Éric Allard, Châteauguay Mayoral Candidate

On Thursday, City Councillor Éric Allard announced that he would run as a mayoral candidate in the upcoming municipal elections that will be held throughout Québec on November 7, 2021. Municipal councillors Barry Doyle, Éric Corbeil, Mike Gendron and Lucie Laberge will seek out another mandate at his side. The five were all elected under Mayor Pierre-Paul Routhier’s Vision Châteauguay party banner in 2017. They decided to go out on their own in August of 2020. “It’s an attitude problem. Mr. Routhier works alone. We aren’t consulted. The manner in which he adresses citizens does not suit us. We’re not saying that he doesn’t have good sides, but his approach doesn’t correspond with ours,” explained Mr. Allard during an interview with Le Soleil de Châteauguay on Friday. “We want to work as a team. In a city council we need everyone’s strengths,” he asserted. In a press release he stated: “I am very pleased to be a mayoral candidate alongside this team of seasoned councillors who are all close to the citizenry, like I am. That’s actually part of our group’s DNA, it’s what unites us- listening and remaining close to the citizens of our city. There needs to be a change in tone, communications with citizens need to be more respectful and our approach is in line with that. We are all neighbours, friends and even family! We can build an extraordinary city together!” The four incumbent councillors rallied around him for his “ability to bring people together”. A New Party The 49 year-old aspiring mayor confirmed the creation of a new municipal political party in Châteauguay. What will it be called? “We are still at the stage of recruiting candidates. We’ll decide on a name together once the team is complete,” Éric Allard answered. [caption id="attachment_97988" align="alignnone" width="1177"] Barry Doyle, Éric Corbeil, Eric Allard, Lucie Laberge and Mike Gendron.[/caption] Background Éric Allard is currently completing his first mandate as a city councillor. An IT analyst by profession, he took his first steps into the political arena at the school board level. He was a commissioner and the Vice-President of the former Grandes-Seigneuries School Board. The candidate emphasized that he knows Châteauguay well, having grown up here. He has also “been very involved in a number of sporting, educational and community organizations” in the city. “Whether for hockey, baseball, school, the air cadets squadron, the Rencontre Châteauguoise, the Châteauguay Food Bank or Opération Nez Rouge, it has always been here that I got involved and chose to take part in all of these activities. “ He concluded with the following: “I think of myself as a citizen like any other, with the same concerns as other Châteauguay residents and a strong desire to get involved to make our community even more vibrant.” (Translation Amanda Bennett)