November is here, and so is another episode of Metropolis! Montreal’s premier political talk show where current events and their impacts on the lives of Montrealers are discussed. Kalden Dhatsenpa and guest Katia Lo-Innes discuss the recent election of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States of America, the closure of Concordia’s Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, the Jacques Cartier Bridge banner drop by environmentalist activists and Valerie Plante announcing that she will not be seeking re-election after the end of this current term as Montreal’s mayor.

Kalden Dhatsenpa – Local Journalism Initiative

American presidential elections, more than any other country, affect the world in a myriad of ways. That of Donald Trump is likely to shift the political scene once again as it did during his first mandate as president from 2016 to 2020. Katia and Kalden discuss how Trump’s style of politics has infiltrated the Canadian political scene through Poilievre’s bold and brash approach to politics. What does Donald Trump’s election signal about Canada’s coming elections?

On October 22, two environmental activists with the Antigone collective and Last Generation Canada were arrested for mischief as they climbed the suspenders and towers of Montreal’s Jacques Cartier Bridge. Their action stopped traffic for hours as they unfurled a banner that read “Oil is Killing Us,” written in both English and French. Katia and Kalden discuss the action, the underlying logic of the action, and the strong opposition to this protest by elected provincial officials, one of whom called it “reprehensible.”

Valerie Plante made waves for being the first female mayor of Montréal when she and Projet MTL won a sweeping municipal campaign in 2017. After 7 years in office, Plante has announced that she will not be seeking re-election at the next municipal election set for November 2025. Praised for her work transforming and beautifying the city, Plante has been a welcome change of pace to the corruption that usually befalls Montreal’s mayoral past. However, her record is far from spotless. Katia and Kalden reflect on her successes and failures as mayor.

All this and more on Metropolis!