Federal Tourism Minister Seeks Montreal Mayorship, Won’t Run in Next Federal Election

Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada speaks with reporters before a cabinet meeting, on October 29, 2024, in Ottawa. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada said she will not be seeking re-election and will instead make a run to lead one of Montreal’s major parties ahead of the municipal elections.

Martinez Ferrada made the announcement in a video posted to social media on Feb. 6.

“There’s a lot of things that have been said of Montreal. We want an administration with more ambition, an administration that listens more to its citizens,” she said.

Martinez Ferrada will be vying for the leadership of Ensemble Montréal, with the vote taking place from March 31 to April 6. Municipal elections will be held in November.

Former Liberal cabinet minister Denis Coderre previously led Ensemble Montréal and was elected mayor in 2013.

Ensemble Montréal is currently the second party in the municipal council behind Projet Montréal. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who is leader of Projet Montréal, is not seeking a third term.

Martinez Ferrada entered the Liberal cabinet in July 2023 during a major shuffle by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She also served as national campaign co-chair for the Liberal Party, a position she is also resigning from.

The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge will now handle the tourism portfolio.

Martinez Ferrada is a two-term MP representing the Hochelaga riding in Montreal’s east end since 2019. Current projections by polling aggregator 338Canada give the Bloc Québécois a 94 percent chance of winning the riding in the next election.

The next federal election is scheduled for October 2025 at the latest, but opposition parties have all pledged to topple the government with a vote of non-confidence once Parliament returns from prorogation.

Martinez Ferrada’s departure from cabinet follows in the footsteps of many of her colleagues in recent months, including Chrystia Freeland and Karina Gould who are vying for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Another minister from Quebec, Pablo Rodriguez, left the Liberal cabinet and caucus last summer to vie for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party. The vote for that contest will take place in mid-June.