Projet Montréal activists want to ban new digital billboards

Photo: Valérian Mazataud Archives Le Devoir At the Projet Montréal conference, local associations also propose to better regulate parking by regulating their construction or by establishing a “road map” on the subject.

Jeanne Corriveau

Posted at 17:54 Updated at 19:49

• Montreal

Less than two weeks after learning that Valérie Plante would not seek a third term, members of Projet Montréal will meet in convention on Saturday and Sunday to lay the groundwork for the party’s political platform in anticipation of the 2025 elections. Activists will be asked to vote on various proposals, including a ban on all new outdoor digital advertising throughout the city and a moratorium on the construction of additional parking lots.

Some 300 participants are expected for this congress, which will end with the closing speech given by Valérie Plante. More than a hundred proposals were submitted by members, local associations and committees. They were grouped into five major themes covering topics such as the environment, housing, mobility, security and the fight against inequality.

Some of the proposals have a certain air of déjà vu. The local association of Ville-Marie recommends in particular reviewing the governance of this borough, where the mayor is not elected by universal suffrage and has two elected officials appointed by the current administration. Citizens have already been consulted on this subject and have demanded to be able to choose their borough mayor. The Plante administration, however, rejected this option last April, and is still in discussions with Quebec regarding the designated elected officials.

Advertising panels

The Plateau-Mont-Royal local association will propose a resolution at the congress to ban all new outdoor digital advertising in the Montreal landscape. It should be remembered that this borough has already banned billboards throughout its territory. “It was a long battle, but a few years ago, we became the first Montreal borough to completely ban large outdoor billboards in the territory,” emphasizes Councillor Alex Norris.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

The Plateau-Mont-Royal resolution, he says, is based on “the fight against visual pollution and for the enhancement of landscapes and public views.” On this subject, Alex Norris speaks of a “major international movement.” He cites the American states of Vermont, Maine, Alaska and Hawaii as examples, which “formally prohibit all forms of billboards.”

The Plateau-Mont-Royal activists want to tackle “the most insidious and invasive form of advertising,” namely digital advertising. This advertising is in fact moving and backlit, which can distract motorists. Mr. Norris cites in particular digital billboards installed on the Bonaventure Expressway, and others that could be posted along Highway 15 and perhaps around the REM. “We have this opportunity to act before it's too late, before this advertising is all over our city,” he said.

Parking, transportation and security

As part of the party congress, other local associations are proposing to better regulate parking by regulating the ban on building new parking lots or by establishing a “road map for parking in the city with a view to greening.”

It is also suggested that adapted transport be made free, that social pricing be implemented for Bixi and that the deployment of social pricing for public transport be completed. The cycling network will also need to be improved, it is suggested.

Some proposals mention the need to “hook the Quebec government” to demand the recovery of the Décarie and Ville-Marie highways or to demand a significant increase in funding from Quebec City and Ottawa for the construction of social and affordable housing and for public transit. It is mentioned that the City should take advantage of the redevelopment of the Metropolitan highway to rethink its urban integration.

In terms of security, activists are returning to the charge with the idea of ​​a pilot project to assess the possibility that, during certain interventions, officers from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) do not carry firearms. In 2021, a similar proposal was approved by members of Projet Montréal, but was not followed up.

Activists also suggest making the use of body cameras mandatory for all SPVM officers, an issue that has been discussed for years. Others suggest that the city should review its policy on stops to eliminate “random stops.”

Leadership race

The convention, which only lasts two days, will not allow members to vote on all the proposals. Some of them will therefore be prioritized during the event, says Virginie Journeau, councillor in the Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles borough and deputy majority leader at Projet Montréal.

The proposals adopted will help develop the party’s political program, which will lead, by the November 2025 election, to the drafting of Projet Montréal’s electoral platform. “They are two different documents. Our program is our political vision, while the electoral platform will bring together concrete electoral commitments,” explains the elected official.

Projet Montréal will also have to launch a leadership race. The terms of this exercise should be revealed in the coming weeks, points out Ms. Journeau. The elected official maintains that Valérie Plante’s decision not to run for another term has not changed the “game plan” for the convention, which had been in preparation for several months. The event will also be an opportunity to hold elections for the various positions on the party’s board of directors.