POLICY PLATFORM: MOVEMENT MONTREAL

POLICY PLATFORM

MOVEMENT MONTREAL

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MOUVEMENT MONTRÉAL 2021

MOUVEMENT MONTRÉAL 2021

Dear Montrealers, I am proud to present Movement Montreal’s 2021 Policy Platform - a collaborative, ambitious, and comprehensive plan to make our city stronger, fairer, and more inclusive. With the goal of putting people before politics, Movement Montreal has drafted this platform in consultation with everyday Montrealers, community organizations, and advocates. It is participatory. It is intentional. It values our Francophone community, our Anglophone and Allophone communities, and our ethnocultural communities, all which form, contribute to, and characterize the unique and vibrant city in which we live.

Although municipalities purport to represent a plurality of perspectives, certain views and interests are favoured in city politics by virtue of the structural features of the political and economic systems within which cities function. Instead, through both our campaign and this platform, we aim to articulate and better represent all needs, with the goal of making your life more healthy, prosperous, and safe.

You deserve an administration that will address the core issues facing our city: the housing crisis, the economy, and the climate crisis. We will build 30,000 a ordable housing units and 24,000 social housing units. We will advocate for city-state status in order to bolster our economic power. And we will host a public consultation on language throughout the city.

The time for change is now, and we are certain that a Movement Montreal administration will o er you just that.

Sincerely,

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MOUVEMENT MONTRÉAL 2021

OUR PLATFORM This platform document outlines Movement Montreal’s political perspectives, policies, and plans, including overviews of our platform’s eighteen (18) pillars: ✦

Transportation and Mobility

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Environment and Climate Change

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Accessibility

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Public Security and Safety

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The Economy

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Social and A ordable Housing

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Houselessness

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Children and Youth

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Women’s and Gender-Diverse Peoples’ Rights

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Seniors

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Taxation

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Language Rights

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Healthy Democracy

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Indigenous Rights and Reconciliation

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Arts and Culture

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Sports, Recreation, and Leisure

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Animal Welfare

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City Governance

Shaping this platform in response to community calls to action, these plans address the real needs of Montrealers across the island, and will position our city as a global metropolis that is safe, inclusive, and prosperous.

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TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY In developing our transportation and mobility policy, we have consulted with both economic and environmental experts across ields and sectors to ensure its viability. With the aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the impacts of climate change, and “electrify the economy,” Movement Montreal’s transportation and mobility plan will ensure that the city grows its economy with environmentally conscious policies.

O er fare-free public transportation to Montrealers aged 25 years and under Extend, by 2025, the current (50%) discount for seniors (65+) to fare-free public transportation (including paratransit) Provide reduced public transportation fares based on income O er a green tax rebate to private corporations that purchase bulk public transit passes for at least 33% of their employees Extend paratransit service operation to 12:00am midnight Ensure, by 2028, that all transit stations are universally accessible through the installation of elevators and ramps Mandate that the STM hold a series of consultations, outside their scheduled public hearings, to address gaps in public transportation accessibility Ensure, by 2032, that all public transit vehicles are fully electric Test and adopt fuel e icient management technologies for ambulances and emergency response vehicles, police patrol vehicles, and ire service trucks Extend the REM to Rivière-des-Prairies and ensure its construction underground where possible, based on a series of feasibility studies Develop partnerships with de-merged cities to provide parking at REM stations

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MOUVEMENT MONTRÉAL 2021

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Until we have a robust, functional, and environmentally sustainable metro system that extends across the island, we must also work with our city’s drivers to better understand how to balance their needs with those of cyclists and pedestrians.

Movement Montreal’s tra ic and road infrastructure plan prioritizes all Montrealers’ right to mobility throughout the city.

Improve the management of city-run construction projects, including and especially the placement of construction cones in residential neighbourhoods that unnecessarily limit resident mobility and parking Review all parking signage to facilitate and simplify public parking procedures Leverage partnerships with Arti icial Intelligence (AI) and other tech corporations to improve the low of the city’s tra ic system, including by better syncing the existing tra ic light system Reduce the maximum ine for parking tickets to $40.00 O er free parking throughout the city between Friday and Sunday Adopt a cycling licensing system for electric bikes that go over 30km/hr to ensure cyclists are knowledgable about road safety, signalling, and signage Coordinate bike path development with commercial and residential stakeholders by reviewing existing multi-directional bike lane infrastructure Hold a cycling and pedestrian public consultation to determine how best to: connect the gaps in Montreal’s existing cycling network, grow the cycling network into new parts of the city, renew the existing cycling network routes to improve their quality, and remedy issues between cycling and on-street parking Develop a cycling infrastructure plan that considers and measures where people make short trips by car and/or transit (under 5km) that could be replaced by cycling infrastructure Prioritize multi-modal transit systems that connect cycling infrastructures to transit stations

