Cathy Wong

Last updated
Cathy Wong
Speaker of Montreal City Council
In office
2017–2021
Alma mater UQAM

Cathy Wong is a municipal politician in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She served on Montreal City Council as councillor for the Peter-McGill district from 2017 until 2021, and was the speaker of Montreal City Council. [1] At 30 years old on her election, she was the first person of Chinese descent to serve at City Hall as the council's first female speaker. [2] She was also the first opposition party member to sit in the chair. She replaced Frantz Benjamin, the first black speaker of the council. [3]

As part of her role, Wong is mandated to raise citizens' access to city hall and municipal democracy, especially for women, youth, ethnic minorities, new residents, and Indigenous people, key targets in mayor Valérie Plante's election campaign. A Montreal diversity and inclusion advisory panel was a move by mayor Plante, with a one-year deadline to recommend necessary changes at city hall and related bodies. [4]

Also under Wong's presidency, Montreal planned to rescind an historical but uncodified regulation which required male councilors to wear ties at council meetings. A city council commission supervising procedural rules and conduct, which she leads, decided to drop the rule to modernize City Hall. [5]

As a member of the City of Montreal’s Executive Committee, she oversaw diversity, employment inclusion, the French language, and the fight against racism and discrimination.

Wong was a member of the Équipe Denis Coderre party (before its post-election reconstitution as Ensemble Montréal) in the municipal elections of November 2017. [6] On October 2, 2019, she joined the governing Projet Montréal party, citing its social values. [7]

Wong did not run for reelection in 2021. [8]

In November 2021, Wong was hired as Vice President of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and Official Languages at Telefilm Canada. [9]

Honours and awards

In 2016, the Conseil des diplômés de la Faculté de droit de l'UQAM presented Wong with an award for contribution to upcoming generations; Wong had earned a bachelor's degree in civil law from UQAM. [10]

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References

  1. ↑ Marandola, Sabrina (March 1, 2018). "Too late to include school in old Montreal Children's site, developer says". CBC News . Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Cathy Wong, 1st woman named Speaker of Montreal's city council, will sit as independent". Global News. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  3. ↑ Bruemmer, René (November 24, 2017). "Cathy Wong named new speaker of Montreal city council". Montreal Gazette . Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  4. ↑ Hanes, Allison (March 20, 2018). "City hall takes a big step on long road to diversity and inclusion". Montreal Gazette . Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Montreal prepares to loosen unwritten rule on wearing ties at city council". CBC News . April 29, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Cathy Wong named new speaker of Montreal city council". 24 November 2017.
  7. ↑ Champagne, Sara (2 October 2019). "Cathy Wong rejoint Projet Montréal". La Presse . Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  8. ↑ Scott, Marian (2021-06-02). "Projet Montréal's Cathy Wong won't run in November election". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  9. ↑ "Telefilm Canada Welcomes Cathy Wong as Vice President, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and Official Languages". Telefilm Canada. 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  10. ↑ "Cathy Wong". 12 April 2017.
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