independent councillors following the dissolution of the Union Montréal party in the wake of Gérald Tremblay's resignation as mayor in 2012, although Coderre attracted support from former Vision Montréal and Projet Montréal councillors as well.
The party also announced a number of non-incumbent candidates in other races, including former Radio-Canada journalist Philippe Schnobb.[4] However, the party also faced some criticism for the fact that of the 19 candidates announced by the party as of early August, fifteen were incumbents and only four were new candidates, resulting in media speculation that Coderre could potentially fall short of his early promise to put forward a slate of candidates that was at least 50 per cent new.[5]
Councillors
editAfter the 2013 election, Équipe Denis Coderre held the following seats on Montreal City Council and borough councils.[3][6][7]
| Councillor | Borough | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Mario Batista | Saint-Léonard | borough councillor, Saint-Léonard-Ouest |
| Dimitrios Jim Beis | Pierrefonds-Roxboro | borough mayor |
| Frantz Benjamin | Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension | city councillor, Saint-Michel |
| Richard Bergeron | Ville-Marie | city councillor, Saint-Jacques |
| Michèle Biron | Saint-Laurent | borough councillor, Norman-McLaren |
| Michel Bissonnet | Saint-Léonard | borough mayor |
| Christine Black | Montréal-Nord | borough mayor |
| Karine Boivin Roy | Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve | city councillor, Louis-Riel |
| Marie-Ève Brunet | Verdun | borough councillor, Champlain–L'Île-des-Sœurs |
| Richard Celzi | Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve | city councillor, Tétraultville |
| Harout Chitilian | Ahuntsic-Cartierville | city councillor, Bordeaux-Cartierville |
| Catherine Clément-Talbot | Pierrefonds-Roxboro | city councillor, Cap-Saint-Jacques |
| Jean-François Cloutier | Lachine | city councillor, Lachine |
| Jacques Cohen | Saint-Laurent | borough councillor, Côte-de-Liesse |
| Russell Copeman | Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce | borough mayor |
| Alan DeSousa | Saint-Laurent | borough mayor |
| Suzanne Décarie | Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles | city councillor, Pointe-aux-Trembles |
| Mary Deros | Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension | city councillor, Parc-Extension |
| Pierre Desrochers | Ahuntsic-Cartierville | city councillor, Saint-Sulpice |
| Gilles Déziel | Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles | borough councillor, Pointe-aux-Trembles |
| Michelle Di Genova Zammit | Anjou | borough councillor, Centre |
| Érika Duchesne | Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie | city councillor, Vieux-Rosemont |
| Éric Dugas | L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève | borough councillor, Sainte-Geneviève |
| Marc-André Gadoury | Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie | city councillor, Étienne-Desmarteau |
| Pierre Gagnier | Ahuntsic-Cartierville | borough mayor |
| Manon Gauthier | Verdun | city councillor, Champlain–L'Île-des-Sœurs |
| Jean-Marc Gibeau | Montréal-Nord | city councillor, Ovide-Clermont |
| Yves Gignac | Pierrefonds-Roxboro | borough councillor, Cap-Saint-Jacques |
| Richard Guay | Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles | city councillor, La Pointe-aux-Prairies |
| Manuel Guedes | Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles | borough councillor, La Pointe-aux-Prairies |
| Patricia Lattanzio | Saint-Léonard | city councillor, Saint-Léonard-Est |
| Elsie Lefebvre | Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension | city councillor, Villeray |
