While Ritchot Mayor Chris Ewen and Councillor Janine Boulanger of Ward 4 are back for another four-year term by acclamation, Ward 3 will see a change this year. Curtis Claydon will be replacing retired councillor Jeannot Robert. Claydon is also accepting his new seat by acclamation with no other nominees coming from the Ste. Agathe area.
Residents in Wards 1 and 2, however, will have a selection on their ballots on October 24. Yves Bérard is running against incumbent Shane Pelletier for the Ward 1 seat, which includes the community of Île-des-Chênes. Residents of Ward 2, including those living in St. Adolphe, will also see two names on their ballot: incumbent Ron Mamchuk and challenger Keith Pearce.
Ron Mamchuk
Ron Mamchuk has served as a Ritchot councillor for four years and is hopeful to regain his seat for another. He says that he brings many qualities to the table, including dedication, experience, leadership, and integrity. In part, his decision to run again was prompted by an interest in seeing to completion the many projects council currently has underway.
“This council was really emphasizing greenspace,” says Mamchuk. “People want walking paths. That seems to be the biggest thing. And of course, like in Tourond Creek, which is our future project, it’ll be done, but it’s going to take time. We have to see homes sold before we can start these projects.”
Baseball diamonds and soccer pitches are also anticipated for development in Tourond Creek down the road.
“We’re also still working on a daycare project,” he adds. “Hopefully that will happen in the near future in St. Adolphe. And of course, affordable housing for senior citizens. That seems to be another item that we really have to address and we’re working on it. We have to find the right developer so that it doesn’t cost the municipality any extra taxes.”
Mamchuk says that council has applied for grant funding for the Main Street Revitalization project, which is currently on hold until that funding is received.
“Our communities are aging,” he acknowledges. “We have concerns about roads and streets and drainage. But it’s a process you have to go through. It doesn’t just happen overnight. Everything is prioritized. If we don’t get revenues from the government from grants, it would need to go on the local taxes, but we try and avoid that as much as possible.”
On the whole, he says, the new mayor and council elected 15 months ago have been easy to work alongside and have provided a good range of knowledgeable insight. In fact, he was proud to be surrounded by the good people in the RM office, from the chief administrative officer to the administration staff and the public works department.
“The biggest thing that was accomplished in the RM this past term was the Ste. Agathe fire station,” Mamchuk says. “That is something that we are very pleased to have. It will be really good for Highway 75, because it’s a high volume of traffic. It will be a real positive thing for emergency calls, fires, and accidents. We also opened up a new doctor’s office in Île-des-Chênes, so there’s a lot of positive stuff that’s happening and it’s ongoing.”
As well, he says that council has been working hard to attract new business to the community. During the last term, they’ve seen a much needed four-way stop installed at the intersection of Highways 200 and 210 and have been working together with the RCMP to curb speeding and theft in the area. Options are being researched for improved internet services.
He agrees with others that council-to-resident communication can be improved and it’s something council’s already been working on through improvements to the municipal website.
“You’ve got to listen to the residents,” he says. “Residents are very important. They’re the ones that select the councillor and that’s the role of the councillor, to listen. Residents are the ones living out in the community and they are very knowledgeable about what’s going on. I’m approachable and I listen. And if I can’t handle it at my level, the other departments can.”
Mamchuk’s roots in St. Adolphe go deep. He and his wife Susan have been active members of the community for 43 years. Together they’ve worked on almost every local committee in years gone by and raised three children here. Two of their grown children have also decided to call St. Adolphe home and are likewise raising families of their own while maintaining an active involvement in the community.
Being a retiree, he feels, provides him with the time needed to really commit himself to the position of councillor. He likes to make himself as available to constituents as possible and can be reached anytime by email or phone with questions or concerns. He hopes to drive home that message with a door-to-door campaign this month.
Keith Pearce
Keith Pearce has been a proud resident of St. Adolphe for 23 years and is confident that he knows his community well enough to recognize its needs and shortcomings. He and his wife of 42 years raised their two children in the community, both attending the St. Adolphe School and St. Norbert Collegiate.
“I have put a lot of thought into my decision to run for council,” says Pearce. “Over the last few council terms, the drama and mismanagement that was pervasive in running the council and municipality has been frustrating many people in town as well as myself. The straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak, was the way the spring zoning application was being handled by our local representative. After quarterbacking the written and online petitions against the zoning change, I was asked repeatedly to consider running [for council], and after months of thought I decided that I should commit.”
Pearce has never before held a council seat, although he did run for council 15 years ago. What he does have is a keen interest in the political processes of the RM. Politicians at the municipal level, he says, should consider themselves humble caretakers of the residents’ wishes and hard-earned tax dollars, providing more direct interaction and connection than you might expect at higher levels of government.
