Caleb Nickerson
CALUMET ISLAND
Nov. 22, 2017
As one of the fresh faces sitting at the council of mayors, the new representative for Calumet Island is hoping to bring attention to his municipality’s history and tourism potential.
Serge Newberry was the victor in a tight four-way race for the mayor’s seat, finishing with 144 votes or 33.88 per cent. The municipality was the most hotly contested in the entire MRC, with 16 candidates vying for seven positions and only one councillor, Réjean Meilleur, returning to office.

Newberry said that despite his lack of council experience, he is confident in his ideas to promote the Island as a tourist destination.
“I tried to develop some public land here on the island and develop a business. I saw a lot of potential for Calumet Island to … move forward,” he said, referring to his attempts to improve public access to the Lafontaine Islands, which cover about 1,100 acres to the west of Calumet.
“I thought I was a good person to do that and whenever I went door-to-door to talk to people they seemed to appreciate that someone had ideas to promote the natural beauty and history of Calumet Island,”he said.
Back in 2015, Newberry brought a proposal to the MRC to develop the land to allow access to Calumet’s world class whitewater rapids but the plan never came to fruition. He hopes his new position will allow him to further pursue development on the islands, which he asserts would attract tourists and locals alike.
“It’s a tricky subject,” he said, noting that the islands are Crown land and are currently used by hunters.
Newberry said that his work as a mechanical technologist has given him some know-how about working on large projects and following through on directions.
“On a job site, I look at the drawings and I make sure we build as per what’s on the paper,” he said. “It’s similar in that sense.”
He referenced the troubles the previous councils faced, as the municipality has had three mayors in the past four years.
“Relationships were difficult on the council, let’s say,” he conceded, noting that he had already met with his new team and was confident things would be different this time around.
“We couldn’t be in a better position,” he said. “[We have] open-minded people who are willing to work together and put in the effort.”
Newberry added that he would work to promote the long and storied history of the island, which was an Indigenous hunting ground and served as a portage site for European settlers as early as the 1600s. The Island is also the location of the French-Canadian legend of Jean Cadieux, a voyageur who sacrificed himself to save his travelling companions in 1709.
Newberry said he is hopeful about the future, and wants the place where he was born and raised to succeed.
“I got to be honest, my favourite part about Calumet Island is the part I want to promote, its history and its natural beauty,” he said. “It’s a passion for me; I read a lot about our past as far back as possible. I enjoy canoeing myself so I take advantage of the river and the specific rapids we have … I really love what I want to promote about the Island.”