| Pierre L'Heureux | Verdun | borough councillor, Champlain–L'Île-des-Sœurs |
| Sylvia Lo Bianco | Montréal-Nord | borough councillor, Ovide-Clermont |
| Réal Ménard | Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve | borough mayor |
| Francesco Miele | Saint-Laurent | city councillor, Côte-de-Liesse |
| Lorraine Pagé | Ahuntsic-Cartierville | city councillor, Sault-au-Récollet |
| Jean-François Parenteau | Verdun | borough mayor |
| Lionel Perez | Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce | city councillor, Darlington |
| Dominic Perri | Saint-Léonard | city councillor, Saint-Léonard-Ouest |
| Nathalie Pierre-Antoine | Rivière-des-Prairies—Pointe-aux-Trembles | borough councillor, Rivière-des-Prairies |
| Marie Potvin | Outremont | borough councillor, Robert-Bourassa |
| Giovanni Rapanà | Rivière-des-Prairies—Pointe-aux-Trembles | city councillor, Rivière-des-Prairies |
| Monica Ricourt | Montréal-Nord | borough councillor, Marie-Clarac |
| Chantal Rossi | Montréal-Nord | city councillor, Marie-Clarac |
| Chantal Rouleau | Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles | borough mayor |
| Aref Salem | Saint-Laurent | city councillor, Norman-McLaren |
| Anie Samson | Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension | borough mayor |
| Kimberley Simonyik | Lachine | borough councillor, Fort-Rolland |
| Lili-Anne Tremblay | Saint-Léonard | borough councillor, Saint-Léonard-Est |
| Monique Vallée | LaSalle | city councillor, Cecil-P.-Newman |
Former
editThe following incumbent councillors affiliated with Équipe Denis Coderre in 2013 during the preceding council, but did not run or were defeated in the 2013 election.
| Councillor | Borough | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Pierre Fréchette | Le Sud-Ouest | borough councillor, Saint-Henri–Petite-Bourgogne–Pointe-Saint-Charles |
| Helen Fotopulos | Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce | city councillor, Côte-des-Neiges |
| Ana Nunes | Outremont | borough councillor, Jeanne-Sauvé |
2017 elections
editDenis Coderre also contested the Montreal municipal elections in 2017 under the name Équipe Denis Coderre pour Montréal. On losing the 2017 municipal election, Denis Coderre left municipal politics. To disassociate themselves from their resigning leader, the party known as Équipe Denis Coderre first declared an intention to change its name to "Mouvement Montréal", but failed to register the name before making the announcement, allowing another party to quickly reserve the name for themselves.[8][9]
Thus, the party had to come up with another new name and changed to "Ensemble Montréal."[10]
Councillors
editThis section needs to be updated. (April 2018) |
Following the 2017 municipal election, Équipe Denis Coderre held the following seats on Montreal City Council and borough councils.
| Councillor | Borough | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Dimitrios Jim Beis | Pierrefonds-Roxboro | borough mayor |
| Michèle Biron | Saint-Laurent | borough councillor, Norman-McLaren |
| Michel Bissonnet | Saint-Léonard | borough mayor |
| Jacques Cohen | Saint-Laurent | borough councillor, Côte-de-Liesse |
| Alan DeSousa | Saint-Laurent | borough mayor |
| Mary Deros | Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension | city councillor, Parc-Extension |
| Lionel Perez | Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce | city councillor, Darlington |
| Aref Salem | Saint-Laurent | city councillor, Norman-McLaren |
Former
editThe following incumbent councillors elected under the Ensemble Montréal formation are no longer part of it.
