The Vision Montreal Crisis of 1997 was one of the most severe internal party crises in Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

 politics.

Origins

In January 1997, Mayor

Mayor of Montreal

The Mayor of Montreal is head of the executive branch of Montreal City Council.The Mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and provincial laws within Montreal....

 Pierre Bourque

Pierre Bourque

Pierre Bourque, CQ is a businessman and politician in Quebec, Canada. He founded the Vision Montreal political party and served as mayor of Montreal from 1994 to 2001.-Background:...

 tried to dismiss two members of Montreal's Executive Committee: Deputy Chairman Sammy Forcillo

Sammy Forcillo

Savino "Sammy" Forcillo is a Canadian politician and a City Councillor in Montreal, Quebec.-Background:He has Italian ancestry and has a degree from the École nationale d'administration publique .-Civic Party:...

 and Pierre Goyer

Pierre Goyer

Pierre Goyer is a Canadian politician and a City Councillor in Montreal, Quebec. -City Councillor:He was elected to Montreal's City Council as a Montreal Citizens' Movement candidate in the district of Jean-Talon in 1986, defeating Civic incumbent George Savoidakis...

. Yet, the City Charter of 1921 clearly states that appointments to the Executive Committee are irrevocable. Forcillo and Goyer left Vision Montreal

Vision Montreal

Vision Montreal is a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It has been in existence since 1994 and presently forms the Official opposition on Montreal City Council under leader Louise Harel.-Origins:...

 (Bourque's party) to sit as Independents

Independent (politician)

In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...

, but exercised their right to stay on the committee. Therefore, management by consensus became nearly impossible to reach for the remainder of Bourque's term.

That incident as well as allegations of authoritarian tendencies led thirteen other Vision Montreal Councillors to leave the party

Crossing the floor

In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...

 and sit as Independents with their colleagues of the opposition.

Consequences

By August 1997, only a minority of the councilmembers (24 out of 51) were members of Vision Montreal and the credibility of the Bourque administration was undermined. Most of the defectors were supporters of Jacques Duchesneau

Jacques Duchesneau

Jacques Duchesneau, CM is a French Canadian civil servant and former Chief of Police.He holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the École nationale d'administration publique and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Université de Montréal...

's Nouveau Montréal party, but others backed Jean Doré

Jean Doré

Jean Doré is a Canadian politician and former mayor of the City of Montreal, Quebec.-Background:Jean Doré studied law at the Université de Montréal, where he was president of the student union from 1967 to 1968. He received a Master's Degree of Political Science from McGill University...

's Équipe Montréal, the RCM

Montreal Citizens' Movement

The Montreal Citizens' Movement was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It existed from 1973 to 2001.-Origins:...

or even came back to Vision Montreal briefly before the next election. The severity of the crisis was such that for a while it appeared to seriously affect Bourque's chances of re-election.

Nonetheless, Bourque was elected in 1998, as was a substantial majority of his candidates.

Defectors

The defectors were:

Councilmember

District

Status following the 1998 Election

Serge-Éric Bélanger

Sault-au-Récollet

Re-elected as a Vision Montreal candidate

Philippe Bissonnette

Saint-Paul

Elected as a Nouveau Montréal candidate

Daniel Boucher Daniel Boucher (politician) Daniel Boucher is a politician in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He served on the Montreal city council from 1994 to 1998, originally as a member of Vision Montreal and later as an independent. Boucher has also sought election to the Canadian House of Commons and the National Assembly of Quebec.-Early...

Jean-Rivard

Defeated as an Independent candidate

Vittorio Capparelli Vittorio Capparelli Vittorio Capparelli is a politician in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He served on the Montreal city council from 1986 to 1998 and was a member of the Montreal executive committee from 1994 to 1996.-Early life and career:...

François-Perrault

Defeated as an RCM Montreal Citizens' Movement The Montreal Citizens' Movement was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It existed from 1973 to 2001.-Origins:... candidate

Jack Chadirdjian Jack Chadirdjian Jack H. Chadirdjian is a Canadian politician, an attorney, and a City Councillor in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-City Councillor:He was elected to Montreal's City Council as a Vision Montreal candidate in the district of Darlington in 1994, defeating RCM incumbent Hubert Simard.-Leader of the...

Darlington

Defeated as a Nouveau Montréal candidate

Jacques Charbonneau

Louis-Riel

Re-elected as a Vision Montreal candidate

Hubert Deraspe

Louis-Hébert

Did not run for re-election

Sammy Forcillo Sammy Forcillo Savino "Sammy" Forcillo is a Canadian politician and a City Councillor in Montreal, Quebec.-Background:He has Italian ancestry and has a degree from the École nationale d'administration publique .-Civic Party:...

Saint-Jacques

Elected as an Équipe Montréal candidate

Pierre Gagnier Pierre Gagnier Pierre Gagnier is a city councillor from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Since 2009, he has served as the mayor of the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough. He was a member of the Projet Montréal municipal political party...

Cartierville

Defeated as a Nouveau Montréal candidate

Robert Gagnon

Émard

Defeated as an Independent candidate

Pierre Goyer Pierre Goyer Pierre Goyer is a Canadian politician and a City Councillor in Montreal, Quebec. -City Councillor:He was elected to Montreal's City Council as a Montreal Citizens' Movement candidate in the district of Jean-Talon in 1986, defeating Civic incumbent George Savoidakis...

Saint-Édouard

Defeated as an Équipe Montréal candidate

Robert Laramée Robert Laramée Robert Laramée is a Canadian politician and was a city councillor in Montreal, Quebec.- Background :Laramée holds a Bachelor’s degree in Recreation. According to Fugues magazine, he is openly gay.- City Councillor :...

Père-Marquette

Defeated as a Nouveau Montréal candidate

Marie Lebeau

Pointe-aux-Trembles

Defeated as a Nouveau Montréal candidate

Martin Lemay Martin Lemay Martin Lemay is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He is the Parti Québécois Member of the National Assembly for Sainte-Marie—Saint-Jacques in the National Assembly of Quebec.-Background:...

Sainte-Marie

Defeated as an Équipe Montréal candidate

Nathalie Malépart Nathalie Malépart Nathalie Malépart is a Canadian politician. She was a City Councillor in Montreal, Quebec.-Background:She was born in Montreal about 1973 and was the daughter of politician Jean-Claude Malépart, who was Liberal Member of the House of Commons from 1979 to 1989.-City Councillor:She was elected to...

Maisonneuve

Did not run for re-election

Germain Prégent

Saint-Pierre

Elected as a Nouveau Montréal candidate

Members of the Executive Committee are indicated with bold fonts.