New Montreal North mayor pledges to fight 'social exclusion'

Christine Black, who was electedmayor of Montreal North ina landslide victory in Sunday'sbyelection, says boostingthe borough's economy and loweringits poverty rate will be her priorities in office.

"I'm convinced that together, with residents, community organizations, local institutionsand elected officials, we can work together to come up with solutions to fight social exclusion," she said in her victory speech.

Black, a member ofquipe Denis Coderre pour Montral, won the byelectionwith 69 per cent of the vote.

KerlandeMibelofProjetMontralcame second with 23 per cent.

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Coderre, whose former federal riding of BourassaincludesMontreal North, said Blackis up to the challenge to improve things in the borough.

"She did her homework," he told reporters.

"She went out into the field and talked to the people."

The result comes after a heated election campaign, during which activists called on the mayoral candidates to take steps to end racial profiling by Montreal police and "systemic anti-black racism in Quebec."

A local community group, the Regroupement pour le renouveau de Montral-Nord, also criticized Denis Coderre's decision to select Christine Black as his party's candidate without consultation.

Don Harley Fils-Aim, a spokesperson for the group, said Monday he was hoping for change, but accepted the result.

"Maybe we were moving too fast," he told CBC Montreal's Daybreak.

"We will work with whoever is there."

Only 20 per cent of residents eligible to vote exercised their right, according to Montreal's elections bureau.

Four candidates were in the running to become the next mayor.

Jacques Massicotte and Richard Teffahafinished a distant third and fourth, respectively.

Black replaces Gilles Deguire, who resigned in January after being charged with sexual assault against a minor.

Black, 34, has worked in Montreal North for 14 years. She is the head of Centre des jeunes l'Escale and has been involved in several community organizations in the neighbourhood.