Gatineau Municipal Elections

[Acajack]

Of course threats and intimidation are totally unacceptable.

But in terms of having a conflictual climate at city council, France Bélisle is hardly an innocent victim when it comes to this.

I have close friends who are very close to the goings-on there and we have discussed this quite a bit.

[J.OT13]

Gatineau has a new Mayor! For now.

Champagne believes the debates at the Council table are healthy and doesn't see the same acrimony mentioned by Belisle, though acknowledges that is her truth.

Champagne is dedicated to advancing the tramway project.

Compromis, dialogue et tramway pour le nouveau maire de Gatineau
Par Mathieu Bélanger, Le Droit
22 février 2024 à 18h29

Tout juste nommé maire suppléant cette semaine par France Bélisle, Daniel Champagne se retrouve aujourd’hui propulsé dans le poste de maire de Gatineau, sans encore savoir pour combien de temps. Il attendait toujours les détails techniques sur la suite des choses, en fin de journée jeudi.

Le nouveau maire de Gatineau ne partage pas complètement la lecture sombre qu’a faite France Bélisle dans son allocution de l’ambiance générale qui règne autour de la table du conseil municipal. Il a toutefois précisé qu’il ne remet pas en question ce que la mairesse a affirmé vivre depuis son entrée en politique.

«La lecture que les gens font autour de la table est propre à chacun, a-t-il indiqué. Ça dépend de comment on reçoit les choses. Les raisons qu’elle a évoquées, elle les vivait et il faut accepter ça. C’est sa décision de partir et je la comprends. Mais moi, je ne vis pas ça de la même façon. Je trouve que nos débats au conseil sont rigoureux et parfois vigoureux. Je suis de ceux qui pensent que le présent conseil municipal sert bien la démocratie à Gatineau.»

Il dit avoir déjà rencontré plusieurs élus, tant du côté des indépendants que du caucus d’Action Gatineau, dès l’annonce de la démission de la mairesse. «Les collègues m’ont fait des accolades, et tous m’ont dit qu’ils seraient là pour m’accompagner dans ce défi, a-t-il précisé. Moi, c’est cette attitude-là que je vois très souvent au conseil municipal de Gatineau.»

Sans vouloir remettre en question les propos de Mme Bélisle, un aspect sur lequel il a insisté à plusieurs reprises dans son entrevue avec Le Droit, le maire Champagne a précisé qu’il n’a jamais été victime d’intimidation ou de quelque forme de harcèlement que ce soit au conseil municipal de Gatineau. Il a ajouté ne jamais avoir été témoin de ce qu’il considère comme de l’intimidation ou d’attaque à l’intégrité de Mme Bélisle.

«Peut-être que j’aurais dû être plus attentif parce qu’honnêtement je n’ai rien constaté de la sorte, a-t-il indiqué. Mais je ne suis pas toujours là. Il y a peut-être des incidents dont je n’ai pas été témoin.»

Il a aussi affirmé ne pas savoir à quels dossiers la mairesse Bélisle faisait référence lorsqu’elle a affirmé que des décisions auxquelles elle ne souhaite pas voir son nom associé pointaient à l’horizon.

«Bouton reset»

Daniel Champagne a précisé que le chef de cabinet, Martin Dalpé, qui était aux côtés de la mairesse depuis la campagne électorale, avait quitté son poste en même temps que la mairesse, jeudi midi. C’est Michel Déziel, qui était déjà membre du cabinet Bélisle et qui a fait partie de celui de l’ancien maire Marc Bureau, qui prendra la relève.

«Je sens aujourd’hui la volonté du conseil de peser sur le bouton reset, en tout respect pour la mairesse, a affirmé M. Champagne. Je sens une volonté de nouveau départ et il doit être selon moi sur les bases d’une volonté de collaboration dans laquelle il y a une reconnaissance qu’il y aura des débats et des prises de positions différentes.»

Tramway

Plus tôt cette semaine, le chef d’Action Gatineau, Steve Moran, rappelait l’importance de Gatineau d’avoir une «championne» pour défendre le projet de tramway. L’ambiguïté entretenue par France Bélisle dans ce dossier a d’ailleurs été vivement dénoncée cette semaine. Daniel Champagne affirme qu’il souhaite être ce champion dont Gatineau a besoin rapidement dans ce dossier.

