Progrès Laval, once called a ‘ghost party,’ announces relaunch after 2025 election setback
Credit Courtesy
A minor municipal party in Laval is attempting a political comeback after a weak showing in last fall’s election. Progrès Laval announced the relaunch of its activities in a press release issued on April 20, pledging renewed engagement with residents and continued presence at city council meetings.
The announcement came days after several party members attended the April 14 Laval city council session wearing coats bearing the party’s colours. Among those present were founder Gabriel Vellone, 2025 candidate Leina Flores, Marco Mellado, and Oscar Buitrago, an engineer and party member who addressed council during the question period regarding the planned demolition of the Richard-Trottier arena.
Electoral results below 6% in both districts
Progrès Laval fielded two candidates in the November 2, 2025 municipal election but did not run anyone for mayor. Flores received 203 votes in the Fabreville-Sud district, representing 5.10% of the vote, while Mellado collected 61 votes in Saint-Martin, or 1.66%. Neither candidate came close to winning a seat.
A party with a history of dormancy
The party was founded in 2018 by Vellone. In an article published on October 6, 2025, journalist Stéphane St-Amour of the Courrier Laval, a French-language newspaper covering Laval, described Progrès Laval as a “ghost party” that had been largely inactive since a 2019 by-election in the Marc-Aurèle-Fortin district, where Vellone received less than 2% of the vote.
According to that same report, the party was at the time led by Angela Novello, who had taken over the leadership on August 15, 2025, but did not run as a mayoral candidate. The April 20 press release makes no mention of Novello and now presents Vellone as the party’s leader. The party remains registered with the Directeur général des élections du Québec (DGEQ), Quebec’s chief electoral office.
Relaunch framed around values and community engagement
In its statement, the party said it was reaffirming its commitment to Laval residents. Progrès Laval acknowledged that its election results fell short of expectations but maintained that its motivation remains intact, according to the press release.
The party described its involvement as rooted in a feeling that existing political options did not adequately represent its members during the last election. The statement emphasized values centred on work, discipline and honesty, along with a desire to propose initiatives with a rapid impact for youth, seniors and low-income residents.
Progrès Laval also said it plans to maintain an active presence at city council sessions in order to prepare for what it described as short-term future opportunities.
