Bruno Marchand says tramway fight is political as Quebec mayor blasts critics
Bruno Marchand is pushing back hard after fresh criticism of Quebec City’s tramway, saying Bernard Drainville is “doing politics” and giving the Conservative Party of Quebec no credibility on tree protection. In comments delivered in Quebec City on Tuesday afternoon ET, the mayor said the tramway remains irreversible despite the latest attacks. He also argued that opponents are using trees as a pretext to slow or weaken the project.
Bruno Marchand ties the dispute to political maneuvering
The mayor’s message was blunt: the controversy over trees along René-Lévesque Boulevard is, in his view, being used for political gain. Bruno Marchand said Bernard Drainville is choosing delay while waiting for a final federal funding agreement before tree removal moves ahead. He added that Drainville is “doing politics” and suggested the Quebec cabinet minister may not know the details of the agreements binding the government of Quebec, the City of Quebec, and CDPQ Infra.
Bruno Marchand also took aim at the Conservative Party of Quebec, calling its defense of the trees ridiculous. He said Éric Duhaime’s position on trees is not credible and claimed the party’s platform does not mention tree protection. In the same exchange, Marchand said the opposition’s concern for trees has no value if the real goal is to block the tramway.
Bruno Marchand says the tramway will move ahead
At the center of the mayor’s response is a single line: the tramway will go forward. Bruno Marchand repeated that the project is irreversible, even as Drainville and Duhaime continue to sharpen their criticism. He said Jonatan Julien, the transport minister, can back whomever he wants in the CAQ leadership race, but added that Julien would later remind any future leader of the existing agreements tied to the project.
Marchand praised Julien’s stance, calling it an important ally’s move. He also linked the current debate to what he described as a pattern seen in past elections, where political actors try to build support by attacking the tramway. That theme ran through his remarks as he dismissed what he sees as manufactured concern around tree protection.
Immediate reactions from the mayor’s camp
Bruno Marchand’s language grew sharper when he addressed Maïté Blanchette-Vézina, the former CAQ member who recently joined the Conservatives and took part in the March 28 mobilization. He said her new concern for trees was surprising, given her political history and her role in a 2025 forestry reform bill that was later abandoned. In his view, the opposition’s sudden focus on trees is not about the environment but about slowing the tramway.
The mayor said that when some opponents talk about trees, they are really trying to “plant” a different kind of project: one designed to undermine the tramway. Bruno Marchand framed the issue as a test of credibility, insisting that the agreements already in place must be respected.
What this means for the next phase
The immediate political fight is unlikely to fade soon. Bernard Drainville’s comments on timing, the Conservatives’ presence in tree-protection protests, and the continuing disputes around the route have all placed new pressure on the project. Still, Bruno Marchand is signaling that the City of Quebec will not treat the debate as a reason to pause.
For now, the mayor is betting that the tramway can outlast the noise. Bruno Marchand says the agreements stand, the project stands, and the tramway remains irreversible.
