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Soraya Martinez Ferrada
Chilean-Canadian politician (born 1972) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Soraya Marisel Martínez Ferrada[2] (born August 28, 1972) is a Chilean-Canadian politician who has served as the mayor of Montreal and leader of Ensemble Montréal since 2025. A member of the Liberal Party, she previously served as the member of Parliament for Hochelaga from 2019 to 2025, and as a federal Cabinet minister from 2023 to 2025.
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Early life
Martínez Ferrada was born on August 28, 1972 in Santiago, Chile, to Omar Martínez Prieto and Maritza Inés Ferrada Videla.[2] Her family moved to Canada in 1980, fleeing the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.[3] Martínez Ferrada lived in the East End of Montreal, as well as Longueuil and Pointe-aux-Trembles. She graduated from HEC Montréal in 2005, with a Master of Management (MM) degree.[4]
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Political career
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In the 2005 Montreal municipal election, Martínez Ferrada was elected to the city council for the electoral district of Saint-Michel as a member of Union Montréal. In 2007, she joined Vision Montréal, serving until 2009 when she lost to Union Montréal candidate Frantz Benjamin. From 2009 to 2013, Martínez Ferrada worked for Vision Montréal and in the office of Louise Harel.[5] In the 2013 Montreal municipal election, Martínez Ferrada ran to be the borough mayor of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension with Coalition Montréal, placing second to Anie Samson of Équipe Denis Coderre pour Montréal. Prior to her election to the House of Commons, Martínez Ferrada worked as a community Parliament Hill staffer in Mélanie Joly's office.[6]
A member of the Liberal Party, Martínez Ferrada ran as the party's candidate in Hochelaga in the 2019 Canadian federal election. She gained her seat from the New Democratic Party, by a tight margin over the Bloc Québécois.[7] It was the first time the riding had been won by a Liberal since Jean-Claude Malépart had won it in 1988.
Following her election in 2019, Martínez Ferrada was appointed as parliamentary secretary to the minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, Marco Mendicino.[4][8]
After being re-elected in the 2021 Canadian federal election, Martínez Ferrada was appointed minister of tourism and minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec in 2023.[9]
On February 6, 2025, Martínez Ferrada announced she would stand down at the 2025 Canadian federal election.[10]
Mayor of Montreal (2025–present)
In February 2025, Martínez Ferrada resigned from the Cabinet and as the Liberal Party national campaign co-chair to seek the leadership of the Ensemble Montréal. She was elected leader by acclamation on February 28, 2025, becoming the party's candidate for mayor in the 2025 Montreal municipal election.[11] In May 2025, she apologized after it was reported that she accepted an illegal security deposit from a tenant renting her family home.[12]
Martínez Ferrada focused her mayoral campaign on housing and affordability,[13] and promised a review of the city's bike lanes.[14] She was endorsed by Équipe Anjou and the city's business community.[15][16]
Martínez Ferrada was elected mayor on November 2, 2025, defeating Luc Rabouin of Projet Montréal. Her party also won a majority of seats on the Montreal City Council. She is the first Latin American Canadian to serve as the city's mayor.[17]
Martínez Ferrada was sworn in as mayor on November 13, 2025.[18]
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Personal life
She is married to Pascal Delinois, and lives in the Saint-Michel neighbourhood of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension in Montreal.[19]
Electoral record
Federal
Municipal
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References
External links
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