Montrealers have chosen former Liberal Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada as their new mayor in a vote that toppled the city’s left-leaning government after eight years in power.
Martinez Ferrada, a former Chilean refugee and leader of the centrist party Ensemble Montréal, harnessed the discontent of Montreal residents with the administration of outgoing Mayor Valérie Plante, who announced last year she would not pursue a third term at the helm of Projet Montréal.
She defeated Plante’s successor, Luc Rabouin, by more than 30,000 votes in the Nov. 2 election. Rabouin has since announced his plans to resign as leader of the progressive party….