“I believe that a councillor should represent his or her constituents in the most honest and open manner possible,” says Pearce. “I do not believe that this has been done for a number of terms and that needs to change. St. Adolphe needs to have a proper blend of residential and retail/commercial space to fulfil the potential that almost everyone who lives here knows that it has. Having lived here through the ‘97 flood, I have witnessed the feeling of ‘neighbourhood’ that exists and lies just under the surface of everyone. I am proud of that.”
Pearce believes that his 24 years of experience in the consulting and design business, where he’s assisted many clients in realizing their dream of running their own business, will go a long way toward advancing the community’s business sector.
“Understanding the codes, costs, and pitfalls of small business will be a valuable asset to the RM’s ability to attract these businesses,” he says.
If elected, Pearce adds that he’ll work hard at the further development of the community’s recreation facilities and greenspaces.
“I think we need to immediately establish the baseball fields and soccer pitches earmarked for development in the secondary plan,” Pearce says. “There is, as far as I am concerned, no valid reason to not have our children using these facilities right now.”
Other important areas of development include installing a boat launch where the public can enjoy the river. As well, he’d like to establish a safe parking area for resident and tourist birdwatchers who flock to the area during bird migration season. Currently, he says, cars park along the bridge, causing a dangerous situation and discouraging tourism.
In his mind, the empty building on Main Street once owned by Brodeur Brothers could also be put to valuable use right away by providing space the whole community can enjoy. Fairs, indoor garage sales, vegetable markets, and seminars are just some of the possible uses for this otherwise neglected space.
Pearce would also like to see more effective speed measures applied to the south approach into the community.
“Having personally completed a survey of speeding on this entrance to town, it is abundantly clear that traffic calming measures are a necessity.”
Pearce adds that the results of his survey indicated that 75 percent of vehicular traffic entering town was doing so over the speed limit.
Environmental issues are also high on his list of priorities.
“On the whole, I feel that we are responsible for our neighbours both near and far,” says Pearce. “I would like to see an effort to take control of invasive species like Purple Loosestrife, which are present in our RM but affect all RMs downstream. Working with adjacent RMs, we might be able to reverse the degradation of the Netley and Libau marshes, an ecosystem that is vitally important in the health of Lake Winnipeg.”
As for being a team player along with the council the municipality elects, Pearce describes himself as calm and level-headed. “In my life and business, I have always worked well with others and look forward to the opportunity to assist the other members of council in any way that I can.”
His goal before the election is to meet with every constituent in his ward through door-to-door campaigning.
Shane Pelletier
Shane Pelletier was elected to council for the first time just over a year ago in a by-election and is hoping to fill the seat this time for a full four-year term.
“After our 15 months, I have learned a lot and have a solid understanding of the inner workings of the RM,” Pelletier says. “I feel this opportunity has given me the insight to be able to serve the community for next term and beyond. While I had many dealings with council before being elected, most of them had to do with recreation and the two RM-owned facilities in Île-des-Chênes. There were some areas where I had to do research and lean on staff and fellow councillors for guidance.”
Pelletier adds that he was pleased with the generally harmonious nature of council this past term.
“Our current council works well together,” says Pelletier. “At times we have our differences, but we are respectful toward each other and each other’s opinions and are able to come up with an amicable resolution.”
Teamwork was required right out of the gate for this group, working diligently to approve the budget within the first month in office in order to restore the financial processes and get things back on track. This, for Pelletier, was a highlight of his time so far as councillor. Other exemplary moments included the strategic planning sessions and council’s current work on a recreation master plan.
There have been some major learning curves along the way as well.
“I think most of the struggles between council and constituents have related to communication,” Pelletier adds. “While staff follow provincial regulations with regards to notifications regarding conditional use [permits], variations, and bylaws, we consistently hear that residents feel that they didn’t know this was being presented. We are in the process of addressing this with the Ritchot Connect app. We believe this will be a great tool to keep constituents informed.”
As a resident of Île-des-Chênes for most of his life, Pelletier feels he’s got a finger on the pulse of the area. He and his wife raised a son in the community and his daughter still attends Gabrielle-Roy. Pelletier has volunteered for many years as the coach of local hockey and ringette teams and served as president of the minor hockey league.
“I have a great sense of community and I am willing to work with other members of council to help make Ritchot a great place to live, work, and play,” he says.
Pelletier notes that residents of Ward 1 will soon see more information regarding his campaign in their mailboxes. He also hopes to pay personal visits to each of his constituents before election day.
