Union municipale de Saint-Léonard

The Union municipale de Saint-Léonard (UMSL) was a municipal political party in the suburban community of Saint-Leonard in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, during the early to mid-1980s.

The UMSL was formed prior to the 1982 municipal election, in which it fielded Jean Desjardins as its mayoral candidate and a full slate of twelve candidates for city council. Desjardins finished second against incumbent Antonio di Ciocco of the governing Équipe du renouveau de la cité de Saint-Léonard. Two of the UMSL's candidates, Tommaso Nanci and Remi Borger, were returned to council.[1]

Rosario Ortona became the UMSL's leader after the 1982 election and was its mayoral candidate in a 1984 by-election that was called after di Ciocco's unexpected death. He finished third against Raymond Renaud of the newly formed Ralliement de Saint-Léonard. The UMSL also contested an April 1985 by-election, with a candidate who was narrowly defeated by a member of Renaud's party.[2]

Nanci and Borger resigned from the UMSL in July 1985 to sit as independents, saying that they intended to form a new party that would better represent Saint-Leonard's merchant community. Ortona criticized this decision, saying that they could have pursued the same goal within the UMSL.[3] Nanci and Borger subsequently joined the Unité de Saint-Léonard party while Ortona ultimately dissolved the UMSL to join the Rassemblement des citoyens et citoyennes de Saint-Léonard. All three were defeated by candidates of Renaud's party in the 1986 municipal election.[4]

References

  1. Le Journal de Saint-Léonard, 9 November 1982, pp. 2-4.
  2. "Plan to shut elementary main issue in election," Montreal Gazette, 17 April 1985, p. 3; "Ruling party's candidate wins St. Leonard seat," Montreal Gazette, 24 April 1985, p. 1.
  3. "Two St. Leonard councillors quit to organize new opposition party," Montreal Gazette, 17 July 1985, p. 1.
  4. "Montreal North, St. Leonard show different election styles," Montreal Gazette, 20 October 1986, p. 4.