The downtown district of Peter-McGill, which includes the Golden Square Mile, Mount Royal and Cabot Square, promises to be a hotly contested battle in the coming municipal election on Nov. 2.

In one corner, there's Leslie Roberts with Ensemble Montréal. The former journalist and broadcaster is a familiar name and face for anglophone Montrealers of a certain age. He's a political neophyte who decided to enter the race after a convincing cup of coffee with Ensemble leader Soraya Martinez Ferrada.

Representing Projet Montréal in this race is Maryse Bouchard. While also new to politics, Bouchard worked for 31 years for the city of Montreal, with a specialty in implementing new public services. For example, Bouchard worked on the new cultural and community space, the Sanaaq Centre, which opened in May.