Soraya Martinez Ferrada, the former federal Liberal MP and cabinet minister who made the move back to municipal politics earlier this year, will become Montreal’s next mayor, signalling a change for the metropolis after eight years under the same administration.

Martinez Ferrada’s victory comes nearly seven months to the day after becoming leader of Ensemble Montréal. She defeated candidates with lengthy resumés at the municipal level like Projet Montréal’s Luc Rabouin and Transition Montréal’s Craig Sauvé.

The 53-year-old career politician takes over from Valérie Plante after the city’s first female mayor and longtime leader of Projet Montréal did not seek a third term in office, citing the strenuous demands of public service.

That challenge – including leading Montreal through problem

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