Filipino Canadian elected mayor of Montreal borough

Stephanie Valenzuela won the Cote des Neiges–Notre Dame de Grace mayoralty earlier this month in Montreal, becoming the first Filipino Canadian to hold a borough mayor position in the city. The Philippine Embassy and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas released statements congratulating her and identifying the result as a milestone for Filipinos in Canada.

With over 40,000 Filipinos residing in Montreal and nearly a million in Canada, this election matters not only for the Filipino community but also sends a signal of political inclusion in a society where Asian Canadians report encountering discrimination and racial stereotyping.

About the mayor-elect: Valenzuela, born and raised in Cote des Neiges, is a graduate of McGill University with degrees in political science and international development. She worked in Monterrey, Mexico, with the NGO La Paz Comienza Con Los Ninos before returning to Montreal to contribute to programs at the Cote des Neiges Black Community Association and to serve as director of communications for the Filipino Heritage Society of Montreal. Her election follows earlier work on community projects such as annual flower distributions and volunteer efforts in local shelters, as well as her 2021 term as city councilor for Darlington.

Campaign reflections: Valenzuela ran under the Ensemble Montreal ticket, which Philippine media coverage linked to her emphasis on inclusion, innovation and investment in the borough. In a post on her Instagram account, she wrote, “What an amazing adventure with my local team… Every person who knocked doors, handed out flyers, made calls, set up signs, drove residents to vote, or left flyers at businesses helped make this campaign possible.”