Julie Séguin does not want infighting on the next Hawkesbury town council. The candidate for Mayor in the October 26 municipal election said the time and costs associated with it are not worth it.

“It’s not going to bring the town forward,” she said.

For Séguin, who has served as a Councillor since 2022, each member of council should have the opportunity to contribute in a way that represents their own skills and knowledge.

“Everybody should shine. We’re all experienced in our own fields,” she remarked.

Séguin wants input and full participation from Councillors if she is Mayor, and improvements to communication with citizens.

“I want seven leaders, no one leader and six followers,” Séguin said.

She would also like to hold council meetings at times that are most convenient to all council members.

If elected, Séguin would restore both a citizen question period and committees to council. She would also like to make all municipal bylaws and plans easier to access online and in person for citizens. As Mayor, she would also introduce pre-budget consultations similar to those used at the federal level.

“It’s useful for council and administration to understand the needs of stakeholders,” Séguin said.

Séguin would like to address Hawkesbury’s transportation challenges for residents who do not own vehicles needing to travel to other cities. Currently, there is no bus service from Hawkesbury to other centres in Ontario and Québec. Séguin would like to explore options with private providers and neighbouring municipalities to see what may be arranged. She would also like to address issues involving school transportation which have resulted in some students having to walk considerable distances to reach school.

The poor condition of most of Hawkesbury’s streets has become a significant issue in the municipal election campaign. Séguin would like to see a road plan developed and pursued. She would like to see needs identified in the town’s asset management plan more aggressively addressed, but noted the costs associated with capital expenditures.

Séguin said strong relationships are also needed with Champlain and the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, particularly in the area of planning and development.

Career experience is something Séguin believes has her well-positioned to serve as Mayor of Hawkesbury. For nearly 20 years, she has worked for federal Members of Parliament and assisted provincial members with the setup of their local offices. Séguin said that experience has allowed her to understand what municipalities, economic development agencies, and chambers of commerce are trying to achieve for citizens and the local economy.

Séguin said that as Mayor, she would like to issue mandate letters to the various municipal department heads to ensure they have a clear direction of what their objectives are, but to also ensure they are not subjected to unjust political repercussions from council.

Acknowledging the need for improvements to local learning, Séguin would like to see a post-secondary education facility established in Hawkesbury.

“We need to lobby for a post-secondary school.”

“A town with a post-secondary school is a rich town,” Séguin said.

Housing is a significant issue in Hawkesbury.

“We need to sit down with developers,” Séguin said.

She said both regular and affordable housing are needed but noted that public housing is not a source of tax revenue. Séguin also wants to be sure existing land in Hawkesbury is being efficiently utilized for housing development.

Homelessness is another issue of concern in Hawkesbury. Séguin wants cooperation to continue to provide services to homeless people and for council to determine how the town could assist organizations providing services to homeless people. She also would like to explore options to improve security involving homeless people in Hawkesbury.

The future of Hydro Hawkesbury has been a recurring source of discussion in the community in recent months. Séguin said council is bound by a non-disclosure agreement and therefore she did not want to comment on the status of the municipally owned electrical utility.

Julie Séguin is one of five candidates running for Mayor of Hawkesbury in the 2026 municipal election.