| Councillor | Borough | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Hadrien Parizeau | Ahuntsic-Cartierville | city councillor, Saint-Sulpice |
2021 elections
editThe party was renamed to Ensemble Montréal from Équipe Denis Coderre pour Montréal on January 11, 2018.[11] Coderre ran for mayor against Plante once again, and was defeated with a decreased vote and seat share. The party won 23 seats, down 2, with Coderre resigning as party leader following the results declaration.[12][13]
Seat totals following the election:
| Position | Ensemble Montréal |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Montreal | 0 |
| Borough mayor | 6 |
| City councillor | 17 |
| City council total | 23 |
| Borough councillor | 15 |
| Total seats | 38 |
2025 elections
editOn February 28, 2025, Soraya Martinez Ferrada was elected leader by acclamation on February 28, becoming the party's candidate for mayor in the 2025 Montreal municipal election. Martínez Ferrada focussed her campaign on housing and affordability, and promised a review of the city's bike lanes. The party formed an electoral pact with Équipe LaSalle Team and Équipe Anjou.[14] She was elected mayor on November 2, defeating Luc Rabouin of Projet Montréal. Ensemble Montréal also won a majority of seats on the Montreal City Council, with 34. The party became the first Montreal municipal party to elect 2 different mayors.[15]
Political positions
editThe party has often attacked Projet Montréal over anti-car policies. Interim party leader Lionel Perez has attacked the Plante Administration over its handling of the pilot project limiting private vehicular access to the Mount Royal service road.[16]
The party has not consistently supported expansions to Montreal's mass-transit network. While then-Mayor Denis Coderre was a strong proponent of the Réseau express métropolitain, which is being built as a "public-public partnership" between the provincial government and the Caisse de dépôt et placement, the party has opposed the construction of the Pink Line (Montreal Metro). Ensemble Montréal proposed a pilot project that would keep the metro system open during the overnight hours on summer weekends.[17]
While it was in power from 2013–2017, Ensemble Montréal planned to heat and widen sidewalks along a stretch of Sainte-Catherine Street West. Once Projet Montréal took office in 2017, the heating elements were removed from Sainte-Catherine's renovation plans due to their expense. However, plans to widen sidewalks and beautify the street were otherwise largely retained.
Electoral performance
editMayoral election
edit| Election | Candidate | Votes | % | Status | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Denis Coderre | 149,467 | 32.15 | 1st | Elected |
| 2017 | Denis Coderre | 216,321 | 45.66 | 2nd | Lost |
| 2021 | Denis Coderre | 158,751 | 37.97 | 2nd | Lost |
| 2025 | Soraya Martinez Ferrada | 178,232 | 43.33 | 1st | Elected |
City council
edit
References
edit- ↑ https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2144337/soraya-martinez-ferrada-cheffe-ensemble-montreal
- ↑ "Denis Coderre, aspirant maire". Radio-Canada, November 9, 2012.
- 1 2 "Borough mayor Lionel Perez joins Coderre’s party" Archived August 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. The Gazette, July 30, 2013.
- ↑ "Philippe Schnobb se joint à l'équipe de Denis Coderre". Le Devoir, June 19, 2013.
- ↑ "Mairie de Montréal: le président de l'Assemblée joint l'équipe Coderre". Le Journal de Montréal, August 2, 2013.
- ↑ Kovac, Adam (June 18, 2013). "Eight candidates join Coderre slate". The Gazette. Montreal, Quebec. p. A8. Retrieved January 26, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ↑ "City councillor Harout Chitilian joins Denis Coderre" Archived October 11, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. The Gazette, August 2, 2013.
- ↑ Mézil, Jeiel Onel (December 22, 2017). "Équipe Denis Coderre se cherche encore un nouveau nom". La Presse. Retrieved March 30, 2019 – via Cyberpresse.
- ↑ "List of reserved names". Élections Québec. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
- ↑ Montréal, Ville de Montréal-Opposition officielle à l'Hôtel de Ville de. "L'Opposition officielle se nomme désormais " Ensemble Montréal "". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
- ↑ "L'Opposition officielle se nomme désormais " Ensemble Montréal "". Cision. January 11, 2018. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ↑ "Denis Coderre steps down as leader of Ensemble Montréal". CBC News. November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ↑ Gelper, Naomie (March 30, 2021). "Denis Coderre redeviendra le chef d'Ensemble Montréal le 7 avril". Journal Métro (in French). Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ↑ https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/montreal-election-mayor-voting-west-island
- ↑ ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Politique- (February 28, 2025). "Soraya Martinez Ferrada couronnée cheffe d'Ensemble Montréal". Radio-Canada.
- ↑ . Global News.
- ↑ . CTV News.
External links
edit- Official website
- List of Ensemble Montréal's elected officials by borough Archived November 13, 2018, at the Wayback Machine