![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/260216-Photo-Table-des-maires-Mme-Martinez-Ferrada-Mme-Blanchet-et-M.-Lalonde-1024x768.jpeg\")
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada with LaSalle Mayor Nancy Blanchet and Villeray\u2013Saint-Michel\u2013Parc-Extension Mayor Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Lalonde who will co-lead of the borough mayors\u2019 roundtable (Courtesy: City of Montreal)<\/p>\nThere\u2019s been a blitz of activity at Montreal City Hall in the run up to 100 days since Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada took office.<\/p>\n
As a candidate, Martinez Ferrada promised a \u201cbold vision\u201d and \u201creal change\u201d on the campaign trail last fall.<\/p>\n
From tackling homelessness and housing crises, rationalizing bike paths and better managing construction projects and using of AI, the Ensemble Montr\u00e9al candidate made several promises in the first 100 days.<\/p>\n
As the milestone approaches this Saturday, has Martinez Ferrada made a dent in fixing the problems facing Montrealers?<\/p>\n
\u201cShe still has a long way to go,\u201d said Montrealer Nadia Amedee when asked about the mayor\u2019s impact on the city during the past 100 days.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 100 days she can\u2019t do much at this stage\u2026 but I hope she will continue to work on her promises,\u201d said Sophie Baniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, it\u2019s just started, so we\u2019ll see how it goes, but in my opinion, I hope it\u2019s going to be better than it was,\u201d added Marie-Gabrielle Sakho.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a look at how the new mayor has fared against her own platform promises:<\/p>\n
1. Roundtable of borough mayors<\/p>\n
On the campaign trail, Martinez Ferrada stood alongside 17 borough mayoral candidates including L\u2019Equipe LaSalle\u2019s Nancy Blanchet as they criticized former mayor Val\u00e9rie Plante for centralizing power in the City Hall. They said the City failed to increase the transfers to boroughs despite increasing property taxes and not keeping up with inflation.<\/p>\n
Martinez Ferrada promised a better working relationship between the City Hall and the boroughs if she was elected. Within the first 100 days, she said she will set up borough mayors\u2019 roundtable and begin the process for reforming how the boroughs get funded.<\/p>\n
In a press release Feb. 16, the City announced the creation of the mayors\u2019 forum and said they had already met twice this year.<\/p>\n
LaSalle mayor Blanchet, who stood with Martinez Ferrada as she made those promises, and Villeray\u2013Saint-Michel\u2013Parc-Extension Mayor Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Lalonde of rival party Projet Montr\u00e9al were named co-leads the borough mayors\u2019 roundtable.<\/p>\n
However, beyond signalling intention to improve collaboration and share expertise between boroughs, it\u2019s unclear if any concrete actions have been during by the mayors\u2019 roundtable, especially on the financing reforms as Martinez Ferrada had promised.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I\u2019m hearing in the first 100 days, is that we have an administration that\u2019s been very accessible and that\u2019s listening a lot,\u201d said Martinez Ferrada.<\/p>\n
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada with LaSalle Mayor Nancy Blanchet and Villeray\u2013Saint-Michel\u2013Parc-Extension Mayor Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Lalonde who will co-lead of the borough mayors\u2019 roundtable (Courtesy: City of Montreal)<\/p>\n
2. Public registry of vacant land and buildings<\/p>\n
As housing and homelessness took centre stage in last fall\u2019s election, candidates promised to invest and build more affordable housing. Martinez Ferrada committed to release City-owned buildings to spur construction in the first 100 days.<\/p>\n
There is no public registry yet.<\/p>\n
However, on Jan. 23, the mayor announced that the City has identified 80 City-owned sites \u2014 about half of them ready for construction \u2014 to be used for off-market and mixed-use housing projects. The list of sites is expected to be made public March 1.<\/p>\n
3. Repeal and replace \u201920-20-20\u2032<\/p>\n
The 20-20-20 bylaw, the R\u00e8glement pour une m\u00e9tropole mixte (RMM) introduced under former Mayor Val\u00e9rie Plante, required new property development to set aside 20 per cent of the units each for families and social and affordable housing.<\/p>\n
Even before the elections, the bylaw drew criticism from real estate developers and the mayoral candidates even though Plante administration had made changes to ease the regulation.<\/p>\n
The mayor kept her promise by eliminating the bylaw on Jan. 23. She said the City would offer financial incentives to encourage affordable housing.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy relaxing the regulations for a mixed-use metropolis, focusing on off-market housing, and making use of City-owned land, we are removing barriers to construction and giving stakeholders the means to take action,\u201d Martinez Ferrada said.<\/p>\n
4. Tactical intervention group on homelessness<\/p>\n
