By Geoff Agombar
Local Journalism Initiative
Richmond mayor Bertrand (Bert) Ménard is eager to carry the momentum of his first term forward after being re-elected unopposed.
Ménard will return to familiar faces on council with four of his six councillors re-elected uncontested. The two new councillors, Katherine Dubois and André Bussière, have also won by acclamation.
“I think it has to do with the job we did and the honesty we brought to the job. We put on the table what we wanted to do, and it wasn’t always easy, but I would say 60 per cent of that work got done smoothly and nicely,” Ménard estimates. “Richmond is an old town. The infrastructure is pretty roughed up. We’ve invested quite a bit of money on improving downtown and on road work without raising taxes.”
Ménard served as an alderman in Cleveland for ten years before running for Richmond mayor in 2017. He points to the demolition of long-empty school buildings at the corner Gouin and Adam as a major achievement in his first term.
Ménard knows not everyone is happy to see historic buildings knocked down, but is pleased by the potential for development and growth. He describes the complex negotiations with provincial ministries, the Commission scolaire (now centre de services scolaire) des Sommets and contractors with satisfaction and pride. Despite pandemic delays, the buildings came For full story and others, subscribe now.
