Véronique Fournier served on the

Montreal city council The Montreal City Council (french: Conseil municipal de Montréal) is the governing body in the mayor–council government in the city of Montreal, Quebec. The head of the city government in Montreal is the mayor, who is first among equals in the ...

, representing Saint-Henri–La Petite-Bourgogne–Pointe-Saint-Charles as a member of

Vision Montreal Vision Montreal (french: Vision Montréal or VM) was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded in 1994 and dissolved in April 2014. Between 2001 and 2013 it formed the official opposition on Montreal City Council. O ...

Early life and career

Véronique Fournier has taught democratic practices for community organizations at the

Université du Québec à Montréal The Université du Québec à Montréal (English: University of Quebec in Montreal), also known as UQAM, is a French-language public university based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québe ...

(UQAM) and, as of 2013, is pursuing a graduate degree in public administration from the École nationale d'administration publique (ENAP).

City councillor

Fournier was elected to Montreal city council in the 2009 municipal election, winning a narrow victory over

Union Montreal Union Montreal (french: Union Montréal) is an inactive municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was the governing party in the city from 2001, when it won its first election under mayor Gérald Tremblay, until 2012. The party rem ...

and Projet Montréal candidates. Union Montreal won a council majority and formed government, initially with the two other parties as junior coalition partners and subsequently on its own. Fournier was appointed as vice-chair of Montreal's finance committee in March 2012. Later in the same year, she accused the municipal government of being "far too timid" in its negotiations with city employees on pension changes. She also argued that the city should directly oversee construction of the

Bonaventure Expressway Autoroute 10 (A-10) is an Autoroute of Quebec in Canada that links greater Montreal to key population centres in Montérégie and Estrie, including Brossard, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Granby, and Sherbrooke. The A-10 also provides access to p ...

, rather than contracting the work out to the Société du Havre de Montréal (SHM). By virtue of holding her position on city council, Fournier also serves on the

Sud-Ouest borough council The Sud-Ouest borough council is the local governing body of Le Sud-Ouest, a borough in Montreal. The council consists of five members: the borough mayor (who also serves as a Montreal city councillor), two Montreal city councillors elected for Le S ...

, where she has served as chair of the urban planning and advisory committee. In 2011, the borough council voted to close the historical Bain Emard indoor pool due to a budgetary shortfall; Fournier described this as "a heartbreaking choice, but at this point the responsible choice." On other occasions, she has championed the preservation of heritage buildings. In 2012, she accused

Transports Québec Le ministère des Transports du Québec ( en, Ministry of Transportation of Quebec), known by its short form name Transports Québec, is a Quebec government ministry responsible for transport, infrastructure and law in Quebec, Canada. Since 2022 ...

of having ignored the concerns of local residents in its plan to rebuild Montreal's

Turcot Interchange The Turcot Interchange is a three-level four-way freeway interchange within the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Located southwest of downtown, the interchange links Autoroutes 15 (Décarie and Décarie South Expressways) and 20 (Remembrance H ...

. Montreal mayor

Gérald Tremblay Gérald Tremblay (born September 20, 1942) is a former Canadian politician and businessman who served as mayor of Montreal from 2002 until his resignation in 2012. He also served as president of the Montreal Metropolitan Community. Before b ...

resigned in late 2012 and was replaced by

Michael Applebaum Michael Mark Applebaum (born February 10, 1963) is a Canadian former politician who served as interim Mayor of Montreal between his appointment by the city council on November 16, 2012, and his resignation on June 18, 2013. He was the first angl ...

, who formed a new administration with representation from all parties on council and some independents. Shortly thereafter, Applebaum chose Fournier as one of two of his appointed representatives on the Ville-Marie borough council. In January 2013, Fournier welcomed Applebaum's announcement that the city would take control of the Bonaventure Expressway from the SHM.Christopher Curtis, "City to run Bonaventure project; Societe du havre stripped of its duty," ''Montreal Gazette'', 25 January 2013, A7.

Provincial politics

In the 2014 provincial election, she ran for the

Parti Québécois The Parti Québécois (; ; PQ) is a sovereignist and social democratic provincial political party in Quebec, Canada. The PQ advocates national sovereignty for Quebec involving independence of the province of Quebec from Canada and establishin ...

Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne is a provincial electoral district in the Montreal region of Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. It comprises all of the Le Sud-Ouest borough of Montreal. It was created for the 1994 ...

but was defeated by incumbent

Marguerite Blais Marie Josephine Marguerite Blais (born September 12, 1950) is a Canadian politician, journalist, radio host and television host from Quebec. She is currently a Coalition Avenir Québec Member of the National Assembly of Québec and is the curren ...

Electoral record

References

External links

City of Montreal biography
(in French)
Vision Montreal biography
(in French) {{DEFAULTSORT:Fournier, Veronique Living people Montreal city councillors Women in Quebec politics Women municipal councillors in Canada Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people)