La Pêche mayor

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.