QUEBEC — If some have complained the race for the mayor’s job in Montreal has been a staid affair, the campaign in the provincial capital couldn’t be more different.
If you count the independents, there are a total of eight candidates seeking the top job, including the incumbent mayor, Bruno Marchand, a politician who stands out if only because of his flashy sneakers — he’s an avid runner — and commitment to build a $7.6-billion tramway in a city in love with its cars.
Elected almost by surprise in 2021 after Mayor Régis Labeaume retired , Marchand and his party, Québec Forte et Fière, hit the ground running in this campaign, boosted by one big factor: a scattered opposition with the two main contenders at war with each other.
With some saying Marchand’s win is assured as a result of th