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MOUVEMENT MONTRÉAL 2021

ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE Being a leader in climate justice is not solely about reducing greenhouse gases and electrifying vehicles and public transit. It is also about developing environmental policy with shared values of equity, justice, and inclusion. It is about centering Indigenous and racialized peoples’ voices in the policy-making process. It is about building green spaces across the island, investing in green innovation, and subsidizing energy-e icient investments. Developing a new framework for environmental policy is key to successful environmental management now, and into the future.

Align the city’s carbon-neutrality goals with provincial and federal targets Accelerate climate action and equity by supporting the robust collection of qualitative and quantitative data on energy poverty, green space access, mobility poverty and climate risk vulnerability Establish an Independent Advisory Council on Climate Justice to advise the Mayor's cabinet on economic development, public-private partnerships and other investments, as well as implementation of the city's climate plan Incorporate Indigenous knowledge systems and representation in all environmental decision-making Invest in localized food production chains, including by incentivizing grocers to source food locally Financially support Montreal’s public markets to both increase the demand for local food production and make these businesses more viable 1.

Expand compost collection to buildings with more than eight units by subsidizing composting chute installation Invest in dry-process biomethanation technologies to convert yard and food waste into renewable energy sources

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Target over-consumption and massive generation of waste by banning more single use plastics and styrofoam food packaging Invest in the installation of garbage, recycling, and compost waste bins in public parks and at major intersections with high foot tra ic throughout the city Support better coordination of waste disposal pick up in public areas, including during public events Address and remedy delays in the building of wastewater treatment facilities Establish partnerships with Forestry departments in Montreal’s major universities to establish an ecological monitoring program for Montreal’s biodiverse areas Create a "scienti ic liaison o ice" to foster expert involvement in city governance. Sta ed by researchers with experience in both policy and relevant academic disciplines (biology, geography, planning, etc.), this o ice would be responsible for: Actively and continually soliciting feedback on city policy from experts in the scienti ic community Recruiting experts to ill consulting roles on planning proposals and organizing ecological monitoring programs Facilitating communication with, and lobbying for, members of the scienti ic community with the city government Administering internship programs and scholarships that get early career researchers and students involved in policy making and city governance Create a section in the annual report on the Montreal Climate Plan 2020 2030 addressing the speci ic vulnerabilities of low-income neighbourhoods, with emphasis on their susceptibility to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) e ect Invest and create green spaces (parks, community gardens) across the City, particularly in low-income boroughs to address and mitigate the UHI e ect

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MOUVEMENT MONTRÉAL 2021

ACCESSIBILITY Accessibility is necessary to ensure that all Montrealers are included in the city’s day to day functioning and can bene it from government programming and services. At Movement Montreal, we understand that the city must be intentionally designed to prioritize accessibility and usability of the City, and in doing so, adhere to and uphold the available standards for city accessibility and inclusion.

Sign and work towards the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Establish a process whereby all municipal government by-laws and policies are reviewed, taking into consideration persons with disabilities Establish clear guidelines and evaluation methods to ensure all government buildings, o ices, bathrooms, sponsored programming, and online websites/ portals are fully accessible Mandate only buildings and public spaces that are fully accessible (including bathroom infrastructure) be used for town halls, community meetings, and other government-sponsored events Improve Montreal’s accessibility through sidewalk renewal projects that prioritize the development of curb-cuts at all major intersections across Montreal Hire and support employees with disabilities, including in becoming leaders in their organizations and communities O er small-business renovation subsidies to ensure that all ground-level businesses are fully accessible (including bathroom infrastructure) by 2025 O er inancial support and incentives (tax breaks and rebates) to organizations that are fully accessible (including bathroom infrastructure) Raise awareness through media campaigns about disability and educate young Canadians about accessibility

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PUBLIC SECURITY AND SAFETY Sharing residents’ concerns about the recent spike in gun violence, Movement Montreal has a forward-thinking and pragmatic approach to addressing and remedying street violence throughout Montreal, and it begins with investing in Montrealers. Increased violence stems from a lack of public infrastructure and inadequate investment in social services. To reduce Montreal’s crime rates and make the city safer for everyone, we must address poverty, territorial disparity, and income inequality.

