Submit an application for a public consultation using the right of initiative

Residents can submit an application for a public consultation on a subject of public interest in connection with the city or a borough under the right of initiative. Find out what you need to do.

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The right of initiative is a participatory democracy mechanism set out in the Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities.

Before submitting an application for a public consultation, you must determine whether the project is eligible and comes under the authority of your borough or the city.

You must also check whether an application is already pending for the project or subject of interest to you.

Authority of the borough

In order to be reviewed by borough council, the project must concern the following areas of interest: urban planning, road network (streets, sidewalks, etc.), permits, culture and recreation.

For example:

  • Development of a sports field in a borough park
  • Construction of a recreation centre
  • Review of parking regulations within the borough

Authority of the city

In order to be reviewed by municipal authorities, the project must concern one of the following areas of interest:

For example:

  • Construction of a new sports facility
  • Noise management in Montréal
  • Construction of social housing

Ineligible applications

A project will be deemed ineligible if it concerns:

  • Shared authority.
  • The governance or status of the city.
  • The administrative organization, the management of contracts or the application of collective agreements.
  • The budget, fees or taxes.
  • An urban planning project for which a public consultation process or an approval by referendum is already provided for under law.
  • A subject already submitted to a public consultation in the previous 3 years.
  • A call for tenders in progress or completed.
  • A subject that is the object of a litigation before the courts or that has been ruled upon or settled out of court.

A subject will be deemed ineligible if:

  • It can be submitted to the Commission de la sécurité publique.
  • It is contrary to the Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities.
  • It can be the subject of a complaint before the Ombudsman.
  • A public consultation or approval by referendum process is already set out under law.
  • A draft petition was received in the previous 2 years without leading to the submission of a compliant petition.

Submit an application

In order to submit an application, you must:

  • Be 15 years of age or older.
  • Live within the area targeted under the project (Montréal or your borough).
  • Collect 25 signatures from people ages 15 or older who live within the area targeted under the project.
  • Among the 25 signatories, designate 3 people who can be contacted by the city or one person who can be contacted by the borough.

An application cannot be submitted between January 1 and November 15 in a municipal election year or during a partial election year.

Online

You must take all subsequent steps online.

  • Access My account (or create your account).
  • Complete the form.

You must collect the required number of signatures. The applicable procedure will be explained once you reach that step.

Start

In person

You must use paper versions to complete all of the steps, including the collection of signatures.

  • Complete and print the form (in French).
  • Submit the application to the Accès Montréal office (BAM) in your borough, to the attention of the city clerk.
Find an Accès Montréal office (BAM)

Demande acceptée

If your application is accepted, you will receive a call confirming its acceptance and a public notice will be published online and in newspapers. You will then have 90 days to collect the number of signatures required to proceed to the next step.

Signatures required

  • If your project comes under the authority of the city, you must collect 15,000 signatures.
  • If your project comes under the authority of a borough, the required number of signatures varies, corresponding with 5% of the number of residents ages 15 or older living within the limits of the borough.
  • Ahuntsic-Cartierville: 5000
  • Anjou: 5 000
  • Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce: 5000
  • L’Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève: 791
  • Lachine: 1941
  • LaSalle: 3466
  • Le Plateau-Mont-Royal: 4710
  • Le Sud-Ouest: 3688
  • Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve: 5000
  • Montréal-Nord: 3579
  • Outremont: 946
  • Pierrefonds-Roxboro: 2903
  • Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles: 4500
  • Rosemont La-Petite-Patrie: 5000
  • Saint-Laurent: 4119
  • Saint-Léonard: 3208
  • Verdun: 3031
  • Ville-Marie: 4870
  • Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension: 5000

Participation in the public consultation

Once you have collected the required number of signatures, you will receive a confirmation, including the date of the public consultation. You will then have the opportunity to present your draft project and the reasons justifying it. All people who wish to express an opinion or ask questions on the subject may do so as well.

The city or authority in charge of the public consultation will publish a report in the 90 days following the end of the consultation.

The number of public consultations that can be organized under a right of initiative may be limited to:

  • 3 per year for the city
  • 2 per year for a borough

Getting involved in municipal life

Want to become more involved in municipal affairs and present your ideas? Here are some ways to get more involved.

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Last updated June 19, 2026