Taking Leap: Millennial Filipina-Canadian elected Montréal borough mayor

By Nash Villena, Philippine Canadian Inquirer

(Photo Courtesy: stephie.valenzuela/Instagram)

MONTRÉAL, Québec — Filipina-Canadian Stephanie Valenzuela marks historic firsts for the Filipino diaspora after her election on Nov. 2 as mayor of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (CDN-NDG) borough.

The 34-year-old is the youngest and the first Filipino descent to hold a mayoral seat in the province of Québec, a leap from her previous service as a city councillor for CDN-NDG’s Darlington district that she won back in 2021.

Known as the most populous borough in the city of Montréal, CDN-NDG has more than 170,000 residents and a profound cultural diversity, particularly the thriving Filipino community.

The Philippine Embassy in Canada and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) were prompt to extend their congratulations to Valenzuela for her victory in the electoral race.

“The Embassy joins the Filipino-Canadian community across Canada in celebrating this another proud milestone and wishes Mayor Valenzuela continued success in her service to the people of Montreal,” the embassy said.

Last year, Valenzuela was featured among the “75 Faces” project by the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines, showcasing the stories and achievements of notable Filipino-Canadians in commemoration of the more than 70-year diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Filipina taking space

A first-generation Filipino-Canadian, Valenzuela was raised in a Filipino household where she has been involved in her community since her childhood—surrounded by the warmth of the Filipino community that nurtured her values to hold on to the “strong belief in giving back to the community and to those in vulnerable situations,” her bio reads on the Ensemble Montreal page.

In 2014, she graduated from McGill University with a degree in Political Science and International Development, a field of study that led her to immerse herself in community and volunteer work both local and abroad, honing her leadership and public relations skills.

At the age of 30, she decided to run for a Montréal city council seat representing Darlington, where she won and has become known for her various advocacy efforts, ranging from culturally inclusive services, youth empowerment, and community sustainability. She is also known as the first Filipino-Canadian to hold a seat in the city’s council.

Fast forward to this year’s early November CDN-NDG borough mayoral race, the Canadian Jewish News reported Valenzuela defeated incumbent mayor Gracia Katahwa Kasoki with 50.5 percent of the casted votes. It is worth noting that more than half of the 40,000 Filipinos in the city are in her borough.

Two days after her victory, she penned on Instagram a message of gratitude to her whole campaign team, loved ones, and supporters who trusted her capabilities to run for the mayoral position, as well as to her opponents for a fair race.

“Thank you to everyone who voted, who listened to us on the doorstep, and shared their concerns,” Valenzuela said. “Thanks too to all candidates, regardless of party. Politics is never easy. She brings out the best and sometimes the worst in everyone, but at the end of the day, she always aims to improve our communities and services.”

She also reflected on the strength her partner and their eldest daughter have given her throughout the campaign period while pregnant.

“I’m doing it for her and her generation, to offer them, and those to follow, even more than we got growing up in CDN-NDG. A safer, fairer, cleaner, and [more plentiful] opportunities for every family, for everyone.”

“The work has just begun, and we are more motivated than ever to do it for the next four years,” the newly elected CDN-NDG mayor said.