With 'no faith in politics anymore,' young Montreal voters say mayoral candidates aren't resonating

At Café Orr in Rosemont, 28-year-old Sidonie Gaulin said if she became mayor of Montreal tomorrow, her first move would be to freeze rent.

“It changes the landscape completely of the city,” she said, adding that the rising cost of rent is pushing artists like herself out of Montreal. “If people don’t have money to create here, you’ll just have rich people with beautiful gardens and outfits, but no soul. No life.”

Young Montrealers have strong feelings about the city and how they’d improve it, but they also say they feel more disconnected from municipal politicians and politics than ever. Though ballot boxes will be set up on campuses in an effort to engage young voters, there are fewer people under 35 registered in Montreal’s upcoming municipal election than in any election over the last