Nicolas Tétrault

Nicolas Tétrault is a politician and entrepreneur in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He served on the Montreal city council from 2001 to 2005, initially as a member of Vision Montreal (VM) and later for the rival Montreal Island Citizens Union (MICU). Tétrault has also sought election to the Canadian House of Commons and the National Assembly of Quebec. Tétrault has been quite active in the real estate sector mostly in the province of Québec but also in New-Brunswick, Ontario, Alberta and in the Cayman Islands. He also owns majority control of a Montreal based real estate agency, Royal Lepage du Quartier. His real estate assets are valued around fifteen to twenty million canadian dollars. In november 2011, the CRTC has granted his company, 7954689 Canada Inc., better known as Tietolman Tetrault Pancholy Media, an important clear frequency radio channel in Greater Montreal, 940 KHZ (AM). This radio staton will open in 2012 and cover a population of close to 3 million people. The format will be French Talk Radio. This group is seeking to also open an English Talk Radio station in Montreal, an English Talk Radio FM station in Toronto and a musical number one hits FM station in Calgary. Nicolas Tétrault has many strong political and business relationships with local Montreal, Quebec and Canadian politicians and businessmen. He also has important contacts with Cayman Islands businessmen and is close to the current Prime minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Honourable Denzil Douglas.

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Early political campaigns

Tétrault sought election to the National Assembly of Quebec in the 1994 Quebec provincial election as a Parti Québécois (PQ) candidate in the extremely safe Liberal seat of Robert-Baldwin in west-end Montreal. The youngest candidate in the province at nineteen years of age, he was a CEGEP student during the election.[1] Although it was generally recognized that he had no chance of winning, Tétrault's campaign received a fair amount of media attention.[2] Profiled by the Montreal Gazette in August 1994, he described himself as "the kind of nationalist who is open to discussion."[3] He finished a distant second against Liberal Pierre Marsan on election day.

Tétrault later ran as a Bloc Québécois (BQ) candidate in the Montreal-area riding of Brossard—La Prairie in the 2000 Canadian federal election. He was twenty-five years old during the campaign and operated his own marketing company.[4] In an interview with the Gazette, he said that Canada should adopt a new model of politics and economics based on that of the European Community.[5] He finished second against Liberal Party of Canada incumbent Jacques Saada.

In 2002, Tétrault described the older wing of the Parti Québécois as having lost touch with modern Quebec.[6] Two years later, he said that many people of his generation favoured "sovereignty if necessary but not necessarily sovereignty."[7]

City councillor

Tétrault was elected to the Montreal city council in the 2001 municipal election as a Vision Montreal candidate in the Plateau-Mont-Royal division. During the campaign, he called for a speed limit reduction in the Plateau, increased security in parks and at metro stations, more co-op housing and support for local artists, and more parking spots for businesses.[8] Vision Montreal lost the election to Gérald Tremblay's Montreal Island Citizens Union, and Tétrault served as a member of the official opposition. By virtue of his city council position, he also served on the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough council.

When Pierre Bourque resigned as Vision Montreal leader to run for the National Assembly of Quebec in 2003, Tétrault said that he respected Bourque's decision but did not approve of it.[9] He added that he would "have to look at the options" as to whether he would remain with the party.[10]

During the 2003 provincial election, Tétrault criticized the Quebec Liberal Party for its pledge to permit referendums on municipal demergers. He argued that the pledge would create instability for municipal government on the Island of Montreal, where several municipalities had recently been merged to create a united city.[11] Later in the same year, he supported Mayor Tremblay's compromise plan to devolve some powers to the city's borough councils.[12]

Tétrault resigned from Vision Montreal to sit as an independent on March 4, 2004, and joined MICU on October 26 of the same year.[13] In the 2005 municipal election, he ran for re-election in the Louis-Riel division of the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough and was narrowly defeated by Vision Montreal incumbent Richer Dompierre. Early reports suggested that Tétrault had won by twelve votes, but a more thorough scrutiny confirmed Dompierre as the winner.[14]

Private career

Tétrault has a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from the Université de Montréal.[15] After leaving city council, he co-founded Groupe T & T Media with Paul Tietolman. The group is active in the radio sector.[16]

Electoral record

References

  1. ^ "Elkas wins Liberal nod in Robert Baldwin," Montreal Gazette, 7 April 1994, E8; Anne Sutherland, "Liberals run parachuted star in Robert Baldwin stronghold," Montreal Gazette, 1 September 1994, A9.
  2. ^ See for instance "PQ names candidates," Montreal Gazette, 21 April 1994, H7 and "Parti Quebecois Prepares for Victory," Saturday Report - CBC Television, 7 May 1994.
  3. ^ Lisa Fitterman, "Teen candidate thinks of putting it all down in writing," Montreal Gazette, 13 August 1994, A10.
  4. ^ Debbie Parkes, "Liberal Saada holds edge over Bloc," Montreal Gazette, 28 November 2000, B11.
  5. ^ Nicolas Van Praet, "Conservatives are wild cards: Liberals, BQ square off in 2 South Shore ridings where Tory voters could tip balance," Montreal Gazette, 13 November 2000, A12.
  6. ^ Philip Authier, "Playing politics at young age," Montreal Gazette, 3 January 2002, A10.
  7. ^ Philip Authier, Kevin Dougherty and Mike De Souza, "Report stings - but Landry 'delighted': Young MNAs tell PQ to get with the times," Montreal Gazette, 24 September 2004, A1.
  8. ^ Philip Authier, "Playing politics at young age," Montreal Gazette, 3 January 2002, A10.
  9. ^ Philip Authier, "Bourque leaps to ADQ party: Ex-mayor resigns Vision leadership," Montreal Gazette, 1 February 2003, A1.
  10. ^ Linda Gyulai, "Vision left floundering: Ex-mayor's party might lose more," Montreal Gazette, 1 February 2003, A2.
  11. ^ Angus Loten, "Mergers must stand," Montreal Gazette, 8 April 2003, A8.
  12. ^ Bindu Suresh, "Mayor's power-shift plan generates mixed reviews," Montreal Gazette, 11 August 2003, A7.
  13. ^ "Plateau councillor quits party, sits as independent," Montreal Gazette, 5 March 2004, A6; "Tetrault joins mayor's party," Montreal Gazette, 27 October 2004, A7.
  14. ^ Brenda Branswell, "Montreal Island Is Tremblay Territory," Montreal Gazette, 8 November 2005, A3; Andy Riga, "New winners declared in two boroughs," Montreal Gazette, 9 November 2005.
  15. ^ Nicolas Tétrault: Québec Political Affairs, Institute for Public Affairs of Montreal, accessed 26 November 2011.
  16. ^ Paul Delean, "Corus radio stations draw better offer," Montreal Gazette, 9 June 2010, B3.