Five candidates in the running for councillor in East Hawkesbury

There are three regular councillors on East Hawkesbury township council and five people are candidates for those positions in the October 24 municipal election.

Incumbent Mayor Robert Kirby has been acclaimed to another term. Simon Rozon and Jacques Tranchemontagne are the candidates for deputy mayor.

Monique Desjardins

Monique Desjardins is running for council because she wants to ensure her community is well-represented.

“We didn’t have a candidate from Chute-à-Blondeau,” she said.

Desjardins is retired from a teaching career of 23 years at École élémentaire catholique Curé-Labrosse in St-Eugène. She said as a retired person, she can devote her time to serving the community if she is elected to council.

“I have lots of time to offer,” said Desjardins.

As a councillor, Desjardins would advocate for stricter regulation of short-term rental accommodations in East Hawkesbury, protection of the township’s forest cover, and support the introduction of a municipal composting program.

Desjardins other activities in the community include serving as President of the Club Optimiste in Chute- à -Blondeau, and as President of the Finance Council at Paroisse St-Joachim church.

Pierre Langlois

Improving how the municipality communicates with residents is something Pierre Langlois would like to see happen if he is elected to East Hawkesbury council.

“I’d like to see maybe a little more transparency for the people in the community,” said the St-Eugène resident.

For Langlois, the increased transparency would mean more efforts to provide residents without internet access, or who do not use the internet regularly, with municipal information. He would like to see more council meeting agenda information provided for residents, including paper copies at the township office.

Langlois and his wife have owned property in East Hawkesbury for 25 years and previously lived in Pincourt, where he was involved with youth and public safety activities in the community. Langlois is retired from data system management at McGill University.

“We’ve been taking from the (East Hawkesbury) community for 25 years, so it’s time to give back,” he said,

Thaila Riden

Thaila Riden is making another attempt at elected office. Riden, an organic farmer, advocate for climate change action, and member of the band 50 PROOF, ran as the Green Party of Ontario candidate in Glengarry-Prescott and Russell in the 2022 provincial election. He wants to be more involved, help out, and be a force for positive change in the community if elected to council.

“I want to be serious about this,” Riden said.

He is not making any major promises to fulfill if voters elect him but wants to begin by learning the operations of municipal government.

“Realistically, I want to get in and find out how things work,” commented Riden.

He said natural disasters influenced by climate change have a significant impact on the cost and operations of municipal emergency services, and he would like the township to take advantage of the green fund grants available from the Canadian Federation of Municipalities.

Riden described himself as fiscally conservative, socially progressive, and environmentally aware. Above all, he wants the community to work together and for residents to vote in the municipal election.

“Democracy is not a spectator sport,” said Riden.

Stéphanie Sabourin

First elected in 2014, Stéphanie Sabourin would like to serve a third term on East Hawkesbury council.

“I would like to continue working on the project to extend the natural gas line to the village of Chute-à-Blondeau which will be able to serve more than 300 residences,” she said.

Sabourin would also like the township to continue efforts with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks to explore low-cost ways to remove the construction waste which was dumped on the former air force base land near St-Eugène, because she would like to see the future potential of the land realized.

According to Sabourin, she is pleased with several projects the township has achieved during the past four years. Those include the modernization of computer programs, a new skate park and second phase of the splash pad, discussions with officials about obtaining natural gas, the completion of the new Chute-à-Blondeau sewage plant under budget, obtaining grants for road and bridge maintenance, the cloth-diaper laundry and Food Cycler programs, and plans for the new community centre in St-Eugène.

If re-elected, Sabourin would like to help continue growth, innovation, and development in the municipality. She would like the township to support the agricultural heritage potential of the land beside the Centre d’Action in Ste-Anne-de Prescott. The additional land was acquired by the Ste-Anne Antique Day committee to expand its activities.

Sabourin’s other community activities include volunteering on committees for Women’s Policy, Women’s Day, Antique Day, Halloween, and Canada Day events.

Karina Sauvé

Incumbent Karina Sauvé has served as a councillor in East Hawkesbury since 2014.

“I’m seeking a third term to continue my passion to be involved in the community as much as I can and help develop new ideas and evolve as a community,” Sauvé said.

In 2018, the entire East Hawkesbury council was acclaimed. Sauvé would like the new council to continue its trend of teamwork. She would like to see projects in progress completed.

“Continue the existing projects we currently have going such as bringing natural gas in the township, construction of a new community hall in St-Eugène, and serve the community to the best of my knowledge,” said Sauvé.