These interviews are part of a series THE EQUITY is publishing with candidates in all 12 mayoral races ahead of the election. Bryson interviews were done by K.C. Jordan.
Eric Harrington grew up in Chapeau before joining the Canadian Armed Forces reserves at 17 years old. As a solider he served in Afghanistan before joining the intelligence trade for the Canadian Special Operations Regiment, where he stayed for nine years. He then became Sergeant Major of the intelligence function at the National Defence headquarters.
About 10 years ago, Harrington retired from the military to become an operations manager in wildlife enforcement for the federal government. He has lived in Bryson for 23 years and is seeking his first bid in political office.
“I feel like I had to [run]. It’s not something I’ve ever aspired to. I can’t sit around and complain about municipal affairs or the MRC or the area in general and not have a positive impact on it.”
He said that while he has never held political office, he is a good candidate in part because of his military experience.
“I can explain things. I’m passionate. I’m a little hard to say no to
[ . . . ] I’ve been highly trained in managing groups and giving meetings. Plus I was an intelligence officer, so my whole life was briefing generals and ministers and people of high levels who needed proper information to make decisions,” he said.
He said one of his priorities will be to find ways to cut costs in the management of the municipality, since residents are still paying for expensive water and sewer infrastructure.
“There’s been mismanagement of taxes for the last four years, and it’s because we didn’t have the foresight to put some plans and money aside for future projects,” he said.
He said he will prioritize making investments in better infrastructure instead of making band-aid solutions. He also said using technology can help the municipality save on costs when it comes to administration.
“AI [artificial intelligence] is phenomenal, and half of our budget in Bryson is salaries. That definitely needs to be a consideration. We have to look at ways to be more efficient, [like] using AI to apply for grants and loans,” he said.
Harrington said one of the first things he would implement is a coupon system called “Bryson Boost” – a way to encourage community participation that will give residents a break on their taxes.
“You would spend a normal day doing volunteer work, we would give you tokens [ . . . ] And you get 25 per cent to be able to use as a discount toward your taxes, or whatever else depending on how many people in the community want to get involved.”
He said one of the most pressing issues will be to attract new businesses and residents to Bryson.
“There’s nothing in Bryson to attract businesses, so what I’ll be doing is putting in place a plan to ensure that we attract businesses. We give them tax breaks to get them started. And instead of giving [newcomers] a big hefty welcome tax and a kick in the butt, I’m willing to waive taxes or lower taxes for new families that are coming into the area for a couple of years,” he said.
Harrington said mayors and DGs at the MRC level should be working together to help each other understand what money is available via grants and loans.
“I think they need a really solid network of DGs who are constantly applying for loans, grants and tax breaks. If I do get elected and end up at the MRC table, I will start speaking like that. Start opening up ideas, making sure that nobody does anything in a municipality that others aren’t aware of.”
Harrington has published his platform online and has been distributing flyers. He will be hosting two upcoming town hall meetings where residents can come and express their concerns.
Joanne Ralston was raised in Bryson before leaving for Alberta to start a career in health and social services. Once married and with kids, she returned to the Pontiac to work as a regional manager for Pavilion du Parc, a rehabilitation centre for people with intellectual disabilities based in Gatineau. She remained in that job until her retirement in 2018. She has served on Bryson council for three terms, and this year is running for mayor for the first time.
“When I started looking at the platform of the persons running for the position of mayor, I didn’t find it congruent with what I think has to be the priorities. Our finances are a big one in Bryson, we’re one of the municipalities with the highest taxes,” Ralston said, adding that water and sewage plants are still having an impact on the taxes residents pay.
She said her experience handling several files on council, including updates to municipal parks as well as helping the transition of several new staff members into the municipal office, make her a good candidate for the position.
“I have a good handle on this municipality, not only our finances but everything that’s done in the office. We did a lot of work in our parks in the last few years and with the 150th, and I’m the one who spearheaded those things on council, and who helped the administration.”
She said one of her main priorities for the next council will be to make sure that all council members and office staff are better educated about the available grants, and what work needs to be done to apply.
