FAQs

The participatory budget is a process that enables the population to decide how to use part of the city’s budget. It isn’t a budget simulation, nor is it a consultation on how the city should plan its expenditures. Rather, it provides a real opportunity for the population to propose project ideas, and then to vote for those projects that the city will actually realize with that budget.

The process is broken down in various steps: 

1. Collection of ideas | February 19, 2024 to March 25, 2024

Citizens propose their ideas.

2. Preliminary selection of ideas and development into projects | April to August of 2024

Firstly, the city will carry out a preliminary eligibility analysis of all ideas received. Secondly, in collaboration with organization and citizen representatives, it will prioritize and develop the projects that are deemed eligible. 

3. Feasibility analysis and selection of the projects to be submitted for voting | Fall of 2024

The city then assesses the technical and regulatory feasibility, along with the costs of the developed projects and its capacity to carry them out. The city then prepares the final list of projects to be submitted for voting, following project approval by the entities concerned.  

4. Voting | Winter of 2025

The population votes for the projects to be carried out.

5. Announcement of the winning projects | Spring of 2025

The city announces the projects that got the most votes and that can be realized within the $45 M, of which $10 M are earmarked for projects that meet the needs of the city’s youth.

6. Project planning and realization | Starting in the spring of 2025

The city undertakes the planning and realization of the winning projects.

• To participate in a collective process. 
• To find innovative solutions to social and environmental hurdles that Montréal needs to overcome.
• To take resolute action towards improving the quality of life in our city.
• To use your knowledge of Montréal and your creativity towards an attainable goal.
• To have a direct impact on the city’s decisions and actions.

Anyone interested in the future of our city, regardless of their age.

Ideas are submitted individually, on behalf of an organization, a group (association, citizen committee, group of friends or neighbours, etc.).

In order to be deemed receivable, ideas must meet the following main criteria: 

• Contribute to Montréal’s ecological and social transition by embracing one of the following themes: youth, equity or safety.
• Meet a collective need (serve a collective interest rather than a private one).
• Be feasible for the city (Located on public property or on city-owned land).
• Represent an investment expenditure, which means that the budget must be spent on developments or equipment that will last and be sustainable in the long run. 
• Present the potential for a major project (project value between $500,000 and $5 M for single projects meant for a single location, and of at most $ 10 M for replicable projects that can be realized in various locations, in various boroughs, but presented as a single project on the ballot).

Ideas must also meet the following technical criteria:

• They must not generate operation expenses that are too high for the city.
• They must be in line with the city’s plans, programs and policies.
• The beginning of their realization must be possible within 2 years.

In addition to meeting eligibility criteria, projects realized as part of the participatory budget must contribute to Montréal’s social and ecological transition by relating to one of the following themes:

Youth: meet the needs of citizens who are aged 30 or younger, as well as those of future generations. Examples of eligible ideas:

• Build a safe outdoor rock climbing wall on the façade of a city building, such as an arena, sports center, etc.
• Develop socialization and meeting recreational sitting areas with wifi.

Equity: Ensure that Montrealers from all walks of life have equitable access to municipal infrastructures across city territory. Examples of eligible ideas:

• Add shaded rest areas along school corridors, or along routes regularly taken by pedestrians. 
• Redevelop a playground to make it universally accessible.

Safety: Offer safe living environments by improving: (safe mobility, prevention and a sense of safety on public property, protection against severe inclement weather). Examples of eligible ideas:

• Safe mobility: Install bike garages near high-traffic areas (universities, hospitals, schools, etc.)
• Public areas, add safe, whimsical and well lit walkways with “help” buttons located between metro stations and libraries.
• Protection against severe inclement weather: Develop a resilient public square “water square” to absorb water during abundant rainfall, but also to be used for sports lessons the rest of the time.

The idea submitted must not require:

• a specific operating budget that is too high for the city (for example, rental costs, staff compensation, maintenance, subsidies, etc.)
• lending city premises to an organization;
• third-party approval for its realization (for example, a right of way, a transfer of rights, etc.)

