Guillaume Lamoureux

La Pêche mayor acclaimed for third term

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By Trevor Greenway

Guillaume Lamoureux didn’t need to knock on doors. 

He didn’t need to print campaign brochures, argue his points in a municipal debate or fling mud at his opponents. 

The incumbent La Pêche mayor was acclaimed for his third term on Oct. 3 after nobody stepped in to challenge him for the head seat at the council table. Lamoureux, who was catapulted into the mayor’s chair eight years ago after upsetting long-time mayor Robert Bussière in 2017, said that he feels his constituents are “satisfied” with how things have gone in the municipality over the past two mandates. 

Along with the mayor, there was only one contest for a council seat  (Ward 2) in La Peche. For contrast, Cantley has 20 candidates vying for a spot at the council table (four for mayor), while Chelsea has 16 hopefuls (two for mayor). 

“It could also be reflective of the local political scene,” said Lamoureux, when asked why there was just one race in La Pêche’s Ward 2 (Masham), with all five other wards going uncontested. 

He said municipalities like L’Ange-Gardien and Pontiac have few or no races, which isn’t surprising because those municipalities have also avoided recent controversies. 

“It’s quite the opposite in Chelsea, Cantley and Val-des-Monts, and I think it’s reflective of the last mandate,” he said. “There was a lot more noise, a lot more difficult issues in these three municipalities.”

Cantley residents are fighting a massive development on Lorne Mountain that could change the face of the municipality, while Chelsea is trying to manage spiralling debt, an over-capacity water treatment and sewer system, river access and exploding development.

In La Pêche, Lamoureux and his crew have buttoned up many of the big-ticket items, including the $11-million town hall, multiple consultations on the renovation of Wakefield’s turntable park and the recent building transfer of the Wakefield community centre. 

But as Lamoureux embarks on his third mandate, he knows his work isn’t done. Instead of telling residents what the priorities are, he said he wants to hear from them. 

“What has remained for me, most importantly, is to listen and be respectful of people’s opinions and recognize that it’s normal that people will be sometimes upset and frustrated and angry when they address me,” said Lamoureux. 

“Yes, we’ve been acclaimed, but we’ll make sure to listen to find out what – what are people’s priorities – and consult with them,” he continued. “There’s peace in this community, like social peace, right? Cohesion. And that’s the most important thing.”

Moving forward, Lamoureux said he wants to conduct a deep dive into the municipality’s budget, and he will be hosting local “town hall” meetings to connect with residents and get a sense of what they feel the municipality’s priorities should be focused on. 

His first town hall will be Oct. 15 at the La Pêche town hall building from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

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Forget the leaking toilets, plan a concert instead

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By Trevor Greenway

The municipality of La Pêche is the proud new owner of Wakefield’s $4.9 million community centre, but that doesn’t mean it will be getting into the events business anytime soon. 

“The municipality is not in the business of organizing events and all of that, and we really want the co-op to continue focusing on what they do best, which is planning events,” La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux  told the Low Down. He was speaking just days after the municipality and Centre Wakefield La Pêche (CWLP) signed a deal that sees the municipality become the landlord of the building, while the cooperative becomes a tenant, which will have rent-free access to the centre 24/7. 

The new agreement will see the municipality handle everything that has to do with maintenance – fixing leaky toilets, repairing the roof, floors and keeping the lights on, while staffers and board members will continue to focus on programming – increasing classes, events and concerts, and keeping the centre buzzing with activity.  

“[The centre] will need support from the community as they did before,” added Lamoureux. “And the fact that the co-op can now really solely focus its energy on community services, that’s paramount.”

The municipality has similar agreements in place with Maison Fairbairn and Place des Arts Farrellton, where La Pêche is the landlord and maintains the buildings, while members run the day-to-day operations. 

When board members presented the draft agreement to the membership a couple of years ago, concerns arose around how the member-run community centre could turn into a regional cultural facility, and its English programming could be cut significantly. 

But the board held a referendum on the issue in June 2022, where 82 per cent of the membership voted in favour of transferring the building over to the municipality. 

