In the vibrant heart of Montréal’s Parc-Extension neighbourhood, Sunday’s municipal election delivered a drama worthy of the theatrical stage.
When the ballots were counted after the Nov. 2, 2025 vote, the city-council seat for the district of Parc‑Extension came down to just six votes. According to official results, candidate Elvira Carhuallanqui (see photo) of the party Projet Montréal edged out incumbent Mary Deros of Ensemble Montréal by that razor-thin margin.
Deros, confirmed her intention to request a recount. While the full breakdown of each polling-station’s figures has yet to be released in publicly friendly format, the margin alone qualifies it for close scrutiny. By municipal-election procedures in Québec, recounts can be requested in tightly contested races or when procedural questions arise. The odds of malpractice may be slim, but in a contest decided by six votes, the stakes are high.
Beyond the micro-drama in Parc-Extension, the broader picture for the borough of Villeray–Saint‑Michel–Parc‑Extension (VSMPE) is one of change. New leadership at the borough level and shifting alignments across districts mean that every councillor seat, every vote, may matter even more than usual.
What does this mean for residents here? For one, it underscores that local democracy is not abstract—it is literally decided one vote at a time. A handful of ballots can change who sits at the council table, who carries the microphone at public hearings, and who sets the phases for development, tree-planting, traffic calming or social housing in a community grappling with growth and diversity.
In the coming days, the recount request will test not only statistical precision but the trust of residents in the electoral process. If the margin holds, Carhuallanqui will take office; if overturned, Deros will return. Either way, the close finish will leave a mark—perhaps propelling higher voter turnout next time, more awareness of every ballot, and renewed calls for civic engagement.
Given that 211 ballots were rejected, the final verdict may yet change. Still, for the moment, the 74-year-old Samos-born veteran of Vision Montréal, Union Montréal, Équipe Denis Coderre and Ensemble — a figure who has outlasted six different mayors — finds herself stepping away before a seventh takes office.
The certified borough-wide results
Borough Mayor (VSMPE): Jean-François Lalonde (Projet Montréal) — 15,328 votes (50.61%). Lalonde succeeds Laurence Lavigne Lalonde. Turnout in the borough race was listed at 37.33%, with all 262 polls counted.
City Councillors:
Parc-Extension: Elvira Carhuallanqui (Projet Montréal) — 2,455 votes (37.06%); Mary Deros (Ensemble Montréal) — 2,449 (36.97%). Margin: 6 votes.
François-Perrault: Sylvain Ouellet (Projet Montréal) — 3,274 (45.61%).
Villeray: Martine Musau Muele (Projet Montréal) — 7,024 (59.02%).
Saint-Michel: Josué Corvil (Ensemble Montréal) — 2,074 (43.21%).
