There are some big changes coming to the MRC Pontiac council of mayors following Sunday’s municipal elections in which seven new mayors were elected, and several in fairly tight races. Five incumbent candidates were also re-elected, including two-term MRC Pontiac warden Jane Toller.
Voter turnout in this election was 48.18 per cent, down just a hair from the 2021 election’s 48.43 per cent.
The final Elections Québec results published late Monday afternoon show that Toller secured her third term with 2,380 votes (38.06 per cent), a roughly 600 vote lead over runner-up Jean-Pierre Landry’s 1,748 votes, (27.95 per cent). Josey Bouchard won 1,659 votes (26.53 per cent) and Bruno St-Cyr won 467 votes (7.47 per cent).
“I was delighted with the final outcome and was very happy to see I received support across the Pontiac. I know that in the last election I won nine municipalities, and this time I won 12, so I feel I was well supported,” Toller said late Monday afternoon.
When asked what she would say to the near 4,000 people who voted for a different warden candidate in this election, she said she only has a message to all Pontiac residents.
“I will work very hard, especially on economic development in the Pontiac, and the quality of life to keep it affordable for everyone. In particular I’m strongly focused on our health care, with Bill 106, and I’m very concerned about the number of hydro outages we’re having, and we need immediate solutions. So I will work hard for everyone.”
Toller said the council of mayors will have its first plenary meeting on Nov. 19, but that she hopes to meet all new mayors before then.
“I think it’s important they feel welcome and that we have an easy transition. And I look forward to working with everyone.”
Five incumbents fall to challengers
Several long-serving mayors were ousted by challengers, including four-termers (2009-2025) Brent Orr in Bristol and Lynn Cameron in Portage-du-Fort, as well as three-termer (2013-2025) Carl Mayer in Alleyn-et-Cawood.
Portage businessman and RA president Kevin Murphy beat Cameron by just 10 votes (98-88), while Bristol councillor Valerie Twolan-Graham defeated Orr with 312 votes (53.06 per cent) to his 276 votes (46.94 per cent).
“I’m happy that I won, and that people are looking for a little bit of change here too, and I think change is difficult for some people,” Twolan-Graham said.
“I’ve learned such an incredible amount in the four years [on council], but I certainly have a lot to learn now about his new job. I’m excited and I’m nervous. [ . . . ] The councillors are the six who speak for the community, and I will try to be as objective and fair as I can be, and as open and transparent as I can be.”
Sidney Squitti, who represented Alleyn-et-Cawood at the MRC for many months as pro-mayor in the previous term, won a sizable mandate, with 156 votes (82.54 per cent) to Mayer’s 33 (17.46 per cent).
In Thorne, former mayor Terrence Murdock (2013-2017) won his seat back after an eight-year hiatus, defeating two-term incumbent Karen Daly Kelly (2017-2025) and councillor Deborah Stafford with 120 votes to their 95 apiece.
In Waltham, former councillor Jordan Evans won a landslide victory, defeating Odette Godin 173 votes (72.69 per cent) to 65 (27.31 per cent). Evans said that she was feeling optimistic about her work for the next four years, and added that the polls show a clear mandate from the public.
“[The results] speak for themselves. I guess people were looking for change and that’s what the results show,” she said.
Evans said that one of her priorities would be better communication with the public about issues that affect Waltham, adding that she would like to move the municipal council meeting to take place in between the MRC’s plenary and public meetings.
“I want to thank everyone for coming out to vote, and [I look forward to] working on Waltham’s future together,” she said.
In Fort-Coulonge, outgoing mayor Christine Francoeur ran for her old council seat one and was soundly defeated by returning councillor Dave Hérault 501 votes to 170. Outgoing Bryson mayor Alain Gagnon and Rapides-des-Joachims mayor Lucie Rivet Paquette were the only other members of the last council not to seek a mayoral post.
Tight mayoral races in Bryson, Portage, Calumet
The margins were very slim in several smaller municipalities, such as the 10-vote difference mentioned previously in Portage-du-Fort.
Over on l’Île-du-Grand-Calumet, outgoing mayor Jean-Louis Corriveau squeaked in with a six-vote margin over challenger Sylvain Tremblay (176-170).
The three-way race in Bryson was won by only 12 votes, with former councillor Joanne Ralston beating Eric Harrington 138 votes to 126, as well as fellow councillor Jian Zhang, who received 32 votes.
In Clarendon’s seat two, Jeffery Hannaberry narrowly defeated incumbent councillor Jonathan Dagg by nine votes, 230-221.
The closest margin in the entire Pontiac was the race for Rapides-des-Joachims council seat two, which Dale Levesque won by a whole three votes (34-31).
