A small group of Pontiac residents interested in running in this fall’s municipal elections gathered at the Shawville Community Lodge Saturday morning for a crash course on how to run a campaign.
The event was organized by Linda Davis, who plans to run for mayor of Shawville in November and said she has been involved in campaigns since a young age at the municipal, provincial and federal level.
“I became aware that one of the best ways to actually affect change was not attending a meeting or standing outside the doors, it was actually having a seat,” Davis said. “I wanted to go and bring my experience of building communities and addressing the needs of the public.”
Davis, formerly a member of the Ottawa Regional Council of the City of Ottawa in the Kitchissipi Ward, has worked with school boards and has advocated for universal childcare, labour issues and maternity leave. She served in that role from 1994 to 2001. She ran for warden in 2017, finishing third in the race.
She said she hosted the event to share critical information about registration requirements and timelines, as well as campaign strategies.
“I suggested that absolutely your best plan is to go door-to-door, knock on doors, and speak with the people you’re asking to vote for you,” Davis said.
Campbell’s Bay councillor Josey Bouchard and Otter Lake mayor Jennifer Quaile were invited to share tips and tricks they’ve learned from their time in municipal politics.
“It’s important to reach people like this,” Bouchard said. “People were interested in running so they can get the perspective of somebody who ran and how it works.”
Bouchard explained some of her roles and responsibilities as a councillor and encouraged people to step out of their comfort zone. She hopes that the people who attended take away how important it is to be involved in elections, and how important it is to vote.
Shawville resident Téa Allaire was among the 10 or so participants in Saturday’s information session. She’s a small business owner, a member of the Chapeau Agricultural Society, and began attending Shawville council meetings when she moved to town.
Allaire is considering putting her name in the race for councillor in the upcoming election and wanted to learn more about what it would take. She said she was surprised by how much it could cost to run a campaign.
“There’s a lot going on in your community that you’re not aware of,” Allaire said. “I go to the Shawville meetings and the arena fund, I wouldn’t have known about that if I didn’t attend the meeting.”
Allaire’s mother, Christine Armitage, also attended the info session and is also considering running in Shawville where she also regularly attends council meetings.
“So I said if we’re going there, I might as well have a part in them rather than just observing,” Armitage said. “I think that to make change, you’ve got to be a part of it.”
Another panel will be happening Apr. 30 at the MRC Pontiac to encourage more women to run in the upcoming elections. The event, starting at 1 p.m., will feature mayors, councillors and Warden Jane Toller to discuss their motivation and involvement in municipal politics.
