Benoit Dorais set to depart from the political arena this fall

Long-standing vice-president of the Southwest town hall committee announces not to run for a fifth term after 16 years of service.

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2025 September 13 . 1:49 PM

2 min read

Benoit Dorais to depart from the political arena come fall

Benoit Dorais set to depart from the political arena this fall

Benoit Dorais, the long-serving mayor of the Southwest borough in Montreal, has announced that he will not seek a fifth term in the upcoming November election. Dorais, who was re-elected in 2013 under the banner of Coalition Montreal, has been a significant figure in the city's political landscape for over a decade.

Dorais served as president of the executive committee from 2017 to 2021, overseeing housing and legal affairs, finances, and other important matters. However, his first term was not without its challenges. Scandals unfolded at City Hall under the administration of Gerald Tremblay, which eventually led to Tremblay's resignation in the fall of 2012.

In December 2016, Dorais announced that he would sit as an independent, and just months before the 2017 elections, he ultimately chose Projet Montreal. He was a key member of Valérie Plante's administration and expressed his desire to step down as president of the executive committee in the 2021 election.

The candidate from Projet Montréal who will try to replace Dorais as mayor of the South Borough is Pierre Lavallée. The name of Lavallée's potential successor as mayor of the Sud-Ouest borough will be revealed on Thursday.

Dorais plans to support the candidate during the campaign, and will continue to support the candidacy of Luc Rabouin for the mayor of Montreal. He is deeply attached to his borough and the Saint-Henri neighborhood where his family has lived for five generations.

Under Dorais' leadership, the Southwest borough has seen significant developments in housing. The acquisitions facilitated by the financial compensation from promoters have enabled the realization of social housing projects by non-profit organizations. The "20/20/20" regulation, adopted in 2021, aimed to pressure real estate promoters to favor the construction of social and affordable housing. Despite its modifications and questions about its effectiveness, Dorais believes that the regulation has proven itself, even if many promoters have chosen to pay a financial compensation rather than integrate social housing into their projects.

According to city data, 3,500 off-market housing units have been built since 2021. However, Dorais' tenure was not without controversy. The first budget after his re-election as mayor of the Southwest exceeded inflation, breaking a key election promise. In the summer of 2019, Dorais was stopped by police for driving at 171 km/h.

As Dorais leaves politics and has no specific future plans at the moment, the Southwest borough and Montreal's political landscape will undoubtedly experience changes in the coming months.