Dignity Intact, Reputation Shattered

Montreal Mayor Michael Aplebaum pauses as he announces his resignation at City Hall Tuesday, June 18, 2013 in Montreal.  Photograph by: Ryan Remiorz , THE CANADIAN PRESS

"I would like to tell Montrealers that I love them, that I understand their frustration .. and their cynicism.  ...I will do everything I can to clarify the facts and to re-establish your confidence.

"I swore that I would erase the stains from the reputation of our city. ...and I will do everything I can to prove that the accusations against me are unfounded."

former interim Montreal mayor Michael Applebaum

"The honeymoon ended. The promises were made, but unfortunately it's not just promises that can be kept. ...You also have to act by your own personal example. Right after the honeymoon ended we saw very clearly that there was a series of events that kept coming back time and time again -- on fundraising, on questionable real estate transactions, on questionable company. Unfortunately, the things that were done culminated in the charges that were laid yesterday, and it's very sad."

Saint-Laurent borough mayor Alan De Sousa

"I think he acted with a sense of dignity and a sense of responsibility, because Montrealers' trust has once again been shaken. We need stability."

Vision Montreal leader Louise Harel

So much for moral integrity. So much for the public trust. Montreal reeled under the assault on its sensibilities when former long-time Mayor Gerald Tremblay was implicated in corruption. Implicated by allegations that could not be ignored. Corruption so integral to the operation of his Union Montreal party, so ingrained was the malfeasance that it had been known for years, and the mental shrugs that went into that acknowledgement finally resulted in his ignominious departure.

Revelations of wide-spread fraud, corruption, and municipal business contracts with known gangsters were shocking but hardly represented new findings; rumours had long preceded the actual commission of enquiry into wrong-doing that unequivocally named city officials whose greed and sticky fingers cost the taxpayers of the province - and taxpayers in other provinces through transfer payments -- far in excess of the projects' value.

Michael Applebaum stepped into a crisis situation as someone who could be trusted and enough confidence was placed in him to elect him by his fellow councillors to the vacated mayoral position until an official municipal election could be called. Now Montreal is reeling doubly from 14 charges brought against him with his arrest on Monday. Counts of fraud and corruption in connection with real estate projects he was involved in as borough mayor of Cote-des-Neiges -- Notre-Dame-de-Grace, between 2006 and 2011.

"Since the beginning of my political career, I have always worked to improve the quality of life of my citizens. I would like to start by saying that I maintain my innocence. I cannot comment on the different accusations and the different rumours, but I have every intention of continuing to fight like I always have, and I want to be clear: I have never taken a penny from anybody. 

 

"Being mayor of Montreal is not a task that one can do while defending themselves against accusations of this nature. I hope that you will understand that I'm putting all my energy into my defence and into my family. This is why I am resigning as mayor. It is the responsible thing to do", he said, speaking before his fellow councillors and journalists.

Good luck on that file, Michael Applebaum. His demeanor is far different from that of the mayor of Canada's largest city, not yet charged with anything but allegations of gross stupidity abound. As mayor of all the people Toronto Mayor Rob Ford associated with some people whom he would have been far better off avoiding. It isn't yet entirely clear what drew him to them, but photographs and a now-missing video purporting to portray him as a crack cocaine aficionado gave some hints.

Canada the bland and the good is experiencing some difficulties with ethically challenged mayors of its largest municipalities.