Statements²⁸

L’élection municipale doit être l’occasion de bâtir Montréal avec sa jeunesse d’affaires

CLIMATE RESILIENCE

Par

JCCM - Jeune Chambre de commerce de Montréal

In a few days, Montreal will elect its next municipal officials. We, thousands of young professionals, intrapreneurs, committed entrepreneurs, and members of the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Montreal, call for a rejection of the status quo. After years marked by health, economic, and climate turmoil, this election represents much more than a simple change in administration. It is an opportunity to redefine our collective vision—a bold vision driven by resilience, inclusion, and innovation.

We are both actors and privileged witnesses to the transformations shaping our city. We experience it every day in our neighborhoods and workplaces. And we have a clear message: Montreal must be built with the input of the young people who live, work, and shape its future.

A city at the heart of the polycrisis

The challenges facing Montreal have a particular impact on young people. Residential and commercial rents are skyrocketing, making certain neighborhoods inaccessible and forcing talent and businesses to leave the city. The social and economic diversity that makes Montreal so rich is crumbling, and economic instability is making us vulnerable. In a context of rapid transformation in the world of work—artificial intelligence, automation, hybrid teleworking—our local businesses are struggling to keep pace without structured support. Climate change is making itself felt: heat islands that make summer unbearable, recurring floods, and deteriorating air quality.

We don't want to be mere critical observers; we want to be part of the solutions for today and tomorrow. Our generation is brimming with ideas, initiatives, and energy to transform Montreal. We are seeking a balance: a city that innovates without losing its soul, that grows denser without sacrificing quality of life, that progresses economically while protecting its social and environmental fabric, and that supports the most vulnerable members of our society.

That is why, in the face of these challenges, we are making concrete demands of the candidates for mayor of Montreal:

Implement ambitious strategies to promote affordable housing and urban diversity in order to preserve Montreal's accessibility. This involves responsible densification, increased support for housing cooperatives, measures to facilitate access to first-time home ownership for young households, and the protection of social diversity in all neighborhoods.
Give high priority to public and active transportation. Ensure that fares are affordable for young professionals. Improve connectivity between neighborhoods so that Montreal is accessible to all, regardless of their chosen mode of transportation.
Accelerate the urban socio-ecological transition by increasing greenery and combating heat islands. Reduce GHG emissions through binding measures and actively support green and circular businesses.
Integrate artificial intelligence into city management and economic development. Foster concrete partnerships between large companies, incubators, and ecosystem players to support mentoring, financing, and resources for young entrepreneurs. Encourage impactful business takeovers to ensure the continuity of local businesses. The goal: to create a vibrant ecosystem where young people can launch, take over, and propel their projects in Montreal.
Create spaces for young people in municipal governance: youth councils with decision-making power, consultations tailored to our realities, meaningful participatory budgets. Our generation wants to be heard.

A city to co-create

Municipalities are the first laboratories of change. It is at the local level that transitions take place, social innovations emerge, and democracy is practiced on a daily basis. We, the youth of Montreal, want to actively participate in this transformation. We are ready to innovate, experiment, and build a resilient and inclusive city that will be the pride of future generations.

To achieve this, we need municipal leaders who think about the city with a long-term vision, beyond electoral cycles, who recognize that Montreal's economic, environmental, and technological future depends on its young business leaders, and who include us in decision-making committees and governing bodies, not just in symbolic consultations.

Montreal has the assets to become a model of a smart, sustainable, and humane city. Our generation is not waiting for permission to dream of the city of tomorrow. We are ready to build it with you for the future of our metropolis. We invite you to build Montreal with us.