And if you ask CWLP board chair Julie Coté, she’ll tell you that board members and staff still have control over the day-to-day operations at the centre, and they will now have more time and flexibility to focus on growing the centre’s offerings for members and the general public. She said that throughout the draft agreement process, board members felt confident that the municipality had their best interests at heart. 

“Working with [the mayor] has been very enlightening, because he’s very community focused. He lives within an arm’s throw of the centre, and I really believe that he’s been a real help with that positive narrative,” said Coté. “Even if you look on the La Pêche website, you see that one of their pillars is to encourage member-led activities within the municipality, and they really want to be that partner to help assist us with obtaining grants and opportunities that will take our programming to the next level.”

Staffers Rob Passmore and Annie Rompre said they were excited to get to work, especially since they no longer have things like fixing toilets or sourcing flooring prices on their list of daily duties. 

“All this maintenance costs a lot, and if there can be more money for programs or staff, that’s amazing, because we have a lot of work to do,” said Passmore. 

Former board member Shaugh McArthur spent hundreds of hours working through the draft agreement with the municipality and said what’s key is that the cooperative’s history is cemented into the agreement and that captures the entire spirit of the centre’s initial mandate when it first opened its doors in 2011. McArthur told the Low Down that the move “sets the tone for a new era partnership” between the CWLP members and the municipality. 

“The preamble [in the agreement] captures the whole history of the community-led grassroots effort, the founding members, the community really rallying, as well as the municipality having our backs and helping out,” he said. 

McArthur said there are a number of clauses in the agreement that “ensure that the community centre always remains a community centre,” and another that allows the CWLP membership to cancel the agreement and revert back to the initial agreement should both parties become unsatisfied with the new agreement. 

The CWLP will host an AGM this fall, where it will look to elect a new board and chair, as Coté is ready to step down after serving on the board since 2023.

Forget the leaking toilets, plan a concert instead Read More »

 Mayor Lamoureux gunning for political hat trick

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By Trevor Greenway

Guillaume Lamoureux is looking for a hat trick. 

A third term as La Pêche mayor, that is. 

“I love this community,” Lamoureux told the Low Down after officially announcing he is running again in the upcoming Nov. 2 municipal elections. “I am super honoured to serve it, and I have the energy and love required to do it for the next four years.”

Lamoureux was a first-time candidate in 2017 when he staged a major upset over longtime mayor Robert Bussière, who had held the title of mayor for five consecutive mandates since 1997. Lamoureux beat Bussière by just 32 votes. 

Since taking office, Lamoureux has managed several significant projects – including overhauling the municipality’s communications to be more accessible; the COVID-19 pandemic; and the new, award-winning $11 million town hall, half of which was funded by grants. 

He said that the next four years will be crucial in La Pêche, particularly with issues such as the future of turntable park (see Page 1), municipal infrastructure and housing. 

“Housing is on everyone’s mind,” said Lamoureux. “We must find the right balance for La Pêche. We need to diversify housing, but we do not want to lose the feel of our community.”

Housing will be a significant issue in the Hills for years to come, particularly in terms of housing diversity, as the region lacks many options for rentals or affordable housing. 

According to regional housing roundtable La Table de développement social des Collines-de-l’Outaouais (TDSCO), 15 per cent of MRC households spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing. The 30 per cent income-to-housing ratio is the threshold used by the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC) to consider a home as “affordable.” 

Of the 835 residents surveyed by the TDSCO  in 2021, most identified a lack of housing diversity, a lack of affordable housing and housing conditions as the top three issues facing the region. 

Aside from housing, Lamoureux said that his “personal goal is to remain a good listener and always be respectful of everyone’s point of view, especially when we do not agree.” This approach has led to a relatively cohesive and well-functioning council, especially when compared to other municipalities in the region. 

Quebecers head to the polls to choose mayors and municipal councillors on Nov. 2.

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La Pêche seeks community input for turntable park

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By Trevor Greenway

What should the municipality of La Pêche do with turntable park in Wakefield?

Expand the swimming area? Renovate the washrooms? Remove the historic turntable or renovate it to become part of the visitor experience?

“We want to do this right,” La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux told the Low Down about the park that’s officially known as Parc Roquebrune. “It’s a super important park, so we want it to be welcoming, accessible and adapted to the needs of the community.” 

