Montreal is entering a new chapter in its political history as Soraya Martinez Ferrada prepares to be sworn in as the city's first Latina mayor on Thursday. The Chilean-born political refugee will also become Montreal's first mayor who arrived in Canada as a political refugee, marking a significant milestone for the diverse metropolis.
A Historic Moment for Montreal
In her victory speech, Martinez Ferrada powerfully declared: "I am an immigrant. I am a daughter of Bill 101. I am a daughter of Montreal. And I am at home here." Her election represents a dramatic shift from Montreal's political origins, where early mayors were predominantly wealthy anglophone merchants selected by a small, privileged electorate.
The new mayor's background reflects Montreal's evolving identity. Martinez Ferrada arrived in Montreal at age eight when her family fled the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. She now leads North America's largest French-speaking city as a trilingual immigrant who embodies the multicultural reality of modern Montreal.
From Elite Rule to Democratic Representation
Montreal's political history reveals a remarkable transformation. Between 1840 and 1904, six anglophone mayors were born overseas, primarily from the British Isles, during an era when city politics was dominated by business elites and anglophone establishment figures.
The city's early democratic processes were far from inclusive. In Montreal's first city council election in 1833, only property-owning men aged 21 or older who had lived in the city for at least one year could vote. The voting restrictions became even more extreme by 1874, when mayoral candidates needed to own property worth approximately $4,000 - equivalent to about ten years' salary for a skilled worker at the time.
Wealthy individuals could cast ballots in multiple wards where they owned property or businesses, giving them disproportionate political influence. It wasn't until 1889 that unmarried women and widows who owned property gained voting rights, with female renters following about a decade later. Provincial voting rights for women didn't arrive until 1940.
The Rise of Francophone Leadership
As francophones became the majority in Montreal during the second half of the 1800s, helped by annexation of surrounding francophone communities, political representation shifted accordingly. By 1882, francophones formed the majority at city hall, and after 1904, most mayors were francophone men.
The political landscape remained male-dominated for generations. Kathleen Fisher broke barriers in 1940 as the first woman elected to city council, and made history again in 1947 as the first woman to preside over a council meeting.
Universal suffrage finally arrived in Montreal in 1970, nearly doubling the number of registered voters from about 380,000 in 1966 to approximately 700,000. Valérie Plante made history in 2017 as Montreal's first elected female mayor, serving two terms before deciding not to seek re-election.
Montreal's Evolving Demographic Landscape
The city's changing leadership reflects its demographic transformation. Montreal has long been a city of immigrants, from early French and British settlers to waves of European newcomers in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
In recent decades, immigration patterns have broadened significantly to include people from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. According to Statistics Canada, approximately 27 percent of Montreal's population were immigrants in 2021, up from roughly 18 percent two decades earlier.
The growth among visible minority communities has been even more striking. In 2001, about 14 percent of Montreal's population belonged to a visible minority. By 2021, that proportion had risen to nearly 39 percent, with Black, Arab, South Asian, Latin American, and Chinese communities among the largest groups.
Linguistic diversity has similarly expanded. In 1996, about 18 percent of Montreal region residents reported a mother tongue other than English or French. By 2021, that share had increased to nearly 33 percent.
New Political Leaders Reflect Changing Quebec
The political landscape across Quebec is evolving alongside demographic changes. Two immigrants will face off in the next provincial general election scheduled for October 2026.
Pablo Rodriguez, born in Argentina, came to Canada as a political refugee at age eight and was elected leader of the Quebec Liberals in June. Ruba Ghazal, born in Lebanon to a family of Palestinian refugees, immigrated to Canada at age ten and was recently named Québec solidaire's candidate for premier.
Martinez Ferrada's election sends a powerful message about Montreal's inclusive identity. As she stated in her victory speech: "You have elected a woman from a diverse background to lead the largest French-speaking city in North America. It's a powerful message, because every child - whatever their language, whatever their story - can say, 'Here, I am at home.'"
The new mayor emphasized that her election reflects Montreal's recognition of the richness of its diversity and belief in the strength of hard work, merit, and unity. Her leadership represents a city that has fully embraced its multicultural identity while maintaining its distinctive French-speaking character.
