Stuart Benson- Stuart Benson
‘Building on that momentum’
Lamoureux’s platform based on past success
La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux is looking forward to connecting with new faces on council if he's re-elected on Nov. 7, and the opportunity to build greater consensus in the absence of a familiar one.
Championing the slogan “working for you”, Lamoureux platform for the upcoming municipal elections promises to continue work to improve cell service and public safety; support businesses and entrepreneurs to grow the local economy and create jobs; establish the new town hall; continue to improve recreational and active transportation infrastructure, and complete the municipality’s urbanism bylaw review.
Beyond those specific goals, however, Lamoureux told the Low Down that one of his top priorities, if elected, would be to meet with new council members to get to know them to ensure the same kind of successful relationship.
“Overall, the previous council members worked well together, and this is how we can best serve our community,” Lamoureux said. “I want to continue building on that momentum.”
The opportunity to build on that momentum, however, is less about which candidates are currently running, but more so about which one isn’t.
“Since we were elected in 2017, the council has adopted 1818 resolutions,” Lamoureux explained. “"Out of those, there were 45 times where we did not reach a full consensus."
While Lamoureux understands that council is made up of independent council members and that it would be impossible to please everyone all the time, he does note that one council member was much harder to please: Michel Gervais, the previous ward 2 councillor who announced he would not be seeking re-election.
“Twenty-three out of those 45 times, one council member alone was in opposition,” Lamoureux said.
Lamoureux also touted his government's increased transparency since being elected in 2017, adopting the municipality’s first strategic organizational plan in April of this year, and the acquisition of nearly $4.5 million in grant money for municipal services, environmental initiatives, equipment, and infrastructure.
“In a short amount of time, and in part through a pandemic, we managed to professionalize the municipal organization and establish solid foundations that we can now build on for years to come,” Lamoureux told The Low Down. “[The municipality is] more transparent, we have better communication, and because we are forward-thinking, we have been able to seize opportunities and secure a record number of new grants that we can invest in local services, equipment, and infrastructure.”
Lamoureux’s challenger, Luc Richard, a RE/MAX agent living in Lac-des-Loups, has yet to release his platform and did not return calls to the Low Down this week.
In a previous interview, Richard said one of his main issues would be attracting more people to the municipality. He plans to do this by encouraging more housing development and offering more activities and events for families.
Polling day for the upcoming municipal elections is Nov. 7, with advanced polling days on Oct. 30 and 31.