Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante brings new faces to her executive committee

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante shuffled her executive committee Friday morning, promoting several women in her administration — and vowing to make adaptation to a greener economy a municipal priority.

"I think it's always a good thing when you're a manager to evaluate after awhile what works very well, what needs to be reinforced, and how we can work better together," she said.

Émilie Thuillier, the mayor of the Ahuntsic–Cartierville borough, returns to the executive committee to take on a new portfolio that includes transparency and heritage, while Vieux-Rosemont Coun. Christine Gosselin, formerly in charge of the heritage file, was shuffled out.

Coun. Rosannie Filato is now in charge of public security, while Nathalie Goulet, who held that portfolio, is now responsible for social inclusion, homeless, youth, sports and leisure.

Responsibility for housing shifts from Magda Popeanu to Robert Beaudry.

Plante also added Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles borough Mayor Caroline Bourgeois in an associate role, bringing the total of associate on the executive committee to eight. Bourgeois will deal with economic development and East Montreal.

Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Coun. Laurence Lavigne Lalonde is now responsible for environmental sustainability and urban agriculture.

"The message we want to send," said Plante, "is that as far as transportation, economic development and the development of the territory go, we must always be concerned about the environmental impacts."

Gender parity 

The changes to the executive committee may not satisfy critics who noted a lack of cultural diversity in Plante's original cabinet. Including associates, there are now 21 people on the committee — ten men and eleven women, including the mayor.

Here's the full list:

• Valérie Plante, mayor.
• Benoit Dorais, chair and responsible for real estate planning and management.
• Sylvain Ouellet, vice-chair responsible for water and water infrastructure management, infrastructure and electrical services.
• Magda Popeanu, vice-chair responsible for culture and diversity.
• Robert Beaudry, responsible for economic and commercial development, housing and design.
• Éric Alan Caldwell, responsible for urban planning, transit and files related to the Office de consultation publique de Montréal.
• François William Croteau, responsible for smart city, information technology and innovation.
• Luc Ferrandez, responsible for large parks, sustainable development and green space.
• Rosannie Filato, responsible for public security.
• Nathalie Goulet, responsible for social inclusion, homeless, youth, sports and leisure.
• Laurence Lavigne Lalonde, responsible for environmental sustainability, urban agriculture and Espace pour la vie.
• Jean-François Parenteau, responsible for environment and citizen services., approvisionnement et matériel roulant, intergovernmental affairs.
• Émilie Thuillier, responsible for transparency, democracy, communications and citizen experience, heritage.

The eight associate councillors are:

• Caroline Bourgeois, who will assist with the economic development file and East Montreal.
• Marianne Giguère, who will assist with the active transit file.
• Sophie Mauzerolle, who will assist with urban planning and mobility issues.
• Suzie Miron, who will assist with the water, infrastructure file and women files.
• Alex Norris, who will assist with the public security file.
• Marie-Josée Parent, who will assist with the culture and reconciliation files.
• Hadrien Parizeau, who will assist with youth, sports and leisure.
• Craig Sauvé, who will assist with the housing file.