1987 Gatineau municipal election

September 2023 An election was held on November 1, 1987, to elect a mayor and councillors in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. Incumbent mayor Gaétan Cousineau was narrowly re-elected over a challenge from former mayor John Luck. Results Mayor Council + 1987 Gatineau election, Councillor, District One Candidate Total votes % of total votes Michel Charbonneau 1,205 42.53 Simon Racine 704 24.85 Andre Gregoire 601 21.21 De Sale Gauthier 323 11.40 Total valid votes 2,833 100.00 + 1987 Gatineau election, Councillor, District Two Candidate Total votes % of total votes Therese Cyr 1,542 46.45 Daniel Moreau 1,525 45.93 Carole Malouin 253 7.62 Total valid votes 3,320 100.00 + 1987 Gatineau election, Councillor, District Three Candidate Total votes % of total votes (incumbent)Gilbert Garneau 1,169 60.92 Michel Gobeil 452 23.55 Alcide Beaulne 298 15.53 Total valid votes 1,919 100.00 + 1987 Gatineau election, Councillor, District Four Candidate Total votes % of total votes Richard Canuel 1,108 54.61 (incumbent)Hubert Leroux 921 45.39 Total valid votes 2,029 100.00 + 1987 Gatineau election, Councillor, District Five Candidate Total votes % of total votes Helene Theoret 573 22.39 (incumbent)Guy Lacroix 517 20.20 Gilles Trahan 390 15.24 Roger Fortin 312 12.19 Paul Lavoie 304 11.88 Raymond Gosselin 159 6.21 Florent Cadotte 153 5.98 Gaetan Dube 151 5.90 Total valid votes 2,559 100.00 + 1987 Gatineau election, Councillor, District Six Candidate Total votes % of total votes (incumbent) Claire Vaive accl. + 1987 Gatineau election, Councillor, District Eight Candidate Total votes % of total votes (incumbent)Richard Migneault 1,434 76.07 Annette Laurin 451 23.93 Total valid votes 1,885 100.00 + 1987 Gatineau election, Councillor, District Nine Candidate Total votes % of total votes (incumbent)Rene-Jean Monnette accl. + 1987 Gatineau election, Councillor, District Ten Candidate Total votes % of total votes Richard Cote 1,375 56.61 (incumbent)Jacques Vezina 745 30.67 Gerald Joly 309 12.72 Total valid votes 2,429 100.00 + 1987 Gatineau election, Councillor, District Eleven Candidate Total votes % of total votes (incumbent)François Leclerc 1,064 52.13 Catherine Filion 977 47.87 Total valid votes 2,041 100.00 + 1987 Gatineau election, Councillor, District Twelve Candidate Total votes % of total votes Marlene Goyet 1,088 42.55 Irene Schingh-Seguin 557 21.78 (incumbent)Charles Vaillancourt 408 15.96 Michel Constantineau 371 14.51 Lary Seguin 133 5.20 Total valid votes 2,557 100.00 Post-election changes Gaétan Cousineau resigned as mayor in early 1988, and a by-election was held to choose his replacement.Philip Authier, "Gatineau mayor resigns," Ottawa Citizen, 18 February 1988, A1; George Kalogerakis, "Mayor of Gatineau calls it quits, says he's tired of 'scapegoat role'," Montreal Gazette, 19 February 1988, A4. Jean Deschênes was born on March 26, 1940, in Sainte-Flavie, Quebec. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Ottawa, began working as a school principal in 1972, and later received a Master of Public Administration degree.Fonds Jean-Deschênes, City of Gatineau, accessed 15 April 1991; David Gamble, "Latest candidate for Gatineau mayor endorsed by Luck," Ottawa Citizen, 7 April 1988, B1. Deschênes first ran for mayor of Gatineau in 1979, losing to incumbent John Luck, and ran a second time in a by-election called after the resignation of Gaetan Cousineau in 1988. He highlighted his skills as an administrator and sought a municipal tax freeze in the latter campaign.David Gamble, "Deschenes says Gatineau mayor should be qualified administrator," Ottawa Citizen, 4 May 1988, B3. Despite an endorsement from Luck, he finished third against Robert Labine.David