Montreal's mayor is leaving politics, and she's not alone. Is it the toxic climate for women?

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante announced Wednesday she would not seek a third mandate. Her decision has many talking about the demands of municipal leadership, particularly for women.

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante took a long breath and announced Wednesday she would not seek a third mandate, saying she could not guarantee her constituents another four years with the same energy level she had given to the job she loves.

Her decision has many talking about the demands of municipal leadership, particularly for women.

"There are many things to improve," Quebec Families Minister Suzanne Roy said.

Plante said when she jumped into political life, she saw it as a way to change the world, and when she became the first woman at the helm of Montreal in 2017, a touching scene unfolded on the steps of city hall. A woman congratulated the new mayor and set up her young daughter to pose for a photo with the newly elected leader.

"We never had a woman mayor before," Plante told the girl. "Maybe one day you will be mayor, or maybe prime minister, wouldn't that be cool?"

Plante was relatively unknown then but managed to topple Denis Coderre, a veteran politician who had been styled as the king of Montreal. Part of her appeal was her energy and jovial, friendly tone.

But over her seven-year reign, Plante has faced threats of violence and a flood of online hate.