Review and publish an audited account of the SPVM’s $700M budget Reallocate funding away from the SPVM towards a ordable and social housing, health and social services, and leisure, recreation and sports infrastructure Immediately reverse the decision granting STM o icers’ police-like powers Mandate yearly training for all police o icers, including specializing training for incidents of domestic violence and, for o icers and members of the SPVM’s Hate Crimes Unit, yearly cultural sensitivity and anti-racism training Develop a speci ic emergency phone-line for intervention workers, social workers, and mental health professionals trained in de-escalation, domestic violence intervention, and substance abuse Mandate a complete ban on: 1) the use of facial recognition technology by the SPVM; 2) SPVM presence in Montreal schools; and, 3) the ability to rehire o icers who have been found guilty of violating the Police Code of Ethics Work with the SPVM to establish a hate crimes information campaign, in collaboration with community organizations, to make hate crimes reporting information more widely accessible Encourage all police o icers to reside on the Island of Montreal

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MOUVEMENT MONTRÉAL 2021

ECONOMIC RELAUNCH With a clear focus on better supporting entrepreneurs, this platform takes decisive action to improve the economic capacity of Montreal’s small businesses. Gone will be the days where small business owners are forgotten by the municipal administration and must overcome unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles that slow down their plans for growth.

Advocate for city-state status in order to retain a larger percentage of the GDP Build a radiant, internationally-renowned metropolis by contributing $8,000,000.00 per year to Montréal International, an organization specialized in attracting foreign investment in the city Develop entrepreneurial relationships with leaders in Arti icial Intelligence and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) research Establish a centralized Business Center to meet the needs of small and medium size businesses, including by reducing time frames for the review of development applications and streamlining the application process for business and terrasse licenses Coordinate with the provincial government to create economic zones in lowincome boroughs that provide tax incentives for small businesses Support enhanced coordination between urban planning, construction companies, and small businesses Proactively identify and support Montreal-based manufacturers seeking global product distribution

SOCIAL AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING Housing is a fundamental right. Movement Montreal’s social and a ordable housing platform was developed in conjunction with Montrealers, community leaders, and

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organizations in order to ensure that, once in o ice, we make meaningful and lasting change for renters throughout the city.

Steadily increase the City’s housing budget by 2% each year between 2021 and 2025 from 2.9% to 11.9% Approve the creation of 30,000 new a ordable rental homes: 20% of which will be “supportive homes” for vulnerable persons including people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and 25% of which will be dedicated to female-led households Approve the creation of 24,000 social housing units throughout the city Approve the creation of 5,000 student housing units throughout the city Close the exit clause for the 20/20/20 bylaw, and work with de-merged cities to implement the 20/20/20 bylaw across the Island Legislate a by-law expanding the eligibility for social housing to include families and applicants who are not yet Canadian citizens or permanent residents Work with owners of unused properties to establish those properties as cityowned social housing units Assist developers in negotiating the cost of materials to build new a ordable rental homes Establish a mandatory rental registry to control and stabilize rental prices Adopt a publicly-accessible landlord licensing system that requires rental buildings be inspected annually Establish a rental repair policy wherein city inspectors repair and maintain rental units found to contain unsanitary risks, invoicing and ining landlords who have neglected to carry out their own repairs and maintenance within 21 days of notice from the city Establish a inancial support program for renters evicted during the height of the COVID 19 Pandemic (March 2020 - March 2021)

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MOUVEMENT MONTRÉAL 2021

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Establish a tax rebate for all irst-time home buyers Establish a strict regulation on AirBnB’s in Montreal, mandating that homeowners rent out only their primary residence Establish a foreign buyers tax to stabilize the price of homes and also discourage rental price gouging

HOUSELESSNESS Houselessness has plagued the city, leaving thousands of people without shelter, food, and other essential services. To remedy this issue, Movement Montreal has committed to a robust and feasible plan that will address houselessness and prioritize social welfare for all of the city’s residents.

Develop partnerships with the health care, child welfare, and corrections systems to coordinate transition planning strategies that prevent people from being discharged from other service systems into houselessness Institute a ban on development evictions for daycares and community support services and organizations Facilitate conversations between unused property owners and Indigenous community members to establish Indigenous-run community housing that prioritizes culturally-appropriate living practices Until su icient levels of social and a ordable housing units are reached, invest in benches, water fountains, hand washing stations, public restrooms, and garden spaces in areas with high rates of houselessness Provide Indigenous-run organizations and initiatives with stable funding to support their mediation and outreach work amongst houseless Indigenous populations

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Provide community organizations focused on mitigating and alleviating houselessness with stable and consistent monthly funding Focus city programming on prevention and integration of persons at-risk of houselessness in the city

CHILDREN AND YOUTH Working alongside our younger generation, Movement Montreal’s plans have been shaped to prioritize their needs, and ensure that our city thrives now and into the future.

