Sue Jolicoeur said she is ‘stepping up to the plate’ as she runs for council again

Suzanne Jolicoeur is running again for council in St Pierre-Jolys two years after she quit, but she said this time things are different.

“I think why I decided to run is, first of all, I know what I’m getting involved with…I think the community deserves to have a partnership based on clear communication. And I think I’m tough enough right now. I think I can be… Let’s put it that way for resigning again – it’s not in the picture,” she said.

Jolicoeur held office for two years last term before leaving citing issues of transparency, respect, and integrity in regards to dealings between herself, Mayor Raymond Maynard, and CEO Tina Bubenzer. She said what made her want to come back to council was her love of the community and the possibility that she might not be working with Maynard after the election as a new council will be formed.

She said the decision to come back was done because she loves the community and the people. She said her work and volunteer experience, as well as her municipal experience as a councillor, “bring something to the table” that resembles her values, which are integrity, respect, and transparency.

“I stepped up to the plate,” she said about re-entering the race for council.

Jolicoeur is originally from Quebec where she got her teaching degree. She got her first teaching job up north on a reserve where she worked for two years. She then moved to Portage la Prairie and Southport where she taught French, eventually becoming principal at Ecole Ste Anne Immersion. She left the Seine River School Division in the 1980s to work for the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine school division in Ile des Chenes.

Jolicoeur was on the executive with the Manitoba Teachers’ Society, a post she held for nine years. She was also president for four years on the Educatrices et educateur francophones du Manitoba (EEFM) in the early 2000s. It was while she was in this role that she got the opportunity to go to Ottawa with the national branch of EEFM on International Women’s Day to watch a sitting of parliament.

“It was just electrifying,” she said with a smile, crediting this experience as an introduction to politics.

While she was working in Ile des Chenes, she met her husband Luc Nadeau who was a vice-principal in St Pierre and deputy mayor. She met him during a professional development day in Ste Anne. He was divorced and she was going through a divorce at the time and the two became friends, eventually they got married and Jolicoeur moved to St Pierre. Nadeau was going to run for mayor in 2018, but unfortunately died before he could run for office. Eventually, Jolicoeur decided to enter politics herself when she ran and won a seat on council in 2022 after prompting from friends and family.

“I think all the experiences is just, it’s a challenge. But also what it is, is that you’re in service (in politics). It’s not leadership. I believe a lot in stewardship,” she said.

“It’s also having a conversation with people or organization(s) (to) enable (me) to better the community, but also to share what our community has to offer as well,” she noted.

Jolicoeur said there are two issues she would like to tackle in St Pierre if she is elected: infrastructure and better communication with residents about what is happening in council and within the village. She also believes that the proposed rec centre, Le Rendez-Vous, needs to be put on hold and for council to address other projects that need attending to, such as aging infrastructure.

During her time on council, she was instrumental in getting a sidewalk installed from the manor to the detachment on Sabourin Road. She was also responsible for the eventual change in policy that would allow councillors to speak directly to public works staff about concerns regarding infrastructure, something they were not allowed to do before.

She believes the village needs to be fiscally responsible as that is how issues such as aging infrastructure will be resolved. She currently sits on the finance committee with the Retired Teachers’ Association of Manitoba, which has added to her experience with budgeting and being responsible with other people’s money.

She believes people should vote for her because she will represent them well and she will be available for discussions on any concerns residents may have about the village.

“I’m asking the residents here to vote for me, to support me, because I’m going to do my best for those four years,” said Jolicoeur.

Jolicoeur also volunteers at St Pierre Manor, the local thrift store, and at the Frog Follies. She has also volunteered as a teacher internationally with the Canadian Teachers’ Federation in Haiti, the Republic of Guinea, and Burkina Faso.

Residents can vote for their councillor and mayor on Oct. 28.