JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report
Rigaud’s mayor has yet to announce whether she plans to run again in the November municipal election but that has not delayed the start of the race for the top elected position in the town of about 7,900, as two candidates have already thrown their hats in the ring.
Rigaud councillors Charles Meunier and Kevin Ménard announced their intentions to run for mayor in the fall election in the past weeks.
“I think the City of Rigaud is a wonderful playground with enormous potential,” Meunier said in an interview last week. “There’s so much we can do here. We just need to work more together. I think I can be the one with my team to make that happen.”
Meunier said he is running “with the goal of bringing more responsible and transparent leadership to Rigaud.”
If elected, his government would focus on infrastructure maintenance and development, environmental management and increasing community engagement.
Incumbent Mayor Marie-Claire Frigault has not indicated whether she will seek a second term. She did not respond to a request for comment.
On May 16, Ménard announced he would be running for the position this fall. In a statement published to his Facebook page, Ménard explained that his focus would be on transparency and community unity, as well as “working together to build a more dynamic, ambitious Rigaud that is a great place to live.”
Ménard was acclaimed to his seat on council, representing District 4, in the 2021 election. He could not be reached for further comment.
Speaking with The 1019 Report, Meunier said that the town has been putting important issues on the backburner for too long.
“Instead of investments we need to do, we say that we’ll do that later,” he explained, using the example of the town’s aging wastewater treatment plant.
An engineer by training, with a background in sustainable development, business development and water treatment, Meunier said his professional experience would be an asset at the local level, but also when working with regional governing bodies.
Overall, Meunier said he’s hoping for a positive campaign with productive debates between candidates and without mudslinging. He added: “It’s very important to me that once the election is over that we all work together to do the best for our city. She deeply needs it.”
He added that more details on priorities and candidates are expected to be unveiled in the coming weeks.
First elected to the council in 2021, Meunier was faced with an Élections Québec inquiry amid questions about his place of residence prior to the election. The case was dismissed by the Quebec Superior Court in April 2024.
No other candidates have publicly announced their intention to run, confirmed Geneviève Hamel, communications director for the town.
With Meunier and Ménard in the mayoral race that leaves three of the town’s six councillor seats wide open, as the District 2 seat, held by long-time councillor Archie Martin has remained vacant since Martin’s death in January.
The period to officially register as a candidate for either mayor or for town councillor runs from Sept. 19 to Oct. 3. As this is still several months away, Hamel added “we can look forward to some surprises during this period.”