Louise Roy (politician)

Louise Roy is a former politician in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She was a member of the Montreal city council from 1994 to 1998 and served as president of the Montreal Citizens' Movement (MCM) party. Since retiring from politics she has served in some managerial roles.

For the administrator, see Louise Roy (administrator).

She is not to be confused with another Louise Roy, who is the chancellor of the Université de Montréal and has served as president of the Montreal Urban Community Transit Corp. and chair of the Montreal Arts Council.[1] The other Louise Roy was also an MCM supporter and was sometimes rumoured as a mayoral candidate for the party.[2]

Early life and career

Roy was an activist in 1980, campaigning for bicycle lanes in Montreal. She later served as president of the Tour de l'ile de Montreal, worked with Cirque du Soleil, and led a regional tourist association in the Lac-Saint-Jean area. She was chosen as MCM president in February 1994 and, in her first press conference, argued that the traditionally social democratic party would need to take a more pro-business direction.[3]

City councillor

Roy ran for Montreal city council in the Laurier ward in the 1994 municipal election; at one stage in the campaign, she stood in for party leader and incumbent mayor Jean Doré in a debate on women's issues.[4] The MCM was defeated by the Vision Montreal party on election day, although Roy won her own seat and joined council as an opposition member.[5] Pierre Bourque, Montreal's new mayor, appointed her to chair the city's finance committee as part of a bid to include opposition parties in the governing process.[6] She served in this role until 1997, when Bourque replaced her with a Vision Montreal councillor.[7]

In 1996, Roy led the MCM in opposing Bourque's plan to privatize municipal water services.[8] She resigned as party president in April 1997 and later served as its public safety critic.[9]

The MCM subsequently went through serious internal divisions, and Roy and two other councillors resigned from the party in April 1998.[10] She later joined the New Montreal Party and ran under its banner in the 1998 election. She was defeated by an MCM candidate.[11]

Since 1998

Roy later served as publicity director for the group Divers/Cité. She was the marketing director for Montreal Gay Pride events, and in 2001 she served on the bidding committee for Montreal's campaign to host the 2006 Gay Games.[12] Although Montreal's bid was successful, the city and the Federation of Gay Games later failed to agree on financial oversight of the event, and the games were moved to Chicago. In response, Roy helped to organize a rival Outgames competition in Montreal.[13] The latter event was not a financial success, and Roy's early prediction that it would show a profit proved to be inaccurate.[14]

Electoral record

1998 Montreal municipal election results: Councillor, Laurier Party Candidate Total votes % of total votes Montreal Citizens' Movement Hélène Jolicoeur 1,846 30.14 New Montreal Louise Roy (incumbent) 1,454 23.74 Vision Montreal Odile Hénault 1,411 23.04 Team Montreal Simon Robillard 1,102 17.99 Democratic Coalition Jean-Guy Aubé 107 1.75 Independent Denis Munger 106 1.73 Montreal 2000 Benoît Mainguy 99 1.62 Total valid votes 6,125 100 Source: Official Results, City of Montreal

1994 Montreal municipal election results: Councillor, Laurier Party Candidate Total votes % of total votes Montreal Citizens' Movement Louise Roy 2,254 39.93 Vision Montreal Monique Côté 2,117 37.50 Democratic Coalition–Ecology Montreal Yolande Cohen 676 11.98 Montrealers' Party Gilbert Thibodeau 455 8.06 White Elephant Party Benoît Mainguy 88 1.56 Independent Richard Lemay 55 0.97 Total valid votes 5,645 100 Source: Official Results, City of Montreal

References

1. Elizabeth Thompson, "New MCM chief wants party to take pro-business stance," Montreal Gazette, 10 February 1994, A4. This article confirms that the MUCTC leader was a different person.
2. Henry Aubin, "Montreal's economy needs a centrist party on language," Montreal Gazette, 7 May 1996, B2; Henry Aubin, "Bourque's legal headaches create opportunities for his rivals," Montreal Gazette, 10 December 1996, B2.
3. Elizabeth Thompson, "New MCM chief wants party to take pro-business stance," Montreal Gazette, 10 February 1994, A4.
4. Andy Riga, "Male candidates skip meeting, send a telling message: Cohen," Montreal Gazette, 15 October 1994, A3.
5. Michelle Lalonde, "MCM won't disappear, glum supporters told," Montreal Gazette, 7 November 1994, A3.
6. "Bourque takes contradictory steps" [editorial], Montreal Gazette, 3 December 1994, B4.
7. Aaron Derfel, "Mayor packs committees with Vision councillors," Montreal Gazette, 20 February 1997, A4.
8. Michelle Lalonde, "Jobs safe, mayor tells city workers," Montreal Gazette, 11 March 1996, A3.
9. Monique Beaudin, "Calling on mayor to act: Still no approval from city on Armenian monument," Montreal Gazette, 15 April 1997, A3; "MCM elects Lemay as party president," Montreal Gazette, 5 June 1997, A5; "Critic questions purchase of building for police HQ," Montreal Gazette, 22 September 1997, A3.
10. Michelle Lalonde, "Mayoral candidate is clipped for charity," Montreal Gazette, 6 May 1998, A4.
11. Michelle Lalonde, "Public's approval needed: mayor," Montreal Gazette, 14 August 1998, A4.
12. "Bid for Gay Games officially launched," Montreal Gazette, 7 April 2001, A4; Catherine Solyom, "Champion puts in bid for gays: Poster boy touts city for Games," Montreal Gazette, 11 April 2003, A3; Catherine Solyom, "In hunt for Gay Games: Montreal delegation off to South Africa," Montreal Gazette, 16 October 2001, A4.
13. Kinda Jayoush, "City stripped of Gay Games," Montreal Gazette, 12 November 2003, A1; Catherine Solyom, "City will stage 2006 Outgames," Montreal Gazette, 12 May 2004, A10; Mary Lamey, "Outgames on pace to hit goal: Nine months away," Montreal Gazette, 4 November 2005, A8.
14. Jan Ravensbergen, "Outgames creditors grudgingly accept settlement," Montreal Gazette, 26 April 2007, A7.