MONTREAL — The five contenders to lead the NDP took to the stage on Thursday night in Montreal for the first of two official leadership debate.

While more love-in than battle royale, the 90-minute debate still had its share of memorable moments. Here are some of the evening’s biggest takeaways:

Lewis easily clears field in French

Filmmaker Avi Lewis was by far the most comfortable candidate on the stage in French, giving detailed, fluid responses in the language and bantering gamely with francophone media in a post-debate scrum.

Edmonton MP Heather McPherson held her own in French portions of the debate, despite the occasional stilted response and anglicism — for instance, taking a shot at Alberta Premier Danielle Smith for “attaquer les trans kids” in recent legislation.

The other th

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