MONTREAL — Valérie Plante, Montreal’s first female mayor, has announced she will not seek a third term, marking the end of a historic tenure. Her decision ahead of the 2025 municipal election comes after eight years in office, a time characterised by urban transformations, environmental policy development, and regional clashes over Montreal’s priorities and budget spending.
Plante, who moved to Montreal at 19 for university, rose to local electoral prominence in 2017 when she defeated incumbent Denis Coderre to become the city’s 45th mayor. Her grassroots campaign, which featured slogans such as, “L’homme de la situation,” catapulted her into the spotlight as a progressive voice in municipal politics. Despite her successes, Plante announced this year that she would step down, saying she does not feel she could continue in the role with the same tenacity.
“I decided to do politics because I see it as a way of changing the world,” Plante said in a CTV interview, “it’s one vehicle, but there are others” (Nov 1 2024).
Green Ambitions & Mixed Reviews
It is fair to argue that Plante’s legacy will be deeply tied to her environmental agenda. This prioritised expanding pedestrian-only streets, creating over 1,065 kilometres of bike lanes, and championing “sponge parks” to mitigate urban flooding. These projects noticeably redefined Montreal’s public spaces and earned Plante praise for advancing a greener future.
However, her policies were not without critics. Montreal resident and McGill student Kellyann Vauthier remarked, “I believe Valérie Plante neglected critical issues, placing disproportionate emphasis on bike paths as the head of her urban planning agenda. However, this approach ultimately fell short, as the bike paths are unusable for much of the year, and overall mobility in the city remains virtually unchanged since she assumed office.”
Montreal resident and fellow McGill Political Science and Environment student Arielle Cohen shared a similar sentiment. “When Mayor Plante was first elected, I felt optimistic about her green policies as that is something that I care deeply about. She built more bike paths and created more pedestrian-only streets, among other things. However, over the course of her terms, I feel as though she hasn’t sufficiently addressed the issue of homelessness (especially during the pandemic) and local businesses have suffered as a result of some of her policies. Had she better dealt with these important issues, perhaps she wouldn’t have fallen out of favour with the public.”
As Cohen described, the mayor faced criticism for her handling of the city’s growing homelessness crisis, opioid use, and mental health challenges, especially in the wake of the pandemic. Ongoing road construction across the city became a particular flashpoint. As joked by an anonymous source, “the soundtrack of Plante’s mayoral career would ring like a bunch of bicycle bells, but they would be interrupted by car horns every few seconds.” More exasperated Montreal residents’ frustrations did spill into online vitriol, however, which led Plante to limit comments on her social media accounts.
Reactions Across the Political Spectrum
Reaction to Plante’s announcement has been mixed, with political leaders offering measured praise for her leadership.
Premier François Legault acknowledged her contributions on X, saying, “Her love for the city was obvious throughout her political career. I wish her the best of luck with whatever comes next.” Despite their frequent policy clashes – particularly on affordable housing budgets and tuition hikes – he recognized her dedication to the position.
Opposition leader Aref Salem of Ensemble Montréal also commented, “I want to thank Valérie Plante for her engagement since she was elected, despite our numerous disagreements on the management of construction sites, homelessness, public security, and the state of services.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was more personal, calling Plante a friend and saying, “Wishing my friend, Valérie Plante, all the best in her last year as mayor, and in whatever comes next.”
Municipal Affairs Minister Andrée Laforest noted the complexities of Plante’s role: “Montreal is, after all, half of the [Quebec] population. You see municipal politics can be pleasant. I congratulate her.”
What’s Next for Montreal and its Mayor?
For those still reading children’s books, Plante’s decision to step down may not come as a surprise. In March 2024, she co-authored her second graphic novel Comme des Renardes, which followed her protagonist struggling with whether or not to continue in the political limelight. While framed as fiction, the book was a cheeky hint at her eventual decision to step off the mayoral stage.
With her departure, Projet Montréal will elect a new leader, and the election race for Montreal’s next mayor in November 2025 is already gaining momentum. Possible candidates so far include former mayor Denis Coderre, former Quebec Liberal leader Dominique Anglade, and urban planning executive Luc Rabouin. Opposition party Ensemble Montréal appears ready to enter the stage, with Aref Salem promising that “Ensemble Montréal is mobilised and ready to overcome the many challenges facing the metropolis.”
As for Plante, her next steps remain uncertain. “I will continue to change the world. But I don’t know how yet,” she said in the CTV interview (Nov 1 2024).
Regardless of the mixed reviews, Plante leaves a lasting mark on Montreal’s urban landscape – beyond all of the orange traffic cones – which will continue to be discussed alongside with the city’s changing social landscape. However for now, the city’s proverbial handlebars are up for grabs.
