Sicotte, Forest vie for votes in St Pierre

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/06/2021 (1476 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An upcoming municipal byelection in St Pierre presents voters with a choice between two candidates, both of whom are longtime residents who have held elected office before.

Maureen Sicotte and Michel Forest are vying for a council seat vacated by Paul Gauthier, who resigned last November after moving out of the village.

Both Sicotte and Forest are bilingual, and both said in separate interviews this week that, if elected on June 17, they will run again for a full term in the October 2022 general election.

The losing candidate will get another shot at a council seat before the year is out. Tina Bubenzer, village CAO and senior election official, confirmed this week that the village must organize another byelection this fall to fill a seat held by Coun. Ray Gagne until his death on May 13.

COVID-19 is preventing Sicotte and Forest from knocking on doors in the run-up to next week’s vote, but both have placed lawn signs throughout the village, which had a population of 1,170 in the 2016 census.

Sicotte touts trustee experience

Maureen Sicotte is no stranger to elected office, though it’s her first time having to campaign for a seat. Acclamations placed her the Red River Valley School Division board of trustees, where she served for 19 years until resigning to run for council.

She said she wants to enter municipal politics because she likes new adventures and new challenges.

“Over the last few years, several community members have approached me and asked me to run for council, and the opportunity is here, so I thought it would be a good time.”

Sicotte said her time as a trustee taught her the importance of being fair and open with people, and of communicating proactively.

“I’m out there, anyone can talk to me about anything at any time, and if I don’t know the answers I’ll get them.”

She explained her lawn signs deliberately state she’s running ‘for council,’ instead of ‘for councillor,’ to demonstrate her commitment to teamwork.

Sicotte works as an administrative assistant for Southern Health’s home care program. The job, which she has held for 21 years, currently sees her work from home most days.

Raised in St Boniface, Sicotte moved to the outskirts of St Pierre 30 years ago. Fifteen years later she moved to a town property not far from the municipal office where she hopes to soon attend council meetings.

If elected, Sicotte said she would work to improve the recycling program and bring back composting. She said she’d like council to continue fostering relationships with local schools, businesses, and neighbouring communities. She also wants town services to continue.

“We have an excellent maintenance team in town here that take pride in our village, and it really shows.”

Outside of those considerations, Sicotte explained that she isn’t running on a predetermined agenda.

“Over 19 years of being a trustee, you learn that you can’t enter into something when you have an agenda and expect to change the world because you don’t know what to work with. Plus, it’s not really healthy to run with an agenda.”

Forest focuses on growth

For Michel Forest, a victory next Thursday would be a re-election to village council. Forest was elected in 1992 and served one term under Mayor Matt Lussier.

Forest reflected fondly on that term, when the village reached an agreement with the RM of De Salaberry to build a dual-purpose fire hall equipped with an ambulance bay.

Forest said he didn’t seek a second term on council because of family and career commitments, but he remained on village committees, including the board of St Pierre Manor, for another decade.

“I hold the town of St Pierre true to my heart,” he said.

A year ago, Forest retired after a 28-year career in the trucking industry that took him first to Big Freight Systems in Steinbach, then to Keystone Western in Grande Pointe, where he served as maintenance manager.

He hadn’t been retired for long when he felt an urge to get more involved with the community. Forest said he has the free time necessary to devote to the role of councillor.

“I believe that, being retired, I can offer a lot more to the community now,” he said. “Going to serve back on town council would give me more opportunity to spend a little bit more quality time with the town here.”

Forest said he wants the village to become a leader in recycling and composting. He said he’d like to draw small industry to St Pierre to create jobs, attract young families, and spur the construction of more housing. He floated the idea of small business tax incentives to get that plan rolling.

“The biggest passion I have for St Pierre is to see the growth of St Pierre,” he said.

Forest also said he wants to look into a water treatment system and fire hydrants for the village.

Raised locally, Forest said he moved his family to town in 1985 to take advantage of the excellent schools. He said those schools remain a bright spot for the town, affording parents the option of an immersion or francophone education for their children.

Ballots can be cast in-person on Thursday, June 17 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the St Pierre Recreation Centre Hall at 545 Hebert Avenue. Voters should bring one piece of photo ID or two documents that provide proof of identity.

Advance voting tppk place June 10.

Mail-in ballots were also available. Voters had until 3 p.m. on Monday, June 14 to apply for and pick up their sealed envelope ballot package.