Second in the polls, she finished first in the ballot box with a promise of change and better management. Independent candidate France Bélisle came to power in Gatineau, dethroning the Action Gatineau party after two terms in power.
The hundred supporters of the Bélisle campaign could not believe their ears, one hour before the closing of the polling stations in the fourth largest city in Quebec. A round of applause shook the white and turquoise balloons, colors of the economic candidate. Under the neon lights of a large room in a shopping center in the Hull sector, masked volunteers hug each other. With the radio volume set to maximum, the private 104.7 Outaouais station made it official: France Bélisle became the first mayor of Gatineau.
Known locally for having headed the Tourisme Outaouais organization, France Bélisle has above all put an end to the reign of Action Gatineau, a party founded by outgoing mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, who is leaving politics after two terms. The latter actively campaigned alongside his runner-up, the 32-year-old municipal councilor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, who campaigned on the theme of the fight against climate change, even if it meant raising taxes.
Mme Bélisle focused its campaign on the theme of economic recovery. In particular, it promised more development in Gatineau thanks to public-private partnerships, more efficient management of the city’s finances and better infrastructure.
The new mayoress was however given the loser by the latest polls in Gatineau, which also reported a large number of undecided. The candidate had to get rid of allegations of toxic work during her time at the head of Tourisme Outaouais. On the strength of its very numerous electoral placards in the four corners of the city, it nevertheless succeeded in convincing voters of the validity of its slogan: “Vote for change. “
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