She ‘left a lasting mark in Parc Extension,’ said Borough Mayor Jean-François Lalonde
Partisanship and political rivalries were set aside for a while at least on April 7 when members of the Villeray– Saint-Michel–Parc Extension borough council welcomed back veteran Parc Extension city councillor Mary Deros for an homage to her 27 years service, and so she could sign the “Livre d’or,” the borough’s Golden Book.
A city council record
When she stepped away from municipal politics after failing to be re-elected in the November 2025 City of Montreal elections, Deros’s lengthy tenure as a Montreal city councillor was exceeded only by former city councillor for Snowdon Marvin Rotrand who had 39 years service.
Among those who turned up to pay their respects to an ex-colleague they worked with for years was Montreal mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada (who once sat on the VSMP borough council), former borough mayor Anie Samson (who served from early 2006 until her defeat in the 2017 municipal elections), and former borough director-general Stéphane Chénier.
Many contributions, said borough mayor
“Her actions contributed directly to the improvement of parks and public spaces, to the development of sports and community facilities, as well as strengthening of community spirit and the inclusion of cultural communities,” Borough Mayor Jean-François Lalonde said about Deros prior to inviting centre-city mayor Martinez Ferrada to get up and speak.
“Her leadership, her deep understanding of the area and her presence amidst the organizations as well as all the residents left a lasting mark in Parc Extension,” Lalonde added.
“It was my hope to come here this evening,” said Martinez Ferrada, because “there are people who through their commitment make others respect them.”
To make a point about Deros’s thoroughness when dealing with issues impacting her constituents, Martinez Ferrada recalled the time she and Deros were working on a file involving plans for Frédéric Back Park in Saint-Michel on Jarry St. East.
Never forgot her residents
According to Montreal’s mayor, the planners had neglected to make provision for toilets and washrooms – which immediately caught the attention of Deros. She was concerned about the needs of parents with children. “And Mary, this is all to your credit that you did this for your citizens,” said Martinez Ferrada.
For her part, Deros said she owed a lot to the members of her family “who shared me with the City of Montreal. Because without their support, I would not have been able during all those years of service to serve my citizens.”
Before the beginning of the borough council meeting, a group of community activists held a demonstration outside the borough headquarters on Ogilvy Ave. to draw attention to the death of Manjeet Singh, an unhoused migrant and father of two who died in a Parc Extension park last January.
Plight of the homeless in Parc Ex
Singh was one of three homeless people who died from neglect over the past winter in Parc Extension, according to activists, highlighting a lack of services for the homeless in the area, such as homeless shelters or warming centres. Singh had been in Montreal since 2018, but eventually found himself outcast and homeless.
During the public question period, Amy Darwish got up to the microphone to ask members of the borough council what they were going to do to make sure there are no more such incidents. Villeray councillor Martine Musau Muele, who is the Projet Montréal official opposition spokesperson on homelessness, said the homeless situation is for the most part beyond the power of the borough to act as it lacks the resources.
“When it comes to it as a systemic issue, I will not deny that on our side we try at every opportunity as official opposition to put pressure on the current provincial government,” the Villeray councillor continued, noting that a provincial election later this year may bring about a change of government.
No comment on Palestine
Also during the question period, an activist for the Palestinian cause, who did not identify herself beyond saying she was from Villeray, urged the borough council to take a position on the State of Israel’s recent decision to pass a death penalty law applying in practice only to Palestinian terrorists.
Lalonde maintained his personal views on the issue were not the same as his views as borough mayor. “As mayor of the borough, I will not take a position officially as mayor,” he said, while adding that he was willing to meet privately on the matter.