«S’il y a un dossier auquel je veux m’attaquer vigoureusement et rapidement, s’il y a un legs que je peux laisser des quelques semaine ou mois que durera mon passage dans le siège de maire, c’est l’avancement du dossier du tramway, a-t-il affirmé. Je crois fermement en ce projet, ça n’a jamais été une cachette. Le conseil a une majorité forte en faveur de ce projet et comme maire je vais travailler à ce qu’on obtienne les sommes nécessaires pour réaliser la prochaine phase d’études.»

Marc Bureau

Dans une réaction écrite publiée en début de soirée, l’ex-maire de Gatineau maintenant conseiller municipal, Marc Bureau, a rappelé que l’adversité est au centre de la politique et est devenue «un frein à l’engagement». Il affirme espérer que le gouvernement du Québec agisse sans tarder, notamment sur la question du harcèlement en milieu politique.

«Il demeure crucial pour tous les politiciens de parler des enjeux de santé mentale et de mettre sa santé en priorité, a-t-il ajouté. Je salue sa force d’avoir fait ce choix déchirant. Vivre un départ de la mairie est un choc que l’on vit publiquement et est autant plus difficile.»

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/a...LUDHMUPE3JPI4/

[Acajack]

There will be an election for a new mayor sometime within the next four months. There is too much time left in the term to allow the interim mayor to finish it out.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Acajack

There will be an election for a new mayor sometime within the next four months. There is too much time left in the term to allow the interim mayor to finish it out.

Will be very interesting to see if key files move forward over the next few months. Keeping an eye on the tramway of course, and the new police HQ. Hospital the City has very little say in.

[rocketphish]

Gatineau to elect new mayor June 9
France Bélisle stepped down last week, ending 1st term early

CBC News
Posted: Feb 27, 2024 10:47 AM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

Gatineau, Que., has called a spring byelection to choose a new mayor after France Bélisle's sudden resignation last week.

Voting day will be Sunday, June 9, city officials announced Tuesday.

Candidates may file their nomination papers between April 26 and May 10, and there will be advance voting June 2.

The city estimates it will cost about $2 million to hold the byelection.

Bélisle, who became the city's first female mayor when she was elected in 2021, made the announcement Thursday morning.

She said in French she was leaving to preserve her health and integrity. She said she did not want to keep participating in the current political climate and that she had received death threats.

City councillor Daniel Champagne is acting mayor.

Quebec's next round of municipal elections are scheduled for November 2025.

With files from Radio-Canada's Patrick Foucault

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...2024-1.7126760

[J.OT13]

We have two candidates so far.

La conseillère municipale du district du Carrefour-de-l'Hôpital, Olive Kamanyana

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle...tion-partielle

Guy who owns Top Karting and is pissed at the Provincial Government for its hospital site flip-flopping (while property and business owners in the area of the "current" site are in limbo waiting for a final decision), Jacques Bélanger.

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/a...DHSNTMHWXVNAA/

And Maude Marquis-Bissonnette considering another go at it, but it would require her to run for Action Gatineau Leadership first.

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/a...IKMBNWABFPT2M/

A few other notable people are considering running.

Not running are Hull-Right AG Councillor and current interim leader Steve Moran. Former Mayor and current Councillor Marc Bureau also confirmed he won't be running to win back his old job.

[J.OT13]

Sylvie Goneau out. She was really a thorn in AG's side when Maxime PJ was Mayor. If Belisle though AG was bad with her, Goneau was way worse.

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/a...PXYAGD6ZWBX5I/

[J.OT13]

Someone on Discord pulled these numbers from Belisle's administrations:

2055 resolutions
1908 adopted unanimously
147 for which a vote were held
23 rejections (!!!!)
9 rejections near unanimous, and only 10 AG.

So the climate was nowhere near as partisan as she claims. Ottawa is far worse despite the lack of "official" Parties.

[J.OT13]

Maude Marquis-Bissonnette running for Action Gatineau Party Leadership to run for Mayor of Gatineau.

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/a...HZNN5XS7BV6EU/

[J.OT13]

This was a two page thread on former Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin. Modified the title to cover Gatineau Mayors in general.

[J.OT13]

Mairie : Stéphane Bisson saute dans la mêlée
Par Daniel LeBlanc, Le Droit
27 mars 2024 à 10h05

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/a...BIOCVJXQ47GXY/

[Acajack]

Yves Ducharme aussi - maybe.

