During a special meeting of Council held on Wednesday May 15, 2024, Mr. Georges Pharand was appointed as Ward 8 Councillor, in accordance with the process outlined in the Council Vacancy By-law 2023-47.

The four candidates, Daniel Corriveau, Dave Lewington, Georges Pharand, and Christine Riberdy, each made a statement of interest before answering a series of questions from Council. Members of the Council then proceeded to a live vote until one candidate reached a total of five votes per ballot, which was confirmed during a second round of ballots. 

The Ward 8 seat, representing residents of Lavigne and North Monetville, had been declared vacant on April 16, 2024, following Councillor Jérôme Courchesne’s resignation due to career changes. Councillor Pharand’s role as member of the municipal Council is effective immediately. 

Mayor Thorne Rochon stated, “I believe all members of Council went into the meeting with an open-mind and ready to hear what every candidate had to offer. On behalf of Council, thank you to all candidates, and welcome to Councillor Pharand. He will certainly be a strong voice at the table, someone who will contribute constructively to the discourse and debates.”

Pharand expressed, “it’s a challenge I just couldn’t pass up. […] I look forward to working with other members of Council, the staff at the Municipality and everyone else in the community and I will bring all the energy and passion that I can to make our Ward and Municipality a better place to live.”