Big-City Mayor Suddenly Goes Silent, Then Collapses to the Ground During Press Conference
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante will reduce her workload for a few days after an incident at a Tuesday live news conference that saw her sink to the floor.
Plante was responding to a question about homelessness in the Quebec Province city and was speaking in English when she suddenly stopped speaking for a few seconds.
Plante was talking about directing homeless people “to other kinds of services” when she began to experience difficulty.
“So I would, um,” she began, as her eyes closed and her face lost its animation.
She looked up briefly before clutching the podium where she had been speaking.
“Oh no. I feel unwell,” she said in French as she slid down, according to CBC.
The 49-year-old mayor then sat on the floor, at one point holding out an arm to keep her balance.
She spent about five minutes on the floor, surrounded by aides who called a halt to the news conference and asked the media to stop filming Plante.
CBC noted that the news conference had been going on for about 15 minutes before the incident, with no sign that Plante was unwell.
An ambulance was called to City Hall, according to CTV, but mayoral aide Catherine Cadotte said paramedics at the scene examined her and Plante was beginning to feel better.
Cadotte said the mayor would skip a Tuesday borough council meeting and slow down for a few days.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is recovering after she collapsed at a news conference today. pic.twitter.com/RLsbclYUwg
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) December 5, 2023
“She will gradually resume her activities and thanks everyone for their understanding and support,” she said.
“This morning, I felt uneasy during a press conference. Fortunately, I’m better,” Plante posted on X later in the day.
“Thank you very much for your kind words and support. I was able to meet a medical team and I am doing well. However, as a preventive measure and to fully get back into shape, I will have to reduce the pace of my activities in the coming days,” she wrote.
Ce matin, j’ai ressenti un malaise pendant une conférence de presse. Heureusement, je vais mieux. Merci beaucoup pour vos bons mots et votre soutien.
J’ai pu rencontrer une équipe médicale et je me porte bien. Cependant, par mesure préventive et pour retrouver pleinement la…
— Valérie Plante (@Val_Plante) December 5, 2023
“I want to thank you very much for your support. I feel blessed to be so well surrounded. It warms my heart,” she wrote.
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