COVID-19: UMQ Presents Declaration of Solidarity Between Montreal and Quebec Regions

Press Release from the Union des Municipalités du Québec

At the end of its weekly board meeting today, the Union of Quebec Municipalities (UMQ) issued a strong message of unity by unanimously adopting a declaration of solidarity between municipalities in the Montreal metropolis and all regions of Quebec. The UMQ calls for the same healthy community spirit, one that’s getting individual Quebecers through the COVID-19 pandemic, to apply to all regions of Quebec during the lockdown and after.

“On the eve of the premier’s visit to Montreal to take stock of the virus situation in the metropolitan region, UMQ member municipalities agreed that it was important to make an urgent appeal for a show of solidarity. As we say in the declaration, it’s not a question of Montreal and the rest of Quebec. All regions, Greater Montreal and the others, must stand side by side, shoulder to shoulder, to get through this together,” said interim UMQ president Mayor Suzanne Roy of Sainte-Julie.

The declaration of solidarity between municipalities in the Montreal metropolis and all regions of Quebec adopted by the board of directors reads as follows:

“The crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the incredible community spirit at work in all Quebecers as we go through these difficult times together. In compliance with public health directives, Quebec municipalities have honoured this sense of mutual support by taking all necessary measures to protect and help their residents from the very first days of the lockdown. The municipal sector will continue with that same strong sense of community as we approach the easing of the lockdowns in Quebec’s regions. And of course, the speed of the recovery will take into account the particular circumstances of each different region. It’s not a question of Montreal and the rest of Quebec. United we stand, region to region, should to shoulder, totally interdependent at every level. Working together is the only way we’ll ever be able to get back to normal. Recovering from this unprecedented disaster can only be done if we are one, united Quebec.”

The voice of local government

For over 100 years, the UMQ has represented local governments from every region of Quebec. The UMQ mission is to provide strong leadership for effective, autonomous local governments by mobilizing municipal expertise, supporting members in carrying out their functions, and promoting enhanced municipal democracy. UMQ members, representing over 85% of the population and land area of Quebec, are grouped into affinity caucuses: local municipalities, central municipalities, regional county municipalities, major cities, and municipalities in the Montreal metropolis.