Language politics take centre stage in Montreal federal byelection
CBC
On a recent Tuesday afternoon, Alex Montagano walked along Avenue King Edward in Montreal, knocking on doors to make his pitch.
Montagano is not a traditional federal election candidate. His campaign materials show him in a conductor's uniform — a nod to his passion for trains — and he stamps his fliers with a ticket punch.
He's running in Monday's Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount byelection under the banner of the Centrist Party of Canada, a party that has never elected a federal candidate.
But Montagano — or "Trainman," as he identifies himself to voters — said a vote for him is a protest vote, intended to send a message to the Liberal Party of Canada.
And while trains may be his passion, his political interests include language rights for English-speaking Quebecers — something he feels is under threat.
"We're brought up with this idea, this concept that Canada was open, that it is a free society," he said.
"This idea of what Canada is is dying in Quebec. It's being attacked."
On a walk around the neighborhood, his cri de coeur resonates with residents. Many of them raised language as the issue that worries them the most, after recent pieces of provincial and federal legislation ratcheted up tensions in Quebec's English-speaking community.
"I think language is one of the biggest problems," said first-time voter Thomas Donnelly. "To get a job, you really have to be perfectly bilingual … It really makes it hard for people to feel included in this province."
The riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount is considered to be a Liberal stronghold.
It's also the heartland of anglophone Montreal. According to census data, about 44 per cent of residents list English as their mother tongue.
It was held by Liberal member of Parliament Marc Garneau until he resigned last spring.
While the riding's boundaries have changed over time, the area has consistently elected Liberal candidates since the 1990s.
The Liberal candidate this time, Anna Gainey, is a former party president. Her father, Bob Gainey, played for the Montreal Canadiens and went on to become their general manager. She was not made available for an interview.
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