Gatineau’s Interim Mayor Announces Plans for Transition and By-Election
Grace Richards
During the Gatineau City Council meeting on March 19, the interim mayor Daniel Champagne highlighted the municipality's upcoming initiatives and priorities as it approaches the transition period leading up to the by-election.
Champagne expressed excitement for his first council session as mayor and stressed the importance of democratic participation in the upcoming by-election, scheduled for June 9, with advance voting available on June 2. He encouraged residents to engage in the electoral process and emphasized the importance of civic participation. He reminded citizens of their opportunity to submit their candidacy or get involved through the job and volunteer positions offered in the municipal elections.
Champagne shared his commitment to ensuring a smooth and effective transition of municipal files, with particular attention to addressing the housing crisis and promoting sustainable mobility. He also expressed his determination to align police services with the Municipal Council's wishes to centralize services.
Champagne acknowledged the challenges posed by the provincial government’s budgetary constraints, but affirmed the municipality's commitment to defending its priorities, sharing, “The significant delays in public funding, whether in health, education, higher education, or even culture, are recognized. So, despite the difficult budgetary choices, we will continue to defend our priorities.”
Regarding the upcoming by-election, Champagne reiterated his commitment to remaining neutral and upholding ethics, transparency, and impartiality.
Champagne also discussed the expansion of the executive committee, announcing Touraine’s councillor Tiffany-Lee Norris Parent’s appointment to the committee. He prefaced her appointment by commenting on the importance of having diverse political opinions.
“The objective of the executive committee in its budgetary and regulatory obligations must not consist of always working toward a unanimous position,” he said, “but must rather favour the plurality of political positions in order to be representative of its municipal council. We must not fight the divergence of opinions on all municipal platforms; we must celebrate this divergence of opinion.”
Champagne will remain interim mayor until the June 9th by-election.
