Pierre Cyr was born in Montreal and worked for 27 years with NAV Canada, serving as an air traffic controller, investigator, and security analyst in Sept-Îles, Rimouski, and Gatineau. After moving to the Outaouais, Cyr discovered Fort-Coulonge, where he settled following his retirement in 2019. 

He ran as a provincial candidate for the Green Party of Quebec in 2022, worked briefly as a reporter for THE EQUITY, and is now entering municipal politics for the first time.

“When I retired [ . . .  ] I became very familiar with many of the local issues. I’ve been attending council meetings for three years now. People kept telling me, ‘Pierre, you have to run,’” he said.

Cyr says his experience in high-pressure environments, as an air traffic controller and in investigations involving aviation equipment, will help him handle the pressures of the job and work effectively as part of a team.

“I was often called on to solve complex problems and find common ground between people to reach solutions. That’s one of my strengths — helping people understand that we all benefit from working together,” he said.

He says his involvement as both a reporter and an engaged community member attending council meetings over the past three years has taught him a lot about how the municipality functions and how it could improve.

“Transparency is opaque. And financial management . . . taxes have gone up so much, and the cost of living keeps rising.”

Cyr said one of his priorities will be to review the municipality’s finances and look for savings, whether through service agreements or other efficiencies.

“In the first six months, we need to get a clear picture of the municipality’s financial health and go over all the expenses. I think we can be more efficient at the municipal garage, and we often hire subcontractors to do things we could possibly do ourselves,” he said.

Cyr said he recognizes the impact of the rising cost of living and wants to introduce programs to help ensure both current residents and newcomers can afford to live in Fort-Coulonge.

“It’s important that we don’t raise taxes more than the average increase in the cost of living. I also want to create a tax credit program for all new arrivals. If you buy a house, we’d adopt a bylaw that gives you back part of your welcome tax,” he said.

He said he also wants to encourage a wider range of affordable housing options, including housing co-ops that give residents greater autonomy.

“The advantage is that you can build buildings where people hold shares in the co-op, which takes the profit motive away from the landlord. But again, we need to study it, see if it’s viable. Or even condominiums — at least that way people would own their homes,” he said.

At the MRC level, Cyr said he would like to see citizens more involved in decision-making and for the MRC to focus more on community projects rather than infrastructure alone.

“The projects the MRC gets involved in need to be done better. Citizens should be involved from the start. We invest in physical things, but we also need to invest in the community — in the groups that organize activities,” he said.

Cyr also said he wants to encourage intermunicipal cooperation and resource sharing wherever possible.

“Why do all the municipalities have different waste management systems? They could create a regional service co-op for the whole MRC. The co-op could buy the equipment and municipalities could share it. Or a service co-op for things like veterinary care, ventilation, oil services — all kinds of services where we have trouble finding professionals.” 

Philippe Ouellet was born and raised in Fort-Coulonge, where he still lives today. A paramedic since 2001, he also serves on the board of the Patro de Mansfield/Fort-Coulonge and has spent the past four years as a municipal councillor. 

Through both his work as a paramedic and his time on council, Ouellet says his goal has always been to help people in any way he can.

“I’ve always liked working with the public,” he said.

During his four years on council, Ouellet says he’s learned a lot about how the municipality operates. After completing projects like the new village pump track, he says he’s eager to see others through.

“The new pump track — it’s so satisfying to see people using it. We also did a 24-hour camping area for the villages-relais, and every time you pass by there are more and more people using it. It brings new visitors who get to discover our village,” he said.

Ouellet said he’s enthusiastic about continuing that momentum with new projects, including a subdivision where residents will soon be able to build tiny homes.

“The cost of living is so high now, and I think a lot of people would benefit from being able to build a tiny house,” he said.

He also wants to see development along Francoeur Street, a project still in the feasibility stage but which Ouellet believes could help attract new residents.

Ouellet added that village growth is one of his main priorities. He believes development will bring in new taxpayers and labour for local businesses.

“New homes mean new taxes, which lightens the load for everyone and puts a little more money in the pot. And businesses are always looking for workers,” he said.

Ouellet also wants to explore programs the municipality could offer to encourage new construction in Fort-Coulonge.

“I’d like to offer incentives for people who want to build here. There are programs out there, it’s about finding them, going after them, and using them to attract new construction,” he said.

To make Fort-Coulonge more appealing to future residents, Ouellet says he’d like to see more community activities, from youth sports to a new library.

“We’ve got such a beautiful place here. Why not find ways to make it more attractive and welcoming? We can show off what we have and promote Fort-Coulonge as a great place to live,” he said.

Supporting seniors is another of his priorities.

“I dream of bringing a residence for independent seniors here. We have many residents living at the Manoir St-Joseph, but I’d like to see something like that right here in Fort-Coulonge,” he said.

Although Ouellet has not yet sat at the MRC Pontiac council of mayors, he says he wants to learn how it operates so he can advocate for his village.

“I want to start by seeing how things work at the MRC. Are there aspects where we can help improve things? Are there changes that could make it run better?” he said.

Ouellet said he’s also open to exploring shared services between municipalities, such as fire departments or even arenas.

“We’ve got three arenas in the Pontiac. It’s not just Fort-Coulonge residents who use ours, it’s people from Mansfield and nearby towns too. If the MRC could take charge of the arenas, that could help spread out the costs. No one wants to bring it up because it’s a hot topic, but maybe there’s a way to do it that benefits everyone. That’s what I’d like to bring forward.”