Westmount-Ville-Marie -- A Federal Riding With 12,000 Who Are Homeless

Downtown Westmount

High Society, 12,000 Homeless -- The Montreal Gazette

WESTMOUNT PROPER is only part of the picture in what is, in fact, a sprawling urban riding

It has been one of those campaigns where even the separatist Bloc Québécois has allowed itself to run on an "anything is possible" theme.

With many voters largely oblivious to the fact they are going to the polls, five candidates have been quietly campaigning in the race for the Montreal riding of Westmount-Ville-Marie. The by-election, one of three being held in Canada Sept. 8, was called to replace long-time Liberal Lucienne Robillard, who has retired from politics.

The way the candidates tell it, they all have a shot at winning, even though the riding has voted Liberal for years. The one exception was in the 1958 election, when the Conservatives won. The riding has not voted anything but Liberal since. In the 2006 federal election, Robillard bagged 18,884 votes (45.7 per cent of the vote) compared with her nearest opponent, the Conservative, who got 7,295 (17.7 per cent).

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My Comment: 12,000 homeless!!!! I know that the problem is bad .... I see the homeless everyday. But 12,000!!!!