Concept
Vision Montreal (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. Vision Montreal was established in 1994 to promote the candidacy of the director of the Montreal Botanical Garden and then rising political star Pierre Bourque for Mayor of Montreal. Bourque was elected Mayor against incumbent Jean Doré in 1994, with 39 of his candidates elected to Montreal City Council. In 1998, he and his team were re-elected for a second term. The Bourque administration is credited with the following: the introduction of a balanced city budget, with the help of the provincial government in 1998; the revitalization of the Old Montreal historic district; the implementation of neighbourhood programs known as Éco-quartiers; such programs consist of: recycling; adding greenery on public property; the reopening of the Lachine Canal in 1997; the expansion of diplomatic and commercial relations between Montreal and Shanghai, China; a modest reversal of Montreal's suburbanization between 1996 and 2001; the merger of Montreal and 27 other surrounding municipalities into one city government that covers the entire island of Montreal in 2001-02 (an idea known as Une île, une ville or One island, one city in English). Pierre Bourque was criticized for his perceived lack of flexibility. During his first term, he suffered a mutiny within his party. Fifteen of his councillors left his administration to sit as Independents. By August 1997, only a minority of city council members (24 out of 51) were members of Vision Montreal. Furthermore, the merger was met with so much resistance from residents and politicians of Montreal's predominantly English-speaking West Island that by 2005 fifteen municipalities had demerged from the city centre. After it had reached 1.8 million people, the population of Montreal was reduced to 1.6 million residents.
