Roger Larose is no stranger to the Municipality of Pontiac, he was a councillor four 11 years, he was mayor for four years and has lived in the community for 60 years.

Larose has decided to tip his hat into politics once again because of what he sees a lack of progress on many files, so he is running for Mayor of the Municipality of Pontiac.

He studied business at school; worked as a millwright for 15 years and then became a general contractor, a job he has held for the past 20 years except for a brief pause in business when he became mayor the first time.

“My job itself [gave me] me an immediate opportunity to talk to people,” he said. People had a tendency to talk about local issues in the community with him which lead to his interest in local politics culminating in an 11-year stint as a councillor and his term as mayor.

His years as a contractor naturally led to meeting many people in the community. “I was pretty well connected to the people,” he said. He feels a lack of open communication between municipal government and citizens has led to a lot of frustration. As a former mayor and councillor, people call him to complain, to air grievances. “People are asking questions” and no one can provide answers. A lack of transparency and community dialogue, according to him, is what led to his decision to run again.

Lack of Strong Leadership

Larose said the Pontiac currently lacks strong leadership. “Leadership is really important.” If elected, I will ensure that I am always available, he said I will be in the office as much as possible. No matter the concern.

Lack of Communication and transparency

He also feels there is a lack of open communication and dialogue with the public. He intends to open consultation on all major matters, including the budget, to community members so they can have their say. “Show the numbers. The budget should be open to see,” he said.

A lack of Action

Lastly, a top issue for Larose is what he calls a lack of action. Larose argued that there have been years where nothing happened in the community or there was slow progress. He brings up the planned upgrades to the Quyon’s water treatment plant as an example. A project he started, he said. There is no plan for the plant. “We are not ready,” he claimed. The treatment facility is integral for future development plans in Quyon.

Being a councillor means more than just showing up once a month for a council meeting, Larose said. He believes council has been slow to move on various projects, because they aren’t taking on the job full-time.”

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