Municipal candidates enter home stretch

Vision Montreal's Louise Harel says the central city should take control of things such as snow clearing, economic development, and urban planning.

Harel says, it doesn't make sense for the boroughs to control all of those things, and adds it's not a betrayal of residents who voted in demerger referendums to stay in Montreal, because they were promised the boroughs would keep those powers.

Meantime, Projet Montreal leader Richard Bergeron says if he's elected mayor, he wants to ban cars -- year-round -- on a stretch of Ste. Catherine street.

And he wants to move toward that as soon as he gets into office.

He said he wants to close all of Ste-Catherine street between Guy and Papineau to car traffic, in an effort to improve the quality of life downtown, and attract tourists and business.

But before that happens, he says he wants to clear it with residents and business people.

He also says he wants more permanent pedestrian malls, along St. Paul street in Old Montreal, and Mount Royal avenue on the Plateau.