Photo: Valérian Mazataud Archives Le Devoir If he were to be elected in the by-elections on June 9, Mr. Ducharme announced that he would request an “independent legal opinion” to determine whether he would be able to vote on the projects submitted by the real estate developer Brigil, for whom he was working until recently.
Former Gatineau mayor Yves Ducharme confirmed Monday morning his candidacy for the by-election on June 9, and he intends to rely on his “experience of acting” to regain his former position.
After leaving his job at real estate developer Brigil last week — and having mistakenly announced his candidacy on the social network LinkedIn — Mr. Ducharme presented his priorities on Monday morning: “services, finance and housing”. “There are nice to have, there are must haves. […] And there, we must ensure that we are capable of making tangible choices,” he declared alongside the former Liberal MP for Hull, Roch Cholette.
Questioned whether the tramway project in the west of the city was a “must have”, Mr. Ducharme retorted that “public transportation” is one. “We’ll see what we can afford and what we’ll pay it with. »
Mayor of Hull from 1992 to 2001, then mayor of Gatineau the following year — the first after the municipal merger — Yves Ducharme was defeated by Marc Bureau in 2005; he then received 31.7% of the vote, compared to 68.3% for his opponent.
“After [his] departure from political life, [his] love for Gatineau has not dissipated,” the mayoral candidate assured Monday.
Mea culpa
“The time since the end of my last term has allowed me to reflect well. I realized my mistakes,” he declared before apologizing to the people of Gatineau and his family. “I recognize that in my eagerness to make the merger of our cities a success […], I distanced myself from my house, from the Citizen's House and from the daily priorities of Gatineau residents,” he said with much of emotion. ” I beg your pardon. […] I exchange distance with rapprochement and listening. »
“We did what had to be done to place Gatineau on the international map, on the national map, on the provincial map. But now it’s time to take care of Gatineau residents. »
Mr. Ducharme sees the new head of Action Gatineau, Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, as his “main adversary”. He says he is now banking on his “experience of acting” to win back the hearts of Gatineau residents. “While others will need time to familiarize themselves with the responsibilities of being mayor, I will be ready to hit the ground running immediately. »
The Brigil question
The former Brigil consultant denied representing real estate developers. “I am the candidate of all developers, of all merchants, of all those who want to bring new ideas to Gatineau and who want to invest in the city,” he responded to the media.
Thus, if he were to be elected, Mr. Ducharme announced that he would request, “as of June 10 or after [his] swearing-in,” an “independent legal opinion” in order to determine whether he will be able to “vote on the projects submitted by Brigil” and participate in the debates.
Denouncing the fact that municipalities “have had to take on many responsibilities” federal and provincial, Mr. Ducharme stressed that homelessness is a “growing problem” in Gatineau. But “everyone is going to have to do their part. Our governments must not hide behind their responsibilities.”
This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.