This includes recognizing the need to provide adequate child care and community supports for the city’s youth.

Establish child care as a key pillar of Montreal’s poverty reduction plans Build green spaces and sports and recreation infrastructures around daycares and community centres O er subsidized French language and English language classes to youth Establish a summer internship program in partnership with Montreal’s major cultural institutions for youth aged 18 29 Invest in after-school programming and “Youth Hubs” in Community Centres Prioritize the development of youth entrepreneurship programming Establish a youth community council Work with youth to develop and maintain a youth portal on the city’s website

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WOMEN’S AND GENDER DIVERSE PEOPLES’ RIGHTS Movement Montreal strives to empower and support women, girls, and gender-diverse peoples throughout the city. To do so, we aim to dismantle gendered obstacles that are often compounded by systemic barriers and both centre and prioritize women’s and gender-diverse peoples’ voices and experiences in municipal policy.

Provide stable funding to community organizations that support women, children, and gender-diverse peoples who su er from houselessness Publish a report, in collaboration with experts, on the e ects of housing instability and its correlation with increased rates of domestic violence on women, children, and gender-diverse peoples Provide free counselling services for women and gender-diverse peoples Develop a 24/7 support phone-line sta ed by social workers, and mental health professionals for women and gender diverse peoples Establish a robust maternity and child-care support system for employees of the City in order to support more equitable long-term employment opportunities for women of divergent familial and economic backgrounds Establish a summer internship program for women and gender-diverse youth aged 18 29 so that they may become equipped with the knowledge and experience to participate in the formal political sphere

SENIORS Movement Montreal recognizes the importance of maintaining, upholding, and advocating for seniors’ rights in the city. This includes ensuring that seniors’ needs are represented in all municipal policies and practices.

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O er fare-free transit, by 2025, to all seniors (65+), including paratransit Establish and support in-home care and long-term care options for seniors Establish a municipal Bureau for Senior’s Quality of Life Launch an inquiry into the quality, cleanliness, and upkeep of seniors’ living residences throughout the city Extend pedestrian crossing times in areas with a high elderly population, including those with a large density of senior’s and long-term care homes Provide stable and consistent funding to organizations that provide digital literacy for seniors and intergenerational mentorship with youth in order to tackle social exclusion in senior populations

FAIR TAXATION Taxation is a key pillar of any municipal governance structure, and requires constant negotiation to uphold residents’ rights and access to health and social services in the city. Movement Montreal’s fair taxation plan ensures that the city will remain iscally responsible, while increasing its capacity to provide the highest quality services to all.

Advocate for city-state status in order to retain a larger percentage of the GDP Lobby the provincial government to allocate a larger subset of the provincial GDP to Montreal’s municipal government spending budget Retain 1% of TPS/TVQ Commit to eliminating Montreal’s welcome tax Institute a tax relief program for individuals living in extreme poverty Institute a commercial vacancy tax

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INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE RIGHTS If we are to uphold a true democracy in Montreal, if we are to get the economy booming again, and if we are to position ourselves as a global leader that attracts foreign investment, we must embrace Montreal’s diverse culture. We are all Quebecers. We are all residents of this beautiful province and this beautiful city. Embracing our bilingualism and our diversity, while supporting our city’s ethnocultural communities, will celebrate the wholeness that Montreal is, and the strength of its people.

O icially recognize Montreal as a bilingual (French and English) metropolis Mandate the immediate translation of all government documents, reports, and publicly accessible information into both French and English languages Update all municipal government website portals to be fully accessible in both French and English languages Review and revise municipal hiring processes to encourage anglophones with functional-level, but not high-level, French language knowledge to apply for government positions Mandate a by-law allowing public and private businesses to operate in both French and English languages O er subsidized French language and English language classes

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MOUVEMENT MONTRÉAL 2021

HEALTHY DEMOCRACY Movement Montreal is deeply committed to upholding a healthy democracy in the city.

This ethos is part of a larger project of uni ication aimed to bridge the political divides of people who, despite their di erences, work to make Montreal a stronger metropolis.