Lamoureux and council have launched an online public consultation to solicit ideas from residents on what they would like to see at the park in the future. Some of those options include: picnic areas, a space for community events, a playground for kids, a tourism information kiosk and renovated washrooms. The online survey also asks residents if they would like to see increased or decreased parking at the park. 

“We want to create a space that truly reflects the values and needs of our community,” said Lamoureux. “We invite everyone who uses the park or is interested in its future to share their ideas and vision.”

One thing is clear: La Pêche is not building a motorized boat launch as Chelsea Mayor Pierre Guénard suggested recently during a meeting on the closure of the Farm Point boat launch. However, the municipality is seeking the public’s input on what to do with the park, which already features a public beach and swimming area. 

Readers may recall our story this past spring, in which Wakefield resident Stanley Britton called on La Pêche to not “pave paradise” to increase parking at turntable park. Britton’s plan called for a renovation of the turntable, a new playground and a community stage for art shows and concerts. Britton was part of Wakefield’s Rail Heritage Advocacy Group, which is pushing to save the heritage of the steam train that used to roll through the village twice a week between May and October. 

When it comes to the train tracks, the options for the park’s redesign also leave La Pêche at a bit of a crossroads: Does the municipality rip up the train tracks throughout the village, remove the turntable altogether and install heritage plaques throughout the village to honour its history? Or, does the municipality incorporate the heritage tracks into a pathway design and renovate the turntable so it’s accessible to the public? 

“It’s one of our most visited municipal parks,” added Lamoureux. “We know it’s important, both for community members and visitors.”

Residents can access the online consultation via the municipal website at: https://lapecheconsulte.ca, and attend a public participatory workshop on Aug. 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Wakefield community centre. A consultation kiosk will also be installed at turntable park on Aug. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where residents can take the survey and add their comments. 

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La Pêche town hall wins eco-design award

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By Trevor Greenway


The municipality of La Pêche has won a design excellence award for its Passivhaus town hall, which is officially the first institutional building in Quebec to have the German eco-building status. 

The award was given out earlier this month by the Centre of Expertise on Commercial Wood Construction (Cecobois), whose mission is to facilitate the increased use of wood buildings in multi-family and non-residential construction across the province. La Pêche won first place in the Sustainable Development category. 

According to the jury panel, La Pêche’s new town hall, which spans an impressive 1,426 square metres just off Hwy 366 in Masham, “Comprehensively considers its environmental footprint.” The town hall officially opened in November 2024. 

“Minimizing the construction’s intrinsic carbon footprint and reducing consumption through a Passivhaus design demonstrates demanding and advanced work,” the panel wrote.  “A pioneering building, it paves the way for low-carbon institutional buildings in Quebec.”

Passivhaus is a German building concept in which a building or home must adhere to a specific design standard and use 90 per cent less energy than conventional buildings. Passivhaus buildings have no active heating system and boast ultra-low energy costs. 

The new town hall cost La Pêche $11.5 million, however half of that was covered in provincial grants. 

La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux was in Quebec City in early April to accept the award. 

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La Pêche responds to tariffs with local biz push

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By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

The municipality of La Pêche is responding to the threat of tariffs from the U.S. 

During its latest council meeting on March 3, councillors made a commitment as a municipality to “strengthen the autonomy” of La Pêche by choosing to purchase goods and services from local, regional and Quebec-based businesses. 

When asked if the motion was a direct response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs on Canada, La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux said, “Yes.”

“This is a reminder that La Pêche has such a policy, to reiterate our desire to promote local business and regional businesses, and to focus on favouring our purchases from Quebec businesses,” Lamoureux told the Low Down. 

Trump has dangled the threat of tariffs on Canadian goods since he took office on Jan. 20, but has since clawed back twice. According to the Trump administration, the tariffs on Canadian goods are paused until April 2. 

But the pause hasn’t eased Canadians’ level of fear and concern, as provinces and municipalities are gearing up for an intense trade war that has already begun. Ontario has slapped 25 per cent tariffs on electricity that is being supplied to northern border states, including New York, Michigan and Minnesota. 

