Montreal has it's first Anglo Mayor in over 100 years!

[Techman]

Michael Applebaum has been elected the interim Mayor of Montreal. He is the first Anglo Mayor in over 100 years and the first Jewish Mayor in history. He made his entire acceptance speech in French. :thumb:

Congratulations!



PS: I edited my post so people can stop all their whining and crying.

 

[Techman]

I'm not bitching at all. I think it's great that he made his speech in French.

 

[man77777]

We can wait 1000years before seeing the first french Mayor in Toronto...

 

[man77777]

I think it's all good. No need for constant separation of the two languages.

Yeah, it seems Techman has some difficulties to understand how a city like Montreal can be so open to others language that it can take an englishspeaking MAyor..

 

[sapman99]

More important issues than language

But before we get into this: yes, it was premature to say anyone might bitch. Let it happen if it does, and then let the counter-bitching begin . Besides, Québec has-had no problems with Brian Mulroney, Jack Layton and Thomas Mulcair just to name a few...

What I find historic here is that we have our first "coalition" mayor: he was elected with support from Union Montréal defectors, Vision and Projet Montréal. Some of these people have PQ roots, yet chose the way of compromise during a stormy situation. My hat is off to them.

I am looking forward to seeing the new mayor and council work together. But a word of caution: Applebaum was Tremblay's right hand. How is it possible he did not know about all the collusion and corruption going on around him, as well as the hugely inflated costs of all MTL infrastructure projects? He is making a big deal about some buried report, but the whole truth about who ordered the report and buried it is not out yet.

Interesting times ahead.

 

[man77777]

You didnt understand the irony of my post, jnutz.. Irony is the only way to answer to Techman...

"STFU", "typical frenchie attiude"... You talk like a poor guy, jnutz...

 

[sapman99]

yet we never even had a Black mayor in montreal, Toronto, or any other canadian city. Your Black in Canada, the best you can hope for is manager at McDonalds.

man777777 we have already had several french prime ministers in Canada, even though Canada is 80% Anglo, so STFU. typical frenchie attitude.

Ok so they were not mayors nor Prime Ministers. Still:

Lincoln Alexander
Michaëlle Jean
Not black but Ujjal Dosanj was Premier of B.C.

You are on the rampage today with insults (STFU) and stereotypes (typical Frenchie attitude). Have a chill pill, no, have 12, they're cheaper in bulk...

 

[sinbad]

I remember hearing complaints that Canadians only turn to women as political leaders in times of trouble when the party is a mess. (e.g. Kim Campbell, Pauline Marois)

Maybe Montrealers (as represented by their elected city counselors) are only prepared to consider an Anglo when the is political chaos and the Union party is dead on its feet. Oh, and it's a one year interim position for good measure.

sinbad

 

[joelcairo]

But a word of caution: Applebaum was Tremblay's right hand. How is it possible he did not know about all the collusion and corruption going on around him, as well as the hugely inflated costs of all MTL infrastructure projects? He is making a big deal about some buried report, but the whole truth about who ordered the report and buried it is not out yet.

Interesting times ahead.

Exactly! Very well said.

 

[wasisname]

Yeah, Toronto would never have a French Mayor and Canada would never elect a Black PM, sure as hell a redneck town like Calgary would never elect a African Muslim of South Asian ancestry, that would be insane. I am sure Naheed Nenshi of Calgary would agree.


Although I doubt if an Anglo could ever actually get elected as mayor. Unless that is he was completely assimilated. I've seen polls that state that more people in Quebec would never vote for an Anglo for Premier than Americans would vote an Atheist of Prez. Bit of a difference between being selected by a city council and actually winning a general election.

 

[sapman99]

Michaelle Jean , sapman ? Don't get me started with that as to the real reason why she got that position.

You are officially being started. I would love to hear your slant on that .

 

[Mod 10]

Hello Techman,

I agree with most of your points of view in these threads since i do understand where you are coming from: a minority anglophone in a francophone city. But, it still can be kind of offensive to some French members though. Keep that in mind and maybe you can tone it down slightly with the language stuff.

M10

 

[Doc Holliday]

We can wait 1000years before seeing the first french Mayor in Toronto...

Totally different circumstances. The french-canadian community has no presence (never has) in the Toronto area, while the anglo & jewish community both have always had very strong presences in Montreal & surrounding area.