Also, the idea must not be: 

• an event (for example, event planning.)
• a communication or awareness activity.
• risky for public safety.
• in a location that is not under city jurisdiction, such as:
  • on private property (residential or commercial immovable, private vacant lot.) 
  • in a hospital, a clinic or a seniors’ residence. 
  • on the property of an elementary school, a highschool, a college, cegep or university. 
  • one one of the city’s main highways (for example, Ville-Marie, Décarie, Métropolitaine, etc.)
  • on one of the main bridges, or in one of the tunnels around the island of Montréal (for example, Samuel-De Champlain, Jacques-Cartier, Victoria, Honoré-Mercier, bridges, the boom of the Champlain bridge, the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel, etc.)
  • on or near a railway.
  • on the territory of one of Montréal’s related municipalities (Baie-D'Urfé, Beaconsfield, Côte-Saint-Luc, Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Dorval, Hampstead, Kirkland, Montréal-Est, Montréal-Ouest, Mont-Royal, Pointe-Claire, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Senneville or Westmount). 

If you need help to propose a project idea or to organize or participate in a collaborative workshop, email us here or call us at 514 872-3575.

Once the collection of ideas phase has ended, the city looks at all the ideas and closely analyses every one of them. Those ideas that meet the eligibility criteria are then sorted by category and by territory concerned. 

From this point on, the idea as it was first submitted may begin to evolve. For instance, ideas that are similar in nature may be blended to form a single idea, while ideas that are broad and generic may be enhanced with details. Ideas are then prioritized  and developed into projects that are feasible for the city. 

Following this phase, municipal teams assess the technical and regulatory feasibility as well as the project costs and the city’s capacity to realize them. A final list of projects is then prepared to be submitted for voting, once the appropriate decision-making bodies have approved it.

Here is an example of how an idea can progress:

The idea of “improving access to drinking water in the city” has been submitted under the “Equity” theme. During the selection phase, it is merged with all the other ideas submitted under the same topic and it is linked to the idea “adding more water fountains in the city”.

During the phase of developing ideas into projects, the installation of multi-functional water fountains is proposed specifically in parks that do not have any water fountains. During the feasibility analysis, 5 boroughs meet the criteria and each one offers to add 20 fountains in their respective parks.

Finally, the project is listed on the ballot as: addition of 100 water fountains in Montréal’s parks.

1. The city carries out the preliminary analysis of all ideas received based on the eligibility criteria. All ideas that are deemed eligible are then sorted and gathered by category and territory.
2. The city, along with representatives of organizations or of civilians (selected through a call for applications, based on their expertise and their experience with the themes and the territories), prioritizes and develops the ideas deemed eligible.  As a result of this process, ideas may be enhanced, merged, or brought to scale, in order for projects to become feasible. Special consideration is given at this time to the population affected by these projects, in an effort to ensure equity and inclusion. 
3. The city assesses the feasibility (technical, regulatory and financial) of all projects and its capacity to realize them.
4. The city prepares a final list of projects to be submitted for voting, once the decision-making bodies concerned have approved it (borough councils / executive committee).

All citizens who are at least 12 years old and reside in Montréal, as well as Montréal business owners.

Every person who votes makes the commitment to only vote once.

The projects that get the most votes will be declared winners, but must amount to no more than the $45 M budget earmarked for the participatory budget. The total number of digital votes is compiled electronically. 

In order to ensure that the projects that are realized meet the needs of the city’s youth, Montréal will also earmark at least $10 M of the total budget of $45 M for these specific projects. Thus, the first $10 M increment of the budget will be attributed to the youth projects that have obtained the highest number of votes. The rest of the budget will help fund projects according to their ranking based on the number of votes obtained, until the maximum budgeted amount of $45 M is reached.

Should the remaining amount be insufficient for the following project on the list of projects with the most votes, the city’s Service de l’expérience citoyenne et des communications, who is responsible for the participatory budget, will formulate a recommendation regarding how that remaining amount should be used.  

The winning projects will be unveiled publicly on the city’s platforms during the winter of 2025.

The city is committed to realizing the winning projects within the two years following their announcement, as well as to implement them, within the limits of its $45 M budget. The city will also update the population regarding the progression of the project.

The personal information collected as part of this process will serve for mobilization activities and for process assessment and will be handled in accordance with the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information (RSQ, c. A-2.1) and with Montréal's governance of personal information which is a product of the Act.