New face in Coulonge
Former NAV Canada employee Pierre Cyr won the mayoral seat in Fort-Coulonge against outgoing councillor Philippe Ouellet with 395 votes (59.04 per cent) to 274 votes (40.96 per cent). He said he was pleased with the result, which confirmed in his mind that residents of Fort-Coulonge wanted change from the outgoing council.
“It reflected my feeling when I was going door to door. I’m satisfied with the results, it was good support for a new mayor. I’m happy about that, and it solidifies my desire to advance Fort-Coulonge,” Cyr said.
He said he thinks his message of transparency and realistic expectations really resonated with voters.
“Transparency, healthy financial management, and fairness in real estate development. What I presented weren’t dreams, they were concrete things that we can accomplish. [It seems like] they have confidence in my ability to restructure things and go forward,” he said.
He said there will be a lot of work to do, especially with the new budget coming up in the next few months, but he is ready to work on some of his priorities both at the municipal level and the MRC level.
“It’s really to make sure that 2026 taxes do not go up more than the average cost of living. Second to establish transparency and that citizens remain at the core of the decisions and are well informed. Third is cooperating with Mansfield [and other municipalities],” he said of his priorities.
Incumbents prevail in Shawville, Clarendon, Otter Lake
Shawville Mayor Bill McCleary was one of the four incumbent mayors to retain a contested seat, holding off challenger Linda Davis with 428 votes (65.95 per cent) to her 221 votes (34.05 per cent).
He said that his win, along with the return of three councillors from last term, sent a pretty clear message that council were on the right track.
“Well, another four years I guess. It’s a pretty clear mandate, I guess the council did a good job in the last four years and they trust us for another four years,” he said in response to his margin of victory.
In regards to the new crop of faces at the council of mayors, McCleary said there would be an adjustment period.
“It’s going to be a different table of mayors, that’s for sure,” he said. “They’re going to come in with big ideas, and they’re going to find out, like we all did that six months into your term, ‘Boy, maybe we can’t get all that done.’ But it’s great to have new blood, new ideas. It’ll be interesting.”
Over in neighbouring Clarendon, the race was tighter but Ed Walsh managed to secure his second term, defeating Michael Hodgins with 321 votes (60.45 per cent) compared to 210 votes (39.55 per cent). Otter Lake mayor Jennifer Quaile also held on to her seat against challenger Sonia St-Laurent, winning comfortably with 384 votes (69.76 per cent) to St-Laurent’s 166 (30.24 per cent).
Candidates have four days to contest the results of the election.
With files from Sophie Kuijper Dickson and K.C. Jordan.
Pontiac’s 2025 municipal election results, by the numbers
MRC Pontiac Warden (13,361 registered voters)
Jane Toller* 2,380 votes (38.06%)
Jean-Pierre Landry+ 1,748 votes (27.95%) Josey Bouchard+ 1,659 votes (26.53%) Bruno St-Cyr 467 votes (7.47%)
Alleyn-et-Cawood (333 registered voters)
Mayor – Sidney Squitti+ 156 votes (82.54%) Carl Mayer* 33 votes (17.46%)
Seat 1 – Jessica Cayer (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 2 – Guy Bergeron* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 3 – Angela Giroux (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 4 – James Giroux* 101 votes (54.01%) Ashley Miljour 86 votes (45.99%)
Seat 5 – Mona Giroux* 112 votes (60.22%) Maggie Early 74 votes (39.78%)
Seat 6 – Amanda Peck (Elected by acclamation)
Bristol (1,128 registered voters)
Mayor – Valerie Twolan-Graham+ 312 votes (53.06%) Brent Orr* 276 votes (46.94%)
Seat 1 – Steven Gray 317 votes (54.47%) Alex Mahon 265 votes (45.53%)
Seat 2 – Archie Greer* 406 votes (70.12%) Angela Davis 140 votes (24.18%) Christine Rybak 33 votes (5.7%)
Seat 3 – Meaghan McConnell* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 4 – Greg Graham* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 5 – Nancy Crain 314 votes (53.49%) Kim Crawford* 273 votes (46.51%)
Seat 6 – Remo Pasteris 332 votes (57.34%) Randy Chabot 247 votes (42.66%)
Bryson (540 registered voters)
Mayor – Joanne Ralston+ 138 votes (46.62%) Eric Harrington 126 votes (42.57%) Jian Zhang+ 32 votes (10.81%)
Seat 1 – David Miljour* 134 votes (46.05%) Christina Cameron 129 votes (44.33%) Kelly Nitschkie 28 votes (9.62%)