During the campaign, Martinez Ferrada flanked by fellow candidates Claude Pinard and Benoit Langevin committed that she would create a tactical intervention group on homelessness (GITI) in the first 100 days to \u201ccoordinate field interventions and plan future operations, as well as a protocol for managing encampments, in collaboration with community organizations and city services.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Feb. 17, she announced the creation of GITI composed of 12 members, including Quebec health minister Sonia B\u00e9langer, and Montreal public health\u2019s Myl\u00e8ne Drouin, Welcome Hall Mission CEO Sam Watts, in addition to Pinard and Langevin.<\/p>\n
The intervention group will be chaired by Pinard and will meet every two weeks starting next week. It will be tasked with identifying operational obstacles and opportunities, optimizing resource utilization, and ensuring proactive risk management, particularly during seasonal situations.<\/p>\n
![\"Montreal](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/press-conference-Mayor-scaled-e1766091430440-1024x577.jpg\")
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Centre), with Claude Pinard (Left), president of executive committee and Benoit Langevin (Right), city councillor and executive committee member, provides an update on her administration\u2019s progress on tackling homelessness on Dec. 18, 2025 (Gareth Madoc-Jones, CityNews)<\/p>\n
5. Increase funding for homelessness and housing crisis<\/p>\n
A third campaign promise by Ensemble Montr\u00e9al related to housing and homelessness was to triple the funding to $30 million annually, for shelters and social services for dealing with homelessness.<\/p>\n
As the city was hit with early winter storms and extreme cold gripped the region, Montreal opened 500 additional beds and several emergency warming centres.<\/p>\n
The 2026 budget tabled in January, allotted $29.9 million for community organizations working directly with people experiencing homelessness or supporting cohabitation. Montreal also committed $578.7 million over 10 years to acquire buildings for social and affordable housing, including $100 million tied directly to homelessness-related housing needs.<\/p>\n
Martinez Ferrada said her administration was prioritizing six major development zones to build nearly 75,000 housing units by 2050. In total, these projects will see a $47.6 million increase in investment.<\/p>\n
The new administration also committed $1.5 million over three years on investments in tenant rights organizations, comprising of $500,000 in 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are already working on the next budget,\u201d Martinez Ferrada said. \u201cThis first year will have two budgets in the same year, so there\u2019s lots to do in the next few months.\u201d<\/p>\n
6. Committee on neighbourhood security<\/p>\n
During the campaign, Ensemble Montreal\u2019s Martinez Ferrada said Montrealers hesitate to visit certain parks, public spaces, or metro stations at specific hours due to rising insecurity and criminal activity.<\/p>\n
She said her administration would create a neighbourhood security committee in partnership with Montreal police withing 100 days of coming to power.<\/p>\n
Her other promises include increasing funding to youth violence prevention projects to $60 million, surveillance cameras in public spaces and a voluntary public registry of private security cameras.<\/p>\n
Last week, SPVM confirmed that it was studying the creation of the registry modeled after a program by the Trois-Rivi\u00e8res police department.<\/p>\n
However, there is no committee on neighbourhood security yet.<\/p>\n
7. Relaunch Montreal Cultural Metropolis Office<\/p>\n
Montreal\u2019s arts and culture sector generates more than $9 billion a year and draws millions of tourists, according to the city, with nearly 40 per cent visiting specifically for Montreal\u2019s cultural scene.<\/p>\n
On Feb. 9, the \u201cMontreal, Cultural Metropolis,\u201d an initiative launched in 2007 was brought back with a partnership among municipal, provincial and federal governments as well as the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, Culture Montreal, and Tourism Montreal.<\/p>\n
The mayor says attracting tourists is a big-money endeavour, especially with Canada\u2019s biggest city just a few hours away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re competing (with) other cities in Canada,\u201d she said. \u201cJust Toronto, when you look at what Toronto had in the past few years, big events, 78 in 2024, I think. We had two in Montreal.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Martinez-Ferrada-new-cabinet-1024x568.png\")
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada (centre) surrounded by her newly unveiled executive committee, Nov. 18, 2025. (Zachary Cheung, CityNews)<\/p>\n
8. Inventory construction projects and bike paths<\/p>\n
The infamous Montreal orange cones and caustic debate over bike paths figured prominently during the campaign. While Projet Montr\u00e9al mayoral candidate accused Martinez Ferrada of contributing to a polarized political debate on bike paths \u2014 one of former mayor Plante\u2019s signature policies, Martinez Ferrada denounced the administration\u2019s \u201cphantom projects\u201d which she said led to a proliferation of orange cones.<\/p>\n
