Township of Russell Mayor Pierre Leroux
Courtesy Photo
EMBRUN – “In my last eight years as mayor, I have truly found my calling, and my desire to help my community has simply grown from there. Our community is in full growth mode and with my experience, I hope to continue serving our incredible community,” township of Russell Mayor Pierre Leroux said. “I would like to thank the amazing people in our community for allowing me the opportunity to serve as mayor. It has been an honour and a privilege, and if they are so inclined to bestow me the position again, I will continue to serve as I have always done, by being playful, passionate, and professional.”
Leroux has submitted his nomination papers for the position of mayor in the upcoming municipal election. As for what makes him the best person for the position, he said his record speaks for itself. He also said he believes that he and the current council have handled the township’s growth, in addition to the challenges that come along with it, admirably.
“Over the years I’ve learned two important points. One, the township doesn’t have enough resources or money to accomplish every project, and two, despite these limitations, our community spirit often finds a way,” Leroux said on his campaign website (pierreleroux.ca). “That is what our campaign is based on, community spirit. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on wasteful campaign signs, we will minimize our spending in this area of our campaign and direct the funds toward community initiatives instead, turning our campaign into a massive community fundraiser.”
Six life-size cut-outs of Leroux are in businesses throughout the community, each representing a different community project. For every selfie a resident takes with one of his cut-outs and then posts on his website, Leroux said he will donate $2 to that local project, redirecting a maximum of $7,500 from his campaign back into the community. He’s already recruited many businesses and individuals who have pledged funds over his $2, and he’s confirmed he now has more than $73,000 in commitments.
“I am super excited about it and how we change the focus from candidates to the community they wish to represent and help protect the environment,” Leroux said. The cut-out locations and related projects include Russell Foodland (new Russell Village Splash Pad), IDA Downtown Pharmacy in Russell (increased tree planting in the township), Russell Restaurant (new Russell Village Entrance Sign Project), Giant Tiger (improvements to dog park), Tuque de Broue (improvements to Embrun Splash Pad), and Marché BoniChoix (restoration of the Embrun Train Station).
