Kramberger: Byelection erodes Pointe-Claire mayor’s assist on council

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A “professional growth” candidate’s victory within the Pointe-Claire byelection for District 1 (Cedar/Le Village) additional erodes Mayor Tim Thomas’s assist on council, although it merely means contentious city planning points will likely be voted on 7-1 as a substitute of 6-2. It appears to depart the mayor’s imaginative and prescient of a backyard metropolis and a populous anti-condo sentiment within the mud.

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Claude Cousineau, who garnered 34 per cent of the votes forged in a subject of six byelection candidates on Sunday, returns to metropolis council after serving consecutive phrases beneath former mayors John Belvedere and Morris Trudeau. Voter turnout was round 31 per cent, in contrast with about 40 per cent for the mayor’s race within the 2021 election.

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In a latest interview with the Montreal Gazette, Thomas cited Cousineau as the one “out-and-out pro-development” candidate within the byelection. He had envisioned the opposite 5 candidates would break up the vote. The mayor mentioned he had a most popular byelection candidate, who he declined to determine.

The byelection was referred to as when Erin Tedford resigned as councillor for District 1 in January, after simply over a 12 months in workplace. Tedford, District 6 councillor Bruno Tremblay and Thomas have been outvoted through the first 12 months of their inaugural mandates over contentious objects by six veteran councillors — Paul Bissonnette; Brent Cowan; Kelly Thorstad-Cullen; Cynthia Homan; Tara Stainforth and Eric Stork — who have been all re-elected in 2021. It’s anticipated this council majority may have the added assist of Cousineau.

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Cousineau, whose marketing campaign slogan was “Collaboration, not confrontation,” tried to distance himself from the 5 different candidates by mentioning that whereas he helps the preservation of inexperienced areas normally, he doesn’t oppose transit-oriented growth or residential densification across the new REM light-rail community, akin to on the Cadillac Fairview mall car parking zone overlooking Freeway 40. Densification in TOD zones will assist curtail city sprawl, he famous.

Whereas the general scope and peak of a possible residential undertaking to cowl a piece of the Fairview car parking zone stays up for debate, it appears logical so as to add some density on this spot because it lies subsequent to a future REM station and sits alongside the Freeway 40 service street. If such a undertaking is ultimately authorized, it may encourage a deal for the Fairview Forest to turn into publicly owned, ideally with the monetary assist of the Montreal agglomeration that performed such a big negotiating function with the Angell Woods file in Beaconsfield.

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In the meantime, Kirkland council has opened the door to the Village Lacey Inexperienced redevelopment undertaking consisting of 47 single-family houses, 110 townhouses and round 700 apartment or rental items on a part of the previous Merck Frosst campus alongside Brunswick Blvd. simply west of the Fairview Forest.

Pointe-Claire officers have cited the participatory session course of adopted by Kirkland for this undertaking as a beacon.

Earlier this 12 months, the council majority voted in favour of mandating the town supervisor to kick-start non-public talks with Cadillac Fairview concerning its two properties, the car parking zone and the adjoining Fairview Forest, which have been positioned within the imposed growth freeze.

Nonetheless, Cadillac Fairview has to date rebuffed the town’s supply to fulfill and can proceed to pursue authorized motion over the interim management bylaw, Stork confirmed on Monday. The District 7 councillor famous the method to carry public consultations to organize the town’s new city planning program are stalled.

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Some individuals have identified the byelection outcomes, with Cousineau’s win over the mayor’s most popular candidate, point out general assist for Thomas has dwindled since defeating Belvedere by a margin of 61 votes in fall 2021.

“In 2021, the individuals spoke and it appeared like they wished change,” Cousineau mentioned of Thomas’s win within the final normal municipal election. “I’d interpret the (byelection) vote that folks need change once more.”

As for the potential for heated debate throughout council conferences, Cousineau mentioned he received’t tolerate any rude interactions. As a retired hearth division captain, Cousineau believes he can exemplify a management function at metropolis corridor and assist bridge gaps over contentious points by not making it private.

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Contemplating Cousineau’s comeback, Belvedere may take one other run on the mayor’s seat in 2025. Or maybe one of many extra outspoken present councillors will search the highest management function.

There doesn’t appear to be any center floor to date between the mayor and the council majority on the subject of city growth throughout this mandate, and it appears like unresolved points, together with a revamped planning program, will merely turn into election marketing campaign fodder in fall 2025.

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