Cte Saint-Luc residents choose between familiar faces in heated race

Throughout the municipal election campaign, Daybreak's Mike Finnerty and Shari Okeke are hitting the road to hear directly from voters as they decide who they want to elect as their municipal politicians.

This week, they headed to Cte Saint-Luc to check in with voters at Cavendish Mall and the local library.

The mayoral candidates are familiar faces to many residents: incumbent Mitchell Brownstein is running for re-election against former Cte Saint-Luc mayor Robert Libman.

Mike and Shari asked these voters who they have in mind for the next mayor of Cte Saint-Luc.

Goldie Asinowski

Goldie Asinowski was sitting on her walker, waiting patiently for her adapted transit ride outside the Cte Saint-Luc library.

Normally, she would have driven to the library, but ongoing construction is blocking access to the parking lot.

"I've been waiting to have this parking lot finished because I couldn't get here with my car all summer," she said, while alsopointing to the state of the sidewalks, which are difficult to navigate with a walker.

Asinowski didn't want to say how she plans to vote, but she did say change would be good for CteSaint-Luc, and she likes former mayor Robert Libman.

"I just think he's a good person.A good, honest person."

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Joe Segal

Joe Segal was enjoying a coffee with a group of friends in the food court at Cavendish Mall.

They've all made their choice for mayorand say they're all voting for the same person.

"Mitchell Brownstein. He's done wonders for Cte Saint-Luc," Segal said.

"He's cleaned up the city, the parks, made parks beautiful, we got a beautiful seniors club," he said.

Segal says his vote cannot be swayed by former mayor Robert Libman's promise to lower taxes.

"The taxes are fine. I dont think they're too high," he said.

There's another reason Libman won't get Segal's vote.

"I think he has a conflict of interest because he works for Olymbec," he said.

Libman is a registered lobbyist representing Olymbec, a real estate company with land in the area of the proposed Cavendish Extension.

Libman, who is an architect and an urban planner, denies his relationship with Olymbec places him in a potential conflict of interest.

• Cte Saint-Luc mayoral candidate's vow to extend Cavendish raises possible ethical concerns

Emmanuel Darmond

Emmanuel Darmond is manager of Deli Boyz in the Cavendish Mall food court, and owner of Gymanou, an indoor playground in the mall.

He has one of Robert Libman's campaign posters on the wall near the cash register at the food counter.

Darmond, who has four kids under the age of 10, says Libman will "bring new things for young families."

Libman's promise to lower taxes was a key factor Darmond's decision to support the former Cte Saint-Luc mayor in this election.

"It would make a heck of a difference in Cte Saint-Luc for young families like [mine]that have a house."

Debbie Gerson

Debbie Gerson was just coming out of the fitness centre in Cavendish Mall after a workout.

"The first three or four minutes was painful and then not too bad, and I did some weights and stretching," she said.

Gerson says she's lived in Cte Saint-Luc all her life and has seen a lotof change, but she doesn't want to see change in this election.

She's voting for incumbent Mitchell Brownstein.

"He's very personable, he's done a lot for the community," she said.

Gerson says she particularly appreciatesBrownstein's contribution to theatre, asfounder of the Cte Saint-Luc Dramatic Society

"I don't think we need any sort of change."

• CBC's full coverage of the 2017 municipal election campaign