Food access, local cleanliness and homelessness among her pressing issues
In her first full-length interview with Nouvelles Parc Extension News since being elected as the new city councillor for Parc Extension last November, Elvira Carhuallanqui outlined some of the area’s most pressing issues, including access to nourishing food, the spectre of homelessness and better sanitation in Parc Ex’s neighourhoods.
Originally from Peru, Carhuallanqui arrived as a child in Parc Extension around 20 years ago and was raised in the neighbourhood.
A lawyer specializing in housing, immigration and human rights prior to entering politics, Carhuallanqui defeated incumbent Parc Extension city councillor Mary Deros who had won every municipal election in the district since 1998.
Focus on local issues
As the candidate for Projet Montréal, Carhuallanqui ran on a platform of advocating, among other things, for “inclusive justice in Parc-Extension,” according to some of her campaign literature last year, while saying also “she understands the local issues” and “wants to make housing a priority.”
In recent years, people living in Montreal as well as in regions all over Canada and North America have witnessed the rise of a trend in food retailing.
Large grocery retail chains (where fresh food is sold) are shutting underperforming stores, often in economically-disadvantaged neighbourhoods, while dollar stores (where ultra-processed foods with long shelf-life are sold) seem to be springing up at a corresponding rate.
In our interview with Councillor Carhuallanqui, she acknowledged that “food security in Quebec has been greatly rising,” while also suggesting that the cost of living and of housing, along with employment insecurity, are aggravating factors.
Says Parc Ex ‘not a food desert’
All the same, she maintained that Park Ex is not at the stage where it could be described as a “food desert,” noting that there are as many as 25 small and independent grocers in the area, and that the Maxi discount grocery store on Jean-Talon St. serves the community adequately.
She said she preferred to refer to the situation in Parc Extension as a “food mirage” (mirage alimentaire), which refers to an area where healthy food is physically present and geographically accessible (such as a grocery store), but financially out of reach for lower-income residents in the neighborhood.
“And, you know, here in Parc Extension the people are very entrepreneurial and there are a lot of small groceries,” said Carhuallanqui. “While we are not a food desert, we are seeing more and more the notion of a food mirage here. Yes, there is access and availability, but there are also individuals and families who don’t have money even for their grocery needs.”
Believes in economic development
She pointed out the presence of community groups in the area, including the Cuisines et vie collectives Saint-Roch and Ressources Action Alimentation Parc-Extension, which provide help to some of those with the most pressing needs.
Carhuallanqui said one of the main tools she relies on to help resolve this type of situation is economic development, leading to social improvements and sustainable employment.
As for homelessness, Carhuallanqui said it’s a problem which has become more visible in other neighbourhoods of Montreal, although it has not necessarily reached that same level in Parc Extension.
All the same, she said she was aware of the death Manjeet Singh, an unhoused migrant and father of two, who died in a Parc Extension park last January, after being found alone in the cold near a closed municipal chalet where he usually sought warmth.
Homelessness ‘definitely an issue’
“What was the cause?” she asked. “I believe there is a coroner who is still trying to determine this. But I think that in the meantime, homelessness is definitely an issue. And I think it is also in Parc Extension.”
In addition to these problems, Carhuallanqui said Parc Extension continues to have a problem with the sanitary disposal of waste.
In one of the most densely-populated areas of the city, piles of waste often accumulate in back alleys behind the many apartment buildings in Parc Extension, contributing to the proliferation of mice, rats and other vermin.
“Sanitation is also one of my priorities,” she said. “There is a lot to do. There are things which have already been done. But more should be done.
“Yes, I receive messages from residents,” she continued. “And there are also reports in the newspapers. There is still this problem in Parc Extension, as well as in other districts and boroughs. But for me personally, and as the elected representative in Parc Extension, this is something I will be working on in a very serious way with followups.”
