Former Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre (center, bottom row) introduced Stephanie Valenzuela (rightmost, bottom row) to Ambassador Rodolfo Robles as his party’s city council candidate in the district of Darlington.

In a virtual meeting on 7 July 2021, former Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre introduced to Ambassador Rodolfo D. Robles the candidature of Ms. Stephanie Valenzuela as City Councilor for the district of Darlington. When elected, Valenzuela shall be the first Canadian of Filipino heritage to serve in the City Council of Montreal.

Valenzuela informed Ambassador Robles of her involvement in a settlement organization in Montreal which assists Filipino and other immigrants to Montreal settle into their adopted community. She was born and educated in Montreal. She speaks fluent Tagalog.

In the meeting, Coderre shared with Ambassador Robles his intention to reinvigorate the sister-city relationship between Montreal and Manila. He further disclosed his plan to lead a trade delegation to Manila should he succeed in returning as Mayor of Montreal. He shared that he has a soft spot in his heart for the Filipino community in Montreal and welcomed the Filipino diaspora’s involvement in the affairs of the city.

There are approximately 35,000 Canadians of Filipino heritage who reside in Montreal, many of whom have settled in the district of Darlington.