Montreal’s Mayor Advocates for Role of Cities at UN
This interview first appeared on CBC . MMC engages in content partnerships with several organizations, and cross-posting does not indicate an endorsement or agreement.
News Anchor [00:00:00] In the lead up to that meeting, mayors from around the globe gathered for a parallel summit in New York City. They tackled issues they all share, such as migration and adapting to climate change, and they say they need a seat at the international table to find solutions. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante was among them, and she joins us now from New York City.
News Anchor [00:00:23] Thanks for joining us today.
Valérie Plante [00:00:25] My pleasure.
News Anchor [00:00:27] In your speech at the UN, you said citizens really don’t care which level of government it is, they just want to get the job done. How will having a seat at the table help you to get the job done? Does it all boil down to funding?
Valérie Plante [00:00:40] No, I think it’s more than funding, though it is very important, because on many, many levels, and in front of many issues like homelessness or climate change, the housing crisis, cities have a role to play, and we often come up with solutions, very concrete ones, that can also influence other levels of government. So that’s why, when I received the invitation from the Secretary General, Mr. Guterres, to be part of this advisory committee, I thought it was a great idea, not only to showcase what we do in Montreal, but also to bring the voices of mayors that are doers, we find solutions, and ultimately, we get the job done with our colleagues at other levels of government.
News Anchor [00:01:20] Yeah, and you are at the front lines on many of these issues. You and other municipalities here in Quebec have asked the Quebec government for more money for climate change infrastructure, as well as public transit, and so far, the answer you’ve gotten is no, there’s no money left to give you. Coming out of this summit, do you think that there is a way to persuade them from something you might have learned from some of your counterparts elsewhere in the world?
Valérie Plante [00:01:47] Well, that is a good question, and to be honest, I mean, all countries and all big cities are dealing with the same issues, like the one you were just naming, and so occasions like this are also a good time to share best practices, but I have to say, the fact that the Government of Canada, Mr. Trudeau, is here is a good thing, because it’s a way also to bring forward what we, you know, our message, and obviously, I mean, we will continue, and that is my job, to continue to push and to bring forward the voice of Montrealers that are really looking for answers, like you said, for public transit and everything related to homelessness, which are not properly a responsibility of the city, but they want to have answers, so we will continue to ask the government to be part of that, and again, it’s a great thing because we do have solutions at the city level that we can share with them.
News Anchor [00:02:34] On the issue of immigration, so many countries are dealing with the issue right now, and big cities, again, are usually the ones who welcome newcomers to our countries. The Premier has said much of the housing crisis is caused by temporary migration. There’s a six-month freeze now on applications to Montreal. Do you think that solution is as simple as that? Is that the answer in your mind?
Valérie Plante [00:03:02] I mean, every issue is complex, and I think I always try to bring the complexity every time I talk about an issue, so though there is, of course, a pressure when there’s more people looking for a home, the housing crisis is something I’ve been talking about since day one of my first mandate seven years ago, so I think for me, once we know there’s a housing crisis and we should have acted before, now what do we do to accelerate? And the city of Montreal is a partner in this, you know, buying lands and building and trying to find ways to accommodate builders, but I mean, the issue of migration is complex, and we have to take it that way and explain it that way to the population, not to create any tension that is not necessary.
News Anchor [00:03:46] Because in other cities around the world, we’re seeing more and more shifts towards closing borders and not welcoming. Is that what you would like to see in order to deal with some of the issues that we’re seeing right now, or are there other options?
Valérie Plante [00:03:58] You know, I have to say I’ve always stayed kind of far from any debate around the number of immigrants that we should have or not have. I want to stay far away from that, because to me, what is important is that if people are coming in, we need to be able to receive them well, as well as we need to offer all the services, like a roof on top of people’s head, whatever they’ve been here for a while, second, third generation immigrants or newcomers. So what I’m hoping is to contribute in a positive way, a proactive way of those issues, big one, a society on how do we make sure that on our territory in Quebec, in Canada, in Montreal, we are doing our job. And I think we should do better.
News Anchor [00:04:40] Mayor Plante, thank you so much and safe travels home.
Valérie Plante [00:04:44] Thank you.
