Chris Lowrey
PONTIAC July 26, 2017
A new Facebook page called Engage Pontiac, with the aim of assisting new candidates for MRC warden, went live on Monday.
The goal of the Facebook page is to “find, promote and elect an alternative candidate.”
The Facebook page was set up by local entrepreneur Jim Coffey as a way to inject some fresh blood into local politics.
While Coffey says that both of the current candidates for warden, Charlotte L’Écuyer and Raymond Durocher, are experienced and qualified, he thinks it’s time for some new ideas.

Coffey said he’d like to see a younger candidate, someone who is “bright-eyed and optimistic” come forward to throw his or her hat into the ring. He said he’d be willing to lend a hand with marketing efforts and introducing the candidate to people in the area.
Coffey said that the prospect of facing two other candidates with decades of combined political experience can be daunting for a new entrant into the warden race.
“They’re pretty much generational politicians,” Coffey said of Durocher and L’Écuyer.
A younger person, who is less likely to be bound by traditional constraints, could go a long way in injecting new ideas into the MRC.
“[Durocher] mentioned a problem that we have here in the region where we’re subject to decision making based on … the status quo,” Coffey said. “If things never change because it’s always based on the status quo, someone’s got to shake that up.”
He said he applauds the MRC’s increase in infrastructure spending for the tourism industry, but as the owner of Esprit Rafting, he said has yet to see it pay dividends.
Not only that, but Coffey said he feels as though the region isn’t capitalizing on the attractions it has right now.
“We have what’s probably one of the greatest potential tourist attractions in all of Eastern Canada in the covered bridge in Fort Coulonge that’s been closed for three years,” Coffey said. “We could open it up for walking traffic or have a farmers market inside.”
He says one of the main objectives for a third candidate should be to change the mindset of the community at large.
“Within five or 10 minutes of me posting [on the Facebook page], the very first response back was ‘nobody cares at the MRC and everyone is crooked,’” Coffey said. “You can’t think that way. If you want change you have to make change happen.”
Coffey also said he appreciates the work both L’Écuyer and Durocher have done during their time in municipal politics.
“I’m friends with both Charlotte L’Écuyer and Raymond Durocher and respect them immensely for the efforts they’ve put in,” he said. “But sometimes a breath of fresh air and a change often does some good.”
Ultimately, Coffey said the Facebook group is trying to get a younger generation interested in local politics and equipping them with the tools to be successful, and maybe a nudge to get them started.
“What I’m looking at is trying to help people see that this is not something that’s out of their reach,” he said. “Being a candidate and running a good campaign don’t always go hand-in-hand.”
Coffey said he has some experience in social media and networking, which could come in handy for someone trying to make inroads in local politics. Plus it’s a way for him, as a concerned citizen, to help improve his community.
“I’ve never helped run anyone’s campaign before, I’ve never been involved in this type of political drive, but it’s probably a better offer than nothing.”