Being close to citizens, encouraging cultural diversity and promoting the municipality’s economy- these are the “core values” that Mike Gendron, City Councillor for District 6 in Châteauguay, has been defending for the past two decades.
Translation Amanda Bennett
He will be celebrating 20 years in office in November. He joined municipal life as an independent councillor in 2003.
At the last municipal council meeting, on May 15, Mr. Gendron presented the trophy awarded to him by the Union des Municipalités du Québec as part of the 2023 general meeting. The award is presented to councillors who have been involved in municipal politics for 20 years or more.
He said he was “moved and grateful” for the honour. However, in an interview with Le Soleil de Châteauguay, he said that this “award” would not change him.
“After all these years, I’m still the same guy who wants to meet people’s needs. I want people to keep calling me ‘Mike’ when I see them in the street, not Mr. Gendron,” he said.
During our interview with the newspaper, a number of local residents who were driving by even stopped to say hello and thank him for his work.
A Landmark Achievement
The redevelopment of boulevard Saint-Francis was “a battle” that he waged from the moment he took office. He wanted to build a bicycle path and a pavement to prevent people from “walking dangerously” among the cars.
It was only in 2022 that the amenities were made accessible to the public. The city completed the project with an extension of the pavement and bicycle path on Jeffries Street, which leads to Centennial Park English elementary school.
Mr. Gendron sees the completion as a relief as it ensures children’s safety.
“It’s a project that local families appreciate. [Before this development], children had to walk in the street with all kinds of cars. With the snowbanks, it was too dangerous,” he explained.
Professional Scandal
His 20 years in municipal politics have not all been smooth sailing. In 2013, Mike Gendron found himself before the Commission municipale du Québec, and then in court, following a complaint from the City of Châteauguay, which was then headed by former Mayor Nathalie Simon. The municipality alleged that he should be disqualified from sitting on the city council because he refused to provide details of the properties held by his company.
He had always pleaded that he had filled in the document correctly. After a five-year legal battle, the councillor finally won his case in the Court of Appeal.
Today, he believes that an event such as this would be considered “psychological harassment” in the private sector.