Gamble, "Latest candidate for Gatineau mayor endorsed by Luck," Ottawa Citizen, 7 April 1988, B1. He was later elected to the Gatineau city council in 1995, representing the city's fifth ward.Mike Shahin, "Hull ward to undergo recount," Ottawa Citizen, 7 November 1995, B5. In 1996, Deschênes was arrested by Gatineau police under very controversial circumstances while returning home from a charity function; despite passing three breathalyzer tests, he was taken to the station in handcuffs and given a fourth test before being released. The officers were later reprimanded for not following proper procedure. At the time of the incident, Deschênes chaired a city committee that was looking into cutbacks for city staff, including the police; he, and many others, later described the police actions as intimidation and harassment.Patrick Brethour and Carrie Buchanan, "Councillor calls arrest harassment," Ottawa Citizen, 29 April 1996, D1 (the councillor referred to in the title was not Deschenes); Carrie Buchanan, "Force suspends Gatineau officers for improper arrests of city councillor," Ottawa Citizen, 22 June 1996, C6; Bob Phillips, "Conduct of police in Gatineau hot bar topic," Ottawa Citizen, 2 July 1996, B3; Carrie Buchanan, "Gatineau councillor tells story of arrest: Witness describes ‘climate of fear’," Ottawa Citizen, 11 March 1997, B3; Michael LaPalme, "Storm helps police get off the hook," Ottawa Citizen, 15 January 1998, D4. He was narrowly defeated by Joseph de Sylva in 1999.Jean-Michel Gauthier, "Élections municipales 99 : Jean Deschênes perd son siège; De Sylva cause la grande surprise," Le Devoir, 8 November 1999, p. 5. He also sought election in 2001, but was defeated.Fonds Jean-Deschênes, City of Gatineau, accessed 15 April 1991. Deschênes has been active in the Liberal Party of Canada.David Gamble, "Ex-councillor in mayoral race to help ‘little guy’ in Gatineau," Ottawa Citizen, 20 May 1988, C3. Hubert Leroux was born in Hawkesbury, Ontario. An insurance broker, he served on the Gatineau city council from 1979 to 1987.David Gamble, "Former Gatineau councillor enters race for mayor's job," Ottawa Citizen, 27 April 1988, B1. Known as a maverick politician, Leroux was one of only two councillors to vote against the city's 1986 budget, arguing that more spending cuts could have been made.David Gamble, "Gatineau approves 4% tax jump," Ottawa Citizen, 18 December 1986, B3. He also opposed Mayor Gaétan Cousineau's plans for a new city hall building.Jack Aubry, "Gatineau unveils proposals for new city hall," Ottawa Citizen, 8 January 1987, B1; David Gamble, "Gatineau awards contract for city hall," Ottawa Citizen, 11 February 1987, B1. He lost to Richard Canuel in the 1987 election.David Gamble, "Luck scrapes past Cousineau," Ottawa Citizen, 2 November 1987, C1. He was forty-eight years old during the 1988 election and described himself as a "small-c" conservative.He added that he was once active with the Social Credit Party of Canada but no longer had any political affiliation. See David Gamble, "Ex-councillor in mayoral race to help 'little guy' in Gatineau," Ottawa Citizen, 20 May 1988, C3. The latter point notwithstanding, he called for a significant business tax increase to keep property taxes down.David Gamble, "Mayoral candidate says business tax should go up 37%," Ottawa Citizen, 25 May 1988, B1. Sources: "Final official results of weekend Outaouais civic elections," Ottawa Citizen, 6 November 1987, C3; "Cousineau wins, Luck continues to contest result" [mayoral recount], Ottawa Citizen, 16 November 1987, C1; David Gamble, "Labine wins tight race for mayor in Gatineau," Ottawa Citizen, 6 June 1988, A1. References Gatineau municipal election 1987 Category:20th century in Gatineau