Seat 2 – Gerald Stewart 105 votes (35.84%) Suzanne Romain 92 votes (31.4%) Melanie Ostrom 78 votes (26.62%) Daphnie Cameron 18 votes (6.14%)
Seat 3 – Serge Lance* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 4 – Marc Gauthier+ 166 votes (56.66%) Wayne Cameron* 127 votes (43.34%)
Campbell’s Bay (588 registered voters)
Mayor – Raymond Pilon* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 1 – Leen Matthyssen* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 2 – Tim Ferrigan* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 3 – D. J. Dagenais (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 4 – Stéphanie Hébert Shea* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 5 – Willy Rivet 194 votes (70.55%) Vince Belland 81 votes (29.45%)
Seat 6 – Suzanne Dubeau-Pilon* (Elected by acclamation)
Chichester (310 registered voters)
Mayor – Donald Gagnon* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 1 – Dustin Denault* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 2 – Louis Schryer* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 3 – Jacques Fleury* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 4 – Chrissy Ann Payne* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 5 – Corey Bissonnette* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 6 – Cameron Montgomery 80 votes (61.54 per cent) Tony Kime 50 votes (38.46) 130 valid votes
Clarendon (1,199 registered voters)
Mayor – Edward Walsh* 321 votes (60.45%) Michael Hodgins 210 votes (39.55%)
Seat 1 – Rick Younge* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 2 – Jeffrey Hannaberry 230 votes (43.31%) Jonathan Dagg* 221 votes (41.62%) Stephen Sharpe 80 votes (15.07%)
Seat 3 – Phillip Elliott* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 4 – Phillip Holmes* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 5 – Eric Smith* 299 votes (56.63%) Nicholas Murdock 229 votes (43.37%)
Seat 6 – Mavis Hanna* (Elected by acclamation)
Fort-Coulonge (1,103 registered voters)
Mayor – Pierre Cyr 395 votes (59.04%) Philippe Ouellet+ 274 votes (40.96%)
Seat 1 – Dave Hérault* 501 votes (74.66%) Christine Francoeur+ 170 votes (25.34%)
Seat 2 – Sylvain Fortin (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 3 – Gaétan Graveline* 401 votes (60.03%) Terry Charette 267 votes (39.97%)
Seat 4 – Ian Dagenais (Elected by acclamation)
l’Île-du-Grand-Calumet (597 registered voters)
Mayor – Jean-Louis Corriveau* 176 votes (50.85%) Sylvain Tremblay 170 votes (49.15%)
Seat 1 – Brian Duval 248 votes (71.88%) Serge Newberry 97 votes (28.12%)
Seat 2 – Riley Griffin (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 3 – Chantal Corriveau* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 4 – Jean-Guy Brousseau* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 5 – Marcelle Dumouchel 221 votes (62.96%) Francine Tremblay 130 votes (37.04%)
Seat 6 – Adrienne Turgeon* (Elected by acclamation)
L’Isle-aux-Allumettes (1,340 registered voters)
Mayor – Corey Spence* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 1 – Mariette Sallafranque* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 2 – Patrick Fleming* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 3 – Ivan Schryer* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 4 – Adele Allard (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 5 – Brian Adam* 232 votes (57.14%) Jeremiah Nephin 174 votes (42.86%)
Seat 6 – Robert Chafe* (Elected by acclamation)
Litchfield (491 registered voters)
Mayor – Colleen Lariviere* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 1 – Terry Racine* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 2 – Courtney Harris* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 3 – Travis Corriveau 130 votes (81.76%) Oleksandra Oleszkiewicz 29 votes (18.24%)
Seat 4 – Rick Frost* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 5 – Emile Morin* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 6 – John Stitt* (Elected by acclamation)
Mansfield-et-Pontefract (2,012 registered voters)
Mayor – Sandra Armstrong* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 1 – Daphne Laycock 571 votes (57.1%) Richard Morrissette* 429 votes (42.9%)
Seat 2 – Brian Boisvert* 534 votes (53.56%) Richard Pleau 463 votes (46.44%)
Seat 3 – Gilles Dionne 788 votes (78.56%) Ghislaine Fortin 215 votes (21.44%)
Seat 4 – Pierre Aubrey 527 votes (52.7%) Garry Ladouceur* 473 votes (47.3%)
Seat 5 – Colin LeBrun 582 votes (58.03%) Claudette Béland* 421 votes (41.97%)
