Vision Montreal sets sights on Concordia

Vision Montréal candidate Brenda Paris has a resumé that reads like a political veteran’s; she currently sits as chair of the Ethnic and Social Diversity Committee on the Société de transport de Montréal’s board of directors. Previously, she was the coordinator of student development at Dawson College, executive director of the Montréal Black Community Resource Centre and deeply involved in the national women’s movement.
Now, drawing on her past experience, Paris says she’s coming at her bid to be mayor of the Cotes-des-Neiges8212;Notre-Dame-de-Grace borough as “a grassroots community organizer.”
“I want to involve people in the consultation process that leads to development,” says Paris. “Especially students, who have bright new ideas.”
She says that too often projects are begun without adequate research and planning, almost always resulting in wasted funds.
As an example, she said the bicycle paths that were recently marked off on streets in the Loyola district are confusing and dangerous.
“You can’t encourage people to use bicycles and then give them paths that are not safe,” says Paris.
Furthermore, she thinks the paths meander throughout the area when they should more strategically connect with main arteries.
Mistakes like this, she says, cost a lot of money to fix.
“We’re really learning from what is being done now,” says Paris, alluding to the current municipal government. “We want to piggyback on the good things and change, with our own vision, the things that can be done better.”
Denise Dussault is Vision Montréal’s candidate for the Peter-McGill district, home to Concordia’s Sir George Williams Campus. The practised lawyer and former candidate for the Liberal Party of Québec says she too wants to include students in city planning.
Of special interest to her are foreign students, who she considers a “huge asset.” She said they can become networking possibilities if “strong links” are made with them before they leave Quebec.
Dussault also feels strongly about increasing voter turnout this election. For the last municipal election, only 35 per cent of eligible Montrealers voted, and that number was even lower among students.
“If you don’t express yourself now, when you have the power to do so through voting,” she says, “then it’s hard to complain about those who were elected without you.”

Vision Montréal candidate Brenda Paris has a resumé that reads like a political veteran’s; she currently sits as chair of the Ethnic and Social Diversity Committee on the Société de transport de Montréal’s board of directors. Previously, she was the coordinator of student development at Dawson College, executive director of the Montréal Black Community Resource Centre and deeply involved in the national women’s movement.
Now, drawing on her past experience, Paris says she’s coming at her bid to be mayor of the Cotes-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grace borough as “a grassroots community organizer.”
“I want to involve people in the consultation process that leads to development,” says Paris. “Especially students, who have bright new ideas.”
She says that too often projects are begun without adequate research and planning, almost always resulting in wasted funds.
As an example, she said the bicycle paths that were recently marked off on streets in the Loyola district are confusing and dangerous.
“You can’t encourage people to use bicycles and then give them paths that are not safe,” says Paris.
Furthermore, she thinks the paths meander throughout the area when they should more strategically connect with main arteries.
Mistakes like this, she says, cost a lot of money to fix.
“We’re really learning from what is being done now,” says Paris, alluding to the current municipal government. “We want to piggyback on the good things and change, with our own vision, the things that can be done better.”
Denise Dussault is Vision Montréal’s candidate for the Peter-McGill district, home to Concordia’s Sir George Williams Campus. The practised lawyer and former candidate for the Liberal Party of Québec says she too wants to include students in city planning.
Of special interest to her are foreign students, who she considers a “huge asset.” She said they can become networking possibilities if “strong links” are made with them before they leave Quebec.
Dussault also feels strongly about increasing voter turnout this election. For the last municipal election, only 35 per cent of eligible Montrealers voted, and that number was even lower among students.
“If you don’t express yourself now, when you have the power to do so through voting,” she says, “then it’s hard to complain about those who were elected without you.”

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