The Mayor of Champlain Township is again the Warden of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR).
Normand Riopel was appointed as Acting Warden of the regional government on Thursday, April 25.
Riopel, who served as UCPR Warden in 2023, was appointed to fill the vacancy following the resignation of former Warden and Russell Township Mayor Pierre Leroux, whose resignation took effect on April 19. Leroux has left politics to become the new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of The Nation Municipality.
UCPR CAO Stéphane Parisien explained there was no real procedure for appointing an Acting Warden but recommended appointing the mayor who preceded Leroux in the role. Parisien said a permanent, new warden cannot be selected by UCPR council until a new mayor is selected in Russell Township.
At the April 25 UCPR council meeting, Alfred and Plantagenet Mayor Yves Laviolette moved to appoint Riopel as Acting Warden. The motion was seconded by Clarence-Rockland Mayor Mario Zanth and adopted unanimously by council.
