After an initial debate and strong discussions on the tram, the home stretch of the race for Gatineau mayor is well underway. A look back at the candidacies, a little more than two weeks before the by-elections.
Seven names will be on the ballot on June 9, the City of Gatineau officially announced on May 10. These are the independent candidates Rémi Bergeron, Stéphane Bisson, Yves Ducharme, Daniel Feeny, Olive Kamanyana and Mathieu Saint-Jean. The leader of the Action Gatineau party, Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, is added to the list of those who will try to win the 16-month mandate, which will end during the next elections scheduled for November 2025.
For the moment, two favorites are emerging in this race punctuated by debates on transport, homelessness and housing.
According to a survey commissioned by 104.7 FM Outaouais from the firm Segma Recherche, Mme Marquis-Bissonnette, who came second in the 2021 elections, would be leading the voting intentions, with 38% of the votes after the proportional distribution of the undecided (29% of respondents).
Popular with those aged 55 and over, former mayor Yves Ducharme comes in second place, with 27%.
The survey, carried out among 600 Gatineau voters from April 29 to May 2, next ranks the former municipal councilor of the Carrefour-de-l’Hôpital district Olive Kamanyana (13%), the former president of the Chamber of commerce of Gatineau Stéphane Bisson (12%), the former communications director of France Bélisle, Daniel Feeny (7%) – to whom the outgoing mayor will give her vote -, the former candidate of the People’s Party of Canada Mathieu Saint- Jean (3%), then Rémi Bergeron (0%), who is on his third attempt to become mayor.
Four candidates have also registered to fill the position of municipal councilor for the Carrefour-de-l’Hôpital district, left vacant by Mme Kamanyana so that she can participate in the mayoral race. These are the independents Frédérick Castonguay, Marie-Pier Lacroix and Kethlande Pierre, as well as Catherine Craig St-Louis, who represents Action Gatineau.
Their fate is now in the hands of the citizens, called to the polls on June 9. Those who wish to vote in advance will be able to do so on June 2.
This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.