Legislate a by-law requiring online referendums on all major municipal projects and decisions Require borough mayors hold bi-monthly town halls, outside of regularly scheduled borough council meetings, to allow residents to openly and accessibly exchange with elected o icials Cap the mandate of elected o icials to a maximum of four (4) mandates Institute a four (4) year freeze on elected o icials’ salaries

INDIGENOUS RIGHTS AND RECONCILIATION As a political organization based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal, Movement Montreal has committed to strengthening and cultivating relationships with local First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Indigenous communities. Alongside immediately implementing the City’s 2020 2025 Strategy for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, we have committed to a series of other reconciliatory policies.

Update Montreal’s Charter of Rights and Responsibilities to acknowledge the unceded Indigenous territory on which Montreal resides O icially adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) Establish an Indigenous reparations advisory council at the municipal level

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Redirect 5% of Montreal’s tax revenue to an Indigenous Reconciliation Fund used to address Indigenous houselessness, support Indigenous community organizations, and establish Indigenous youth programming and employment opportunities in the city Dedicate consistent annual inancial support to social housing projects led by Indigenous organizations, including the construction of transitional housing and homes for Indigenous women and families Review and revise municipal hiring processes to address and mitigate barriers preventing Indigenous-identifying people from government employment Track progress of any self-identi ied Indigneous candidates through the employment process at the City, including interview, assessment and selection Establish an Indigenous Historical Museum in Montreal Modify tourism training curricula at government-designated institutions to incorporate Indigenous history and cultural contributions to the city Establish an Indigenous Arts and Culture Grant Program

ARTS AND CULTURE For decades, Montreal has been internationally recognized as a cultural metropolis. Its dynamic art scene, lively music, and diverse cultural heritage are unparalleled in Canada, in North America, and around the world. Despite this, our city’s artists and musicians were largely left behind during the height of the COVID 19 pandemic. At Movement Montreal, we pledge to value our city’s artists and musicians and recognize their immeasurable contributions to Montreal’s social, cultural, and economic wellbeing.

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Mandate that Boards of Directors of major arts and culture institutions have gender parity and diverse representation, including of Indigenous peoples, gender-diverse peoples, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people will reduced mobility, and people from diverse ethnocultural backgrounds Provide inancial tax incentives for cultural organizations that implement measures to include racialized and Indigenous persons in their programs, projects, and on their Boards of Directors Establish partnerships with Montreal’s French and English school boards to implement cultural outreach and art programming Leverage the city’s major events, such as the Grand Prix du Canada and Montreal Jazz Festival, to stimulate business alliances (including cultural relationships), develop and expand markets, and attract investments Establish a municipal arts council that oversees community arts grants and o ers support to cultural institutions in their application process Establish a summer internship program in partnership with Montreal’s major cultural institutions for youth aged 18 29 Create a rent subsidy program for local artists and musicians and o er tax incentives for artists and entrepreneurs to create and expand cultural spaces Establish a nighttime economy plan to boost the city’s cultural life, in conjunction with Montreal’s Night Council

SPORTS, LEISURE, AND RECREATION Movement Montreal is committed to mobilizing municipal resources to enhance initiatives supporting sport, leisure, and recreation. This plan is rooted in research that suggests that increased societal violence, houselessness, and poverty-related health

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issues stem in part from a lack of public infrastructure and inadequate investment in social services, including sports, leisure, and recreation facilities.

Begin development on a series of sports and recreation facilities throughout the city, including and especially in Montreal-North, Anjou, Rivière-des-PrairiesPointe-aux-Trembles, and Saint-Léonard Provide access to all city-owned recreation facilities, free of charge, for lowincome families Develop an inclusive sport practical guide and training module Invest in after-school programming and “Youth Hubs” in Community Centres Work with business and community leaders on a formal plan to establish a professional basketball franchise in Montreal

ANIMAL WELFARE By recognizing that animal welfare is a human responsibility, Movement Montreal has pledged to uphold, protect, and prioritize animal well-being, including in responsible care, health, and management practices.

Work to eliminate all puppy mills in the city by 2025 Invest in a city-owned animal care service, including mobile veterinarian and sterilization services Centralize the pet identi ication process to help mitigate animal abandonment Support current legislation that forbids breed-discrimination O er funding to support animal welfare organizations throughout the city

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MOUVEMENT MONTRÉAL 2021

CITY GOVERNANCE In order to streamline city governance and ensure that the municipal government operates as e iciently as possible, Movement Montreal is proposing a series of governance adjustments.

Audit the performance and salaries of all permanent municipal employees, particularly those in management positions Optimize the municipal workforce in the sectors in which city investments have not translated into increased quality of services Review organizational structure of the city with the aim of increasing e iciency, innovation, and lexibility Increase accountability and transparency for all government services, expenditures, and contracts Encourage and promote city employees to reside on the Island of Montreal

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