Plateau-Mont-Royal residents elect Projet Montréal's Luc Rabouin as mayor
Choice marks continuation of Projet Montréal's long-held control over the borough
Residents of Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough have elected Projet Montréal's Luc Rabouin to be their new mayor.
Rabouin won Sunday's byelection with 67 per cent of the vote.
"I'm very, very happy with the strong and clear mandate we received in today's election," he told reporters.
"I worked for 45 days, every day, because I wanted people to know who I was and what my vision was ... and that paid off."
Rabouin has lived in the borough most of his adult life. He's a community organizer and non-profit leader who is currently the director of strategic development at the Caisse d'économie solidaire Desjardins.
With that background, he knows what businesses in the area need to flourish, he said prior to his election. He wants to move forward in the same direction and values of the previous mayor, but "with a different approach."
Projet Montréal has long had control over the borough, with Luc Ferrandez serving as borough mayor since 2009.
The outspoken Ferrandez stepped down in May. He said at the time that Projet Montréal isn't doing enough to slow down "the rate at which we are destroying our planet."
Rabouin said he disagrees with Ferrandez's assessment. Citing projects such as the Parc de l'Ouest, he said the city is just starting its ecological transition.
Rabouin said in time, people will realize he is "a little less flamboyant" than his predecessor, but just as passionate.
Mayor Valérie Plante, the head of Projet Montréal, said she was happy to hear Rabouin wanted to run for the position, because she believed he was a good fit to run the borough, but would also strengthen and complement the party.
"Luc, given his past, his experience, is a very important addition to the Projet Montréal team," she said.
The Ensemble Montréal candidate, Jean-Pierre Szaraz, finished in second. Marc-Antoine Desjardins, representing Vrai changement pour Montréal, came in third.
In total, 15,850 people voted, just under 25 per cent of registered voters.
with files from Radio-Canada