The La Pêche motion details how the municipality will avoid purchasing from big box stores. 

“The municipality will ensure that its operational needs are met by local markets and will strive to favour the purchase of Quebec goods and services, as well as suppliers, insurers and contractors established in Quebec,” the motion reads. “The municipality is committed to avoiding, as much as possible, purchases through online commerce giants such as Amazon, and will favor purchases from local and regional businesses.”

La Pêche has also built an online business directory where residents can search categories like grocers, auto repair services, artist directories, self-care businesses, construction and renovation companies, and youth programs. Consult the business directory online at: https://surl.li/fiefpj. 

In other business, council:

  • approved Phase 1 of the Esplanade Wakefield development, which will see the creation of 13 new homes in a neighbourhood north of the Wakefield village off Chemin Maclaren; 
  • revoked the existing lease between Wakefield-La Pêche Community Centre Cooperative and the municipality. This important step paves the way for the municipality to take over ownership of the community centre building, while giving the cooperative management powers at the centre. The official takeover will happen sometime this spring or summer; 
  • granted Maison de l’Étincelle $20,000 to support the launch of its first-ever summer camp. The support is especially important this year, as Maison des jeunes Mashado, a youth organization, has confirmed it will not run a summer camp this year.

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La Peche municipal sign

La Pêche urban plan needs your voice

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

La Pêche is starting to develop its new urban plan across the municipality and is looking for citizens’ input on how they want their towns, villages and countryside to look and feel. 

La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux said that the municipality’s current urban plan from 2003 is well out of date and he and his council are starting to tour the municipality’s various sectors to gather input from residents on how they want to see La Pêche grow. 

Lamoureux said that because the MRC des Collines regional government passed a new master plan, municipalities must revise their urban plans to ensure they align with regional priorities. Lamoureux is hoping to build a smart growth plan for the municipality while still preserving La Pêche’s “unique local character.”

“As you may know, our current [urban plan] is over 20 years old,” said Lamoureux in a statement. “Many changes have occurred since then, and it no longer meets provincial requirements.”

The Wakefield urban planning meeting will take place Feb. 6 at the Wakefield community centre at 6:30 p.m. Residents can consult the urban planning draft document online here: www.villelapeche.qc.ca/citizens/practical-information/regulations. 

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La Pêche hits tax target, keeps hike under 4%

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By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

Taxes are going up 3.8 per cent for La Pêche residents in 2025. 

The municipality passed a “course correcting” budget Dec. 16, and while Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux and his council were eyeing a potential five per cent increase, they were happy to land at just under four per cent. 

“I’m satisfied,” Lamoureux told the Low Down following the Dec. 16 budget meeting – the first public meeting held in La Pêche’s new town hall since it opened on Nov. 18. “It’s always a difficult exercise. The last years have been challenging, but, ultimately, it’s a compromise.”

La Pêche’s 2025 budget comes in at $23,424,512. What median homeowners will notice on their tax bill next year is an increase of $104.77, according to the municipality’s financial documents. 

La Pêche residents were up in arms in November when they received their triennial property assessments in the mail, which skyrocketed 65 per cent for the average homeowner. Lamoureux said the municipality is scaling back on some planned projects next year to keep taxes as low as possible, especially for those whose home values increased significantly. 

“I think that I’m most proud of the fact that we’re able to, again, course correct – reconsider things that we have done in the last few years and reassess them, realign ourselves and re-evaluate our priorities,” he said.

Projects like the new municipal garage and depot, planned road works and a new fire hall in Masham were some of the projects that may be scaled back or pushed down the road when the municipality is in better financial shape, according to Lamoureux.

Referring to a new fire hall and municipal garage, Lamoureux said, “Both of these projects are typically highly subsidized. We’ll do this when the time is right and when the funding is available. But that’s an example of something that we’re pushing down the road.”

Among the biggest jumps are animal control, which has gone up nearly 30 per cent, from $63,000 to $83,000 in 2025. Administration is also up by 8.7 per cent, from $3.6 million to just over $4 million next year. La Pêche will also increase its Transcollines budget to just over $400,000, an increase of around three per cent for the public transportation service. 

The municipality’s current debt load is just over $11 million

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