A City with a Difference: The Rise and Fall of the Montreal Citizen's Movement

Bruce Grainger is head of the Public Services Department, Macdonald
Library, McGill University.

Founded in 1974, the Montreal Citizen’s Movement (MCM) is a municipal
political party that, after 12 years in opposition, won two elections
and governed Montreal from 1986 to 1994. The party, which was composed
of social democrats, Stalinists, independent Marxists, populists, and
younger people with social libertarian views, developed in opposition to
the secretive and authoritarian government of Mayor Jean Drapeau. It was
characterized by many splits, particularly between its more ideological
members and those who were more willing to compromise for the sake of
electoral success. The more idealistic members of the MCM were committed
to decentralized government and neighborhood councils. While it is
nothing new for parties to alter policy when in power, the MCM under
Mayor Jean Doré disillusioned many of its long-term supporters
(especially anglophones) before finally losing power. Nevertheless, it
did achieve many reforms and a more open approach to government during
its eight years in power. The author describes the MCM’s record within
the context of Montreal’s declining influence regionally,
provincially, and nationally.

Thomas examines the “ideology” versus “electoral success” split
within the MCM in terms of the theories of Herbert Kitschelt, whose work
is based on an analysis of German Green parties. He finds that
Kitschelt’s analysis applies for the earlier development of the MCM,
but doubts its ultimate validity given the final triumph of electoral
opportunism. The author has included tables comparing the percentage of
women on various city councils in Canada, and the age and education of
MCM party activists and German Green party members. Overall, this is a
competent accounting of the twists and turns of MCM party politics over
a 20-year period.