On Feb. 10, the City announced that it will review four existing bike paths on Meilleur Street (Ahuntsic-Cartierville), Rachel Street (Plateau-Mont-Royal), C\u00f4te-Sainte-Catherine Road (Outremont) and de la Commune Street (Ville-Marie).<\/p>\n
It will also review bike path projects already under study or in the design phase \u201cto ensure they meet best practices in safety, allow for smooth mobility, and are adapted to everyone\u2019s needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Feb. 12, Martinez Ferrada announced the City will a Downtown Laboratory that will use artificial intelligence (AI) to study urban innovation and test solutions to reduce the impact of construction work on residents, businesses and motorists.<\/p>\n
The Martinez Ferrada administraton has yet to make public any inventory of public projects as promised in the party platform.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Soraya-Pinard-budget-2-scaled-e1768240447621-1024x577.jpg\")
Claude Pinard, Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada and others present the Montreal budget on Jan. 12, 2026. (Zachary Cheung, CityNews)<\/p>\n
9. Launch municipal efficiency, tender AI projects<\/p>\n
Denouncing an increase of 3,000 employees on City\u2019s payroll in the eight years under Plante, Martinez Ferrada promised to cut the workforce by 1,000 employees by the end of her four-year term.<\/p>\n
A week after taking office, Martinez Ferrada froze hiring and appointments of white-collar jobs in the City Hall.<\/p>\n
On Feb. 11, the City announced that it was conducting a review aimed at eliminating 1,000 positions leading to savings of $16 million for 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really have to see the whole way that she operationalized it because ultimately if there\u2019s a thousand positions cut and it does impact the services of Montreal, that\u2019s not a good news,\u201d said Daniel Tran, the director of communications and governmental affairs at Casacom.<\/p>\n
10. Mobilize partners to make Montreal attractive globally<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Martinez Ferrada held the inaugural meeting of Partners\u2019 Roundtable on International Outreach and Attractiveness at City Hall.<\/p>\n
The City said the partners\u2019 forum brought \u201ctogether key players from the institutional, economic, cultural, academic, and sports communities\u201d for strategic consultation to improve Montreal\u2019s global brand.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the meeting, the City said it had surveyed over 40 partner organizations.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Image-2026-02-18T142003.686-1024x768.jpg\")
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada and Vana Nazarian, executive committee member with community and business leaders on the sidelines of an inaugural meeting of Partners\u2019 Roundtable on International Outreach and Attractiveness at City Hall on Feb. 18, 2026 (Lola Kalder, CityNews)<\/p>\n
What comes next?<\/p>\n
Political analyst Tran says the mayor\u2019s accessibility and active communication have helped her early image, but the real test is still ahead.<\/p>\n
As spring arrives, melting snow will expose long-standing issues \u2013 from potholes to street cleanliness \u2013 putting pressure on the administration to deliver visible results.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen spring comes, snow melts, potholes comes out and a lot of surprises come out in the streets too,\u201d Tran told CityNews. \u201cSo one of the other issues that will come out in spring is cleanliness.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 100 days comes with a period that people will give the benefit of the doubt. But now the real work really starts. Spring is coming. Snow will be melting. There\u2019s going to be a lot of challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n
Montreal\u2019s mayor acknowledged the spring will mean new tests.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a lot to do in order to be ready for spring, in order to be ready for next winter, even though the winter seems far away, we need to be ready,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Potholes indeed remain a top concern for Montreal drivers, with complaints up sharply compared to last year. Since the mayor herself suffered flat tires earlier this winter, the city has launched an eight-day repair blitz.<\/p>\n
Many residents hope fixing the roads becomes a priority for the next 100 days.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy car is in the shop right now because I can\u2019t drive it in the potholes and everything,\u201d Juan Alvares said. \u201cBut I don\u2019t see any difference really.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMontreal is riddled with construction and potholes and the roads are in complete disrepair all the time,\u201d added Merlin Matthewson. \u201cSo if she really follows through on that, I would be very happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
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