“We need to be prepared for any grants that are coming. There’s always a percentage that we need to put down, and the windows to prepare a project are so short. Everybody needs to do their homework. They need to read their documentation. They need to ask questions,” she said.
Ralston said she will look at other ways the municipality can save money, be it through shared services, through outsourcing waste and compost collection, or through other means.
“We’re using a company that’s going to be picking up compost and garbage for us, and the cost is supposed to be less than what we pay in services. So we’re anxious to see in the first three months what the true savings is. That’ll help us to maybe need less help when it comes to public works. But it’s really going to be looking at the budget and looking at everything,” she said.
She said consulting businesses as well as community groups that volunteer in the community is going to be key in determining the municipality’s priorities.
“It’s our community organizations that help us to make things nicer in town. What are their ideas? Where do they think we could have savings? Because there are people in the community that have a lot of good ideas. We need to work with the small businesses that we do have in town, ask them what they think, and they have to be part of the solution.”
Ralston said key issues the MRC’s council of mayors should be looking at include tourism as well as access to better health and social services, especially for the aging population.
“We’ve lost a lot in the last several years. We used to have service close to your home and your family and friends, but they wanted to centralize the services more toward the cities, so we’ve lost out,” she said.
“We need better signage in town that better explains the history. We have a beautiful beach, we want vanlifers to be able to come and park there.”
Ralston has been going door-to-door and has been distributing her flyers around town.
Jian Zhang was born in China, spending his educational years split between China and France. He achieved a master’s degree in electrical engineering in China before pursuing a PhD in energy economics in France. Zhang immigrated to Canada in 1993, living in Gatineau first before coming to the Pontiac in 1997, when he acquired the Marché Bryson Mart. In 2014, he acquired the Ultramar gas station outside Bryson and last year opened a greenhouse out back of the station, powered by renewable energy sources.
He has served two terms on Bryson council and is now presenting himself for mayor for the first time. He said he decided to run because after being here for nearly 30 years he considers Bryson his home and that he wants to serve the people of the community.
“Before I travelled all around the world – seven years in China’s capital of Beijing, five years in France, a few years in Gatineau and Ottawa. But once I lived in Bryson, I found my life, my career, so I really love this place, love the people, and I would like to do my best to serve the people.”
He said he considers his education, business experience and longtime presence in the community to be his greatest assets that set him apart.
“My cultural background, my educational background and my professional background, it’s the best fit to revitalize Bryson,” he said, adding that his people-oriented approach makes him stand out.
“I’m always available to listen and to discuss with people. I will continue to do this to make things go more efficiently,” he said.
Zhang said the biggest issue in Bryson is the budget and the taxation rate, but he said his business and
accounting experience will help him make educated
decisions when it comes time to make a budget.
“The biggest one is the budget. We have a limited budget to give the best service. I’m confident if I am elected, I will perform the best to run Bryson, to offer the best services compared to other towns,” he said.
He added that collaborating with community members and organizations will be key to move forward with new projects instead of dwelling on the past.
“All municipalities are facing the same difficulties. It’s easy to critique, and in the future we need to be more constructive. Previous mayors, previous councillors, they did a lot of good things [ . . . ] To run a municipality we need people who work together.”
He said that he sees sustainable development, including greenhouse-based agriculture, as a key part of the economic future of Bryson and the Pontiac.
“This land was named Bryson because of George Bryson, a visionary pioneer who developed this area with the forestry industry. Today, as we know, there are difficulties in the forestry industry, and we need to adapt to develop sustainable economics. My project is part of this vision, and I think with this new technology we can achieve the revitalization of Bryson. We have renewable resources. We have good land. We have the people, the knowledge. All of this will make things happen,” he said.
Zhang said the MRC’s council of mayors table will be a good place to advocate for his municipality, as well as advance his sustainable vision for the community.
“To sit at the MRC table is one of the reasons for me to run as mayor, because that way I can push my vision and my mission to make sustainable development for the region. I’d like to see Bryson become the core of the centre of off-season production.”
Zhang said he has not gone door-to-door yet, but is available if anyone would like to discuss his ideas for Bryson.
