Alice Meilleur-Pieschke resigns from L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet council

Alice Meilleur-Pieschke resigns from L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet council

At the most recent meeting of the Île-du-Grand-Calumet municipal council, councillor Alice Meilleur-Pieschke announced that she would be stepping down from her position. She didn’t go into detail, but said that she had health problems that prevented her from continuing.

“Yes, I had no choice. When your doctor tells you it’s time to pull back a little bit and take it a little slow, well I had no choice. So, that’s why I prepared my letter and then I decided that I was doing it tonight,” she said (tr.).

She wrote a letter to council on the issue:

“Mr. Mayor, fellow councillors,
It is with great regret that I must submit my resignation as municipal councillor #4 of the municipality of Ile du Grand Calumet.
Unfortunately, my declining health prevents me from continuing.
I wish to personally thank all taxpayers who voted for me in the last elections and I assure you that is with a heavy heart that I must submit my resignation after 30 years of service.
I have always worked for the welfare of the taxpayers and I sincerely hope my municipal colleagues will do the same.
I hope the needs of the community will be met beyond those of the individuals.
Thank you for your attention and I wish all of you the best of luck.”

Mayor Jean-Louis Corriveau said that he was unaware of Meilleur-Pieschke’s intentions.

“No, I was really surprised, even disappointed I mean,” he said (tr.). “Tears almost came to my eyes because I know I had spoken with her two to three months ago and her health was not going too well. She told me that she took two to three months just to try to come back, go see her doctor and try to fix the situation. Then there, well, I didn’t expect it to be tonight. I went to see her Saturday morning at their house, then she told me that she was to be present at the meeting. She seemed to be positive, and there, well, this evening, when it came to her turn, she announced her resignation to us. It also came as a shock, I think, to the other members of the council because Ms. Pieschke was very much appreciated from the point of view of the council of Île-du-Grand-Calumet.”

A by-election will soon be held to determine a replacement for councillor in seat four and the details will be released in the coming weeks. In the November election, Meilleur-Pieschke was elected with 182 votes (44.28%). Her opponents were Rollande Normandeau, who obtained 148 votes (36.01%), and Mona Donnelly who received 81 votes (19.71%).