Mayoral candidates for L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet discuss the island’s future
Mayoral candidates for L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet discuss the island’s future
The two mayoral candidates for L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet, Jean-Louis Corriveau and Pierre Fréchette, sat down in CHIP 101.9’s studio for an hour long discussion of the issues facing the municipality and their vision for the island’s future.
The past two terms have been marred by quarrels among council and complaints to Quebec’s Municipal Commission, in addition to a revolving door of staff. Fréchette held the position of mayor briefly between 2016 and 2017 before resigning, going on to run for warden of MRC Pontiac. Corriveau, who was pro-mayor at the time, served as the acting mayor until the election that fall, but did not seek re-election.
Both Corriveau and Fréchette said that if elected, they would change the dynamic among members of council.
Corriveau said that the events over the past four years are what caused him to return to politics, to help put old grudges to bed and improve the work environment.
Like his opponent, Fréchette hoped he could help future members of council work together more effectively.
Fréchette said that he would like to see improved transparency from the council.
“I think that we should make people accountable for files, subjects. Accountable for their responsibilities as councillors … We must avoid the sly, closed doors. Behind the scenes work should be avoided or else there are cliques that are built and cliques often work for themselves and not for the entire population. We must break the taboo that nothing can be done in a small municipality,” he said (translated).
Responding to a question from L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet resident Sylvie Landriault concerning the human resources issues and the difficulty retaining directors general, Corriveau spoke about his plan for management of the council to present a positive image of the municipality.
“It is certain that if elected on November 7, the first thing I will do is undoubtedly to meet my municipal councilors, the six municipal councilors, to work together, to give tasks to each councilor. I would give them each task, to work better together,” he said (translated).
The full (French-language) discussion is available here.
