"We have four years to show what we're capable of," Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante beamed to Projet Montreal party faithful on Sunday.
It was its first meeting since last November's election and Plante took the opportunity to highlighting the work her party has done over the past six months.
But she also outlined what is in the works — including selling cannabis by local rules, not ones imposed by the province or Ottawa.
"We won't let any government tell us in what way, where, or how we'll manage the sale of cannabis," she said.
"All the cities in Quebec are asking the same thing: We want to keep our autonomy."
She also said that despite the good news that an extension of the Blue line means for the east-end, more needs to be done to boost the area.
"It's a part of the island that needs love, it needs investment," Plante said.
Part of that means decontaminating former industrial sites so they can be redeveloped.
She said she's thankful that the provincial government is helping pay for decontamination, but that it's just a first step.
She also called on the provincial government to step up and help with the "major crisis" in school infrastructure downtown, in Griffintown, Côte-des-Neiges and other areas.
She said building schools in Montreal is expensive and she hopes for more collaboration with the province on it.