Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre speaks during a news conferrence in Montreal, Monday, December 21, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
January 22, 2016 - 11:21 AM
MONTREAL - A sketch of Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, who has become embroiled in a war of words with some western Canadian politicians over the Energy East pipeline project:
Age: 52
Local politics: Elected 44th mayor of Montreal on Nov. 3, 2013.
Federal politics: First elected as Liberal MP in Montreal riding of Bourassa on June 2, 1997, at third attempt. Served exactly 16 years before quitting on June 2, 2013, to pursue local politics.
Cabinet: Secretary of state for amateur sport (1999-2002); minister of citizenship and immigration (2002-2003); president of Privy Council (2003-2004).
Local political highlights: Has angered Alberta and Saskatchewan politicians over position of Montreal-area mayors to oppose controversial Energy East pipeline project; feuded with previous Conservative government over dumping of raw sewage into St. Lawrence River to perform important infrastructure work on city's sewer system; famously took jackhammer to concrete slab to protest Canada Post's implementation of community mailboxes; championed return of Major League Baseball to Montreal.
Quote: "We are against it because it still represents significant environmental threats and too few economic benefits for greater Montreal." — Coderre on Energy East pipeline.
Tweet: ''Population of the Montreal metropolitan community: 4 million... Population of Saskatchewan: 1.13 million...'' — Coderre's response to Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, who called it sad that Quebec leaders would be so "parochial" about a project that would benefit all of Canada.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2016