The intervention of former Montreal mayor Dennis Coudray, who used his connections in the Formula 1 world to save the Montreal Grand Prix, was not necessary, as mayor Valerie Blunt rules.

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On Monday, our FBI revealed that the Minister of Economy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, had asked the former mayor, who worked for the FIA ​​after his election defeat, to intervene in the case. Extending a contract to allow the Grand Prix to be held in Montreal despite being canceled for two consecutive years due to the pandemic.

“He asked if I could make some calls, and I made them and the messages passed,” Coderre explained in an interview with our Bureau of Investigation.

But Mayor Blunt has another vision for these negotiations.

“The story is that the former mayor called the minister to tell him,“ I’ll call my friend. ”We know:“ A friend, not a new friend, ”she said in an interview with TVA Nouvelles on Monday.

“I think we have the usual example here, that is, a former mayor trying to get the credit and residents in a case in which he was not necessary at all because Mr. Fitzgibbon is his file.” […]. It’s the good old Denise Coudry, ”Ms. Blunt continued, asserting that the Grand Prix contract“ was never in danger, ”in his opinion.

Listen to the column of Jean-Louis Fortin, Director of the Quebec Office of Investigations:

At the end of April, governments and the city announced that they had reached an agreement with Formula 1 that the Grand Prix de Montréal would return to the capital until 2031 instead of 2029. The various levels would invest nearly $ 20 million each. A year of public money for the event, which will be increased to $ 25 million in 2030 and $ 26 million in 2031.

Montreal’s mayoral candidate, Dennis Coudray, defended himself at the end of the afternoon on Facebook.

“We have a choice: either we work to make Montreal shine and get out of the crisis, or we do personal attacks. I chose to make Montreal shine. Whenever I get the chance, I will always make the same choice. The Montreal squad leader wrote that it is up to the Montreal people to decide whether they prefer.” Personal attacks or whether the city stands out. “