Seat 6 – Sébastien Denault* 683 votes (68.3%) Louise Belec 317 votes (31.7%)
Otter Lake (1,055 registered voters)
Mayor – Jennifer Quaile* votes 384 (69.76%) Sonia St-Laurent 166 votes (30.24%)
Seat 1 – Vincent Jones (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 2 – Gerry Bimm (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 3 – Daniel Lamarche* 306 votes (56.56%) Natasha St-Aubin 235 votes (43.44%)
Seat 4 – Penny Dubeau* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 5 – Lionel Racine 362 votes (67.79%) Donna Roy 172 votes (32.21%)
Seat 6 – Robin Zacharias* 409 votes (74.91%) Valérie Lamoureux 137 votes (25.09%)
Portage-du-Fort (238 registered voters)
Mayor – Kevin Murphy 98 votes (52.69%) Lynne Judd-Cameron* 88 votes (47.31%)
Seat 1 – Martin Hérault 134 votes (71.66%) Jacqueline McCallum 53 votes (28.34%)
Seat 2 – Nicole Thompson 106 votes (56.99%) Brooke Mallette* 80 votes (43.01%)
Seat 3 – Dominic Bisson* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 4 – Kim Elliott* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 5 – Cody Coughlin* 83 votes (44.86%) Robert McCallum 74 votes (40%) Rodrigo Morante Tirado 28 votes (15.14%)
Seat 6 – Alan Farrell* 128 votes (69.19%) Jacques Desjardins 57 votes (30.81%)
Rapides-des-Joachims (115 registered voters)
Mayor – Roger Peter Lafond (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 1 – Stephany Rauche* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 2 – Dale Levesque 34 votes (52.31%) Noel Leclerc* 31 votes (47.69%)
Seat 3 – Anne-Marie Butler 44 votes (66.67%) Cassandra Burany 22 votes (33.33%)
Seat 4 – Kelsey Daly* (Elected by acclamation)
Shawville (registered voters)
Mayor – William McCleary* 428 votes (65.95%) Linda Davis 221 votes (34.05%)
Seat 1 – Julien Gagnon* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 2 – Lyse-Ann Gregory Lacourse 462 votes (71.3%) Christine Armitage 186 votes (28.7%)
Seat 3 – Lisa Taylor 467 votes (72.52%) Joanne Dumouchel 177 votes (27.48%)
Seat 4 – Richard Armitage* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 5 – Inger Vandervelden Elliott 344 votes (53.5%) Randy Gagnon 299 votes (46.5%)
Seat 6 – Katie Sharpe* 348 votes (53.87%) Cathy Meier 298 votes (46.13%)
Sheenboro (273 registered voters)
Mayor – Doris Venasse Ranger* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 1 – Mary Beth Jones (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 2 – John Brennan* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 3 – Michel Morency (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 4 – Jean Gleason (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 5 – Sara Lafreniere 92 votes (59.35%) Joann McCann Magill 63 votes (40.65%)
Seat 6 – Karen Shea* (Elected by acclamation)
Thorne (676 registered voters)
Mayor – Terrence Murdock 120 votes (38.71%) Karen- Daly Kelly* 95 votes (30.65%) Deborah Stafford+ 95 votes (30.65%)
Seat 1 – David Berry 210 votes (70.95%) John Ward 86 votes (29.05%)
Seat 2 – Marsha Bean* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 3 – Robert Blaskie* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 4 – Christine Anderson 154 votes (51.51%) Lisanne Erskine 145 votes (48.49%)
Seat 5 – Samantha Jane Renaud 162 votes (52.43%) Karen Dunlop, McIsaac 95 votes (30.74%) Todd Smith 52 votes (16.83%)
Seat 6 – Terri-lyn Blaskie 238 votes (78.03%) Norma Charette – Turcotte+ 67 votes (21.97%)
Waltham (375 registered voters)
Mayor – Jordan Evans 173 votes (72.69%) Odette Godin* 65 votes (27.31%)
Seat 1 – Chantal Fortin 130 votes (54.85%) Mark Burnett 107 votes (45.15%)
Seat 2 – Francis Turner 155 votes (64.58%) Leonard Godin* 85 votes (35.42%)
Seat 3 – Holli Lair 159 votes (66.53%) Ramona Marion* 80 votes (33.47%)
Seat 4 – Brendan Adam* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 5 – Elwood Allard* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 6 – Tyler Rochon* (Elected by acclamation)
MRC des Collines Warden
Marc Carrière* (Elected by acclamation)
Municipality of Pontiac (4,912 registered voters)
Mayor – Roger Larose* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 1 – Jean Coté (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 2 – Scott McDonald (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 3 – Garry Dagenais* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 4 – Serge Laforest* 124 votes (62.94%) Lina Légaré 73 (37.06)
Seat 5 – Chantal Allen* (Elected by acclamation)
Seat 6 – Jean Amyotte* (Elected by acclamation)
