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Canadian Urbanism Uncovered

The maybe-not by-election signs in Westmount—Ville-Marie

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These signs are in the order at which each candidate’s parties finished in the January 2006 election. Interestingly, none of these candidates ran in this riding during the last general election. According to the latest news, we may not even have this September 8th federal by-election, depending on how the game of chess unfolds this week.

Marc Garneau / Liberal PartyMarc Garneau / Liberal Party

Guy Dufort / Conservative PartyGuy Dufort / Conservative Party

Anne Lagacé Dowson + Jack Layton / NDPAnne Lagacé Dowson / New Democratic Party

Charles Larivée / Bloc québécoisCharles Larivée / Bloc québécois

Claude William Genest / Green PartyClaude William Genest / Green Party

Andrew Wattie / Conservation PartyAndrew Wattie / Conservation Party (Independent)

These were the signs that I saw during the past weeks, in Chinatown, the McGill ghetto and eastern NDG along Sherbrooke, locations spanning the riding. It also covers Montreal’s business district, opulent Westmount and much of Old Montreal.

Back in 2006, the Liberals’ Lucienne Robillard finished with 45.68% of votes cast (see CBC.ca’s document), with a lead of around 11,500 ahead of the closest candidate, the Conservatives’ Louise O’Sullivan (trailed very closely by the NDP and the BQ candidates). The margin was still tighter than the previous three elections, when Robillard won with margin of about 18,000 each time, in this riding that is considered very safe for the Liberals (there was a time when Outremont was also a sure-win for them).

At least twice in this year, Spacing Montreal thought that general elections were imminent: once in October 2007, and then again in January 2008. Now, is third time’s a charm? As we brace for election posters to invade our public space (see Spacing Montreal’s special section), we invite you again to e-mail us your best pictures of future, current or past elections’ posters: spacingmontreal@spacing.ca.

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11 comments

  1. Marc Garneau ran last time on the South Shore. He got beat. Now he’s running in a supposedly-safe Liberal riding.

  2. Mr. Wattie’s picture is not the most flattering .. he kinda looks like a pedophile

  3. R u kidding???

    Wattie is a hottie!!!

    Those eyebrows! (gush)

  4. Genest’s poster looks like an ad for an ’80s made for tv movie. He could have played The Hoff’s brother in Knight Rider the movie or something.

  5. Anne’s got as good a chance as any to win the election. That would mean a second NDP-er in Montreal. She’s smart and has her feet firmly planted in the ground.

    What is up with that Wattie picture. And check out his email address – looks like a url mash up. Is he even alive?

  6. These are amazing election signs. Will they just keep them up if the by-election is replaced by a real election?

    I really hope that Andrew Wattie lives in the riding. I can just picture him living in a 2 1/2 in one of those creepy apartment buildings at Greene and Sherbrooke.

  7. —–
    I really hope that Andrew Wattie lives in the riding. I can just picture him living in a 2 1/2 in one of those creepy apartment buildings at Greene and Sherbrooke.

    Comment by Christopher DeWolf
    August 26, 2008 @ 8:34 pm
    —–

    I think he plays the electric keyboard on Parc ave. I always wondered where that guy lived. ;)

  8. I met Wattie and I’d say that picture is about 35 years old. He’s a little more gray now.

    I also accidentally endorsed his campaign, which is NOT an environmental party, as one (ok, me) might assume, but a freaky party aimed at reducing the human population by limiting who can procreate, and restructuring the geopolitical borders of nations. Oh, and reforming language.

  9. Genest is, in fact, an actor, among other things. His father was most definitely an actor. Had important roles in some early 1960s Walt Disney films involving nature and wildlife.

    >Genest’s poster looks like an ad for an ’80s made >for tv movie. He could have played The Hoff’s >brother in Knight Rider the movie or something.

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