Quebec strong and proud: “We have the sacred fire,” says Bruno Marchand

During its annual fundraising cocktail, Thursday evening, in Beauport, Mayor Marchand’s political party managed to raise nearly $58,000, one and a half times more than last year, thanks to the participation of more than 400 activists and supporters.

“It’s definitely the biggest municipal political movement in Quebec. The enthusiasm is there, the will is there…The ambition and determination are there. It’s super positive. We have the sacred fire,” exclaimed Bruno Marchand, almost a year before the next municipal election.

According to him, “in 2024, it’s not simple [de réunir] 400 people in a political event on a Thursday evening. It proves the support and this desire to build the City with us. It’s magnificent.”

In his eyes, it is important that there are people who mobilize and organize to contribute to the advancement of his party so that it constitutes a true “political movement” rather than a simple “political proposal “.

In a relaxed atmosphere, punctuated by jazz music, the members of Québec Forte et Proud (QFF) chatted, with a glass of wine in hand, about this and that. Unsurprisingly, the next municipal election of November 2, 2025 was on everyone’s lips, according to the discussions that The Journal could have surprised.

“There’s a jostling at the gate”

Asked about the future election, Mr. Marchand first mentioned that his priority is to “finish [leur] mandate by making the achievements that[ils ont] promised to do.”

That said, he ended up saying that “there is a rush at the gate” of QFF with regard to candidates for municipal councilor positions.

“There are already more candidates than we will have space,” he said while recalling that most of the outgoing elected officials of his political party intend to represent themselves in their respective districts.

Without naming names, he said that his priority is to have candidates who are “the most representative” of Quebec City in terms of age, gender and professional occupation.

As was the case in 2021, Bruno Marchand promised to reach the “parity” zone, i.e. to present a minimum of 40% women in the elections.

Mayor Marchand also expects that there will be at least five to six candidates for mayor of Quebec next fall. The latter did not want to say whether a multiplication of candidates could favor him in a context where no clear majority emerges from the polls and where the municipal political offer seems rather fragmented.