[J.OT13]

Maude Marquis-Bissonnette de nouveau cheffe d’Action Gatineau
Par Mathieu Bélanger, Le Droit
10 avril 2024 à 07h13


https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/a...CFBPNS3TPWLTI/

[jt-mtl]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Maude Marquis-Bissonnette de nouveau cheffe d’Action Gatineau
Par Mathieu Bélanger, Le Droit
10 avril 2024 à 07h13


https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/a...CFBPNS3TPWLTI/

Oh god, I thought this person was gone from the Gatineau political scene. Her ideology has ruined the Plateau and Aylmer, look at all the traffic on Vanier and du Plateau. That is all from her ideology about a walkable environment with cars all lined up on a single lane road with no closeby amenities. And mind you, she was against commercial zones like Destination V and Agora.

[harls]

Originally Posted by jt-mtl

Oh god, I thought this person was gone from the Gatineau political scene. Her ideology has ruined the Plateau and Aylmer, look at all the traffic on Vanier and du Plateau. That is all from her ideology about a walkable environment with cars all lined up on a single lane road with no closeby amenities. And mind you, she was against commercial zones like Destination V and Agora.

Now she's the transit warrior.

[CanadaGoose]

The argument seems to ignore the demographics that do not take cars to Costco every weekend.

There’s crowded buses going back and forth every rush hour for public servants working downtown, post secondary institutions like cegeps and universities and even just teenagers just having fun.

A traffic mitigation strategy that focuses on one demographic doesn’t sound right.

I am personally in that Costco with a car demographic, and would like to see Allumentaires and the bridges greatly improved. But a tramway, rapibus or any transit investment helps people other than me, and could divert some of the traffic away.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by CanadaGoose

The argument seems to ignore the demographics that do not take cars to Costco every weekend.

There’s crowded buses going back and forth every rush hour for public servants working downtown, post secondary institutions like cegeps and universities and even just teenagers just having fun.

A traffic mitigation strategy that focuses on one demographic doesn’t sound right.

I am personally in that Costco with a car demographic, and would like to see Allumentaires and the bridges greatly improved. But a tramway, rapibus or any transit investment helps people other than me, and could divert some of the traffic away.

The cost per new passenger this tram is likely to attract must be some of the highest cost in the whole world. It's franly insane to connect such a small population catchement with such an expensive project. I guess the idea is it's money from other levels of government and is the first step to an eventual tram network connecting the whole region but the math is just so wrong it's crazy it's even being discussed.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by jt-mtl

Oh god, I thought this person was gone from the Gatineau political scene. Her ideology has ruined the Plateau and Aylmer, look at all the traffic on Vanier and du Plateau. That is all from her ideology about a walkable environment with cars all lined up on a single lane road with no closeby amenities. And mind you, she was against commercial zones like Destination V and Agora.

The mess that is Le Plateau pre-dates her by about 20 years. I'm not familiar on her stance regarding Agora and Destination V, but AG has been trying to slow down development in Le Plateau precisely because of the traffic issues that will only be resolved (or at least mitigated) if/when the tramway is built and when Vanier will be widen.

[jt-mtl]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The mess that is Le Plateau pre-dates her by about 20 years. I'm not familiar on her stance regarding Agora and Destination V, but AG has been trying to slow down development in Le Plateau precisely because of the traffic issues that will only be resolved (or at least mitigated) if/when the tramway is built and when Vanier will be widen.

I moved to the Plateau back in 2006 and everything was fine until the one stretch of Du Plateau that connect to Aylmer. A swath of homes with no commerical entities to support. And once destination V was to be approved, she voted against it. Here is the quote from Aylmer bulletin :

In a vote that divided council, Gatineau’s elected officials voted 10 to 8 to move forward with the Destination Vanier project near the intersection of des Allumettières and chemin Vanier. The project spans the land along Vanier between the current project and du Plateau Avenue.

This decision did not please Councillor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, a member of Action Gatineau who voted against the proposal.

https://bulletinaylmer.com/the-desti...l-move-forward

[J.OT13]

Former Hull and Gatineau Mayor Yves Ducharme running for his old job. He just quit his post as a consultant for Brigil. His closeness with developers is a big reason he lost his job the first time around.

Rémi Bergeron, who's run multiple times before, garnering very few votes, is also running again.

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/a...HVAJGNDJN42CE/