What would be comparable in Toronto would be the chinese & asian communities. Considering that Olivia Chow is now being mentionned as a candidate to replace Rob Ford, it might happen.

Congratulations to Montreal & i hope the interim-mayor does well in his functions.

 

[Gentle]

Hey ! he's the closest thing as Uncle Tom we can get so.... why not ?

I'm sure we'll have fun during the course of this year with all the crap coming out from Montreal, Laval, Construction, contractors, and next the provincial parties.

Can't wait to see Charest' libs getting dragged in this sh!t ! Specially with their arrogance on economy which we all know now how they screwed up so much.

Can't wait to see some a** kickin' and my guess is Mtrl will have to go thru different rulers in a short span as well as on the Provincial level.
Which will... in turn finally reach Ottawa at some point.

Have fun Mr. Pommebaum in Mtrl. ! it's just the beginning !

 

[man77777]

i do understand where you are coming from: a minority anglophone in a francophone city. But, it still can be kind of offensive to some French members though. Keep that in mind and maybe you can tone it down slightly with the language stuff.

Oui c'est tout le probleme. Des personnes qui vivent en minorité anglo au Québec développent forcément a terme des ressentiments et de la frustration vis a vis de la majorité, c'est probablement cette haine qui s'exprime ici. Et je pense que pour ces personnes qui vivent une realité de minorité anglo au milieu de francophones, il est difficile d'appréhender la réalité a l'échelle nationale et du continent, qui est celle d'une minorité francophone au milieu d'un océan anglophone envahissant. Ces conversations sont probablement pour ces minorité anglophone du Québec comme Techman, l'occasion de se venger du sentiment écrasant qu'ils subissent, en se montrant exagérement anti-québecois y compris dans un contexte extra-province a l'opposé de ce qu'ils subissent et que visiblement ils appréhendent mal... (Pffuii désolé mais ca fait du bien de s'exprimer dans sa langue parfois pour réellement pousser un raisonnment..)

 

[Guido]

Michael Applebaum has been elected the interim Mayor of Montreal. He is the first Anglo Mayor in over 100 years and the first Jewish Mayor in history. He made his entire acceptance speech in French. :thumb:

Congratulations!

You edited just a tiny bit too much IMHO. The heading in the National Post refers to him as an anglophone as well as Mod 10's reference. The difference is that he is a multilingual Quebecois from Montreal and should not to be confused with an anglo saxon from the UK. He represents one of the treasures that Montreal has to offer as a great international city.

Let's hope that he is an honest and capable man for the job at hand . All the citizens of Montreal deserve a great mayor for a great city.

Mazel Tov Mr. Mayor

 

[gugu]

Michael Applebaum has been elected the interim Mayor of Montreal. He is the first Anglo Mayor in over 100 years and the first Jewish Mayor in history. He made his entire acceptance speech in French. :thumb:

Congratulations!

I totally agree! Also open enough to introduce Projet Montréal and Vision Montréal in the Executive Comity. That was needed. And to be honest, I was disgusted by the Union Montréal people who said he did not manage french well enough to be mayor of Montréal.

 

[oldbutartful]

Who gives a toss on what his ethnic origin is as long as he is honest, and does what is right for Montrealer's

 

[Possum Trot]

Dude, you're just assuming that people are gonna bitch. Same with the habs hockey coach, as long as they can speak french to the fans, I think it's all good. No need for constant separation of the two languages.

You don't think Pauline is spitting fire ?

Wasn't one of her campaign promises that she was going to pass a law saying all elected officials in Quebec had to be French?

 

[sapman99]

A very good post ^

Michael Applebaum worked very hard last week to unite some very different people coming from three parties to give power back to the population of Montréal. Being anglophone I think only reinforces this "Rainbow Coalition" he managed to create.

Today's editorial in La Presse shows the French media is totally embracing this turn of events. In fact at all levels of government, we should learn to govern coalition-style instead of stewing in sterile disputes that end up producing nothing and costing everyone, money and progress-wise.

After the "Spring of discontent", the revelations of the Charbonneau Commission, the weird elections we just had and the hockey strike, we were due for a whiff of optimism. This was it.

Thank you, Mayor Applebaum.