A councilor of the Village of St. Pierre Jolys recently lost his battle with cancer. 

Coun. Raymond Gagne (photo credit: St. Pierre Jolys website)Councilor Raymond Gagne made a mark on the village of 1,170 residents for his accomplishments as a civil servant and his active community involvement. Prior to joining the council in late 2018,  Gagne worked for many years with Nelson River Construction, accumulating a wealth of knowledge and experience in infrastructure.

Raymond Maynard is the mayor of St. Pierre Jolys. On the village's website, he penned a heartfelt tribute to his late colleague.

"In his almost three-year tenure with the Village, he was able to accomplish things that many other councils before him were not. He came on council with a plan and he was well on his way to finishing that plan by the end of his four-year term."

Maynard goes on to laud Gagne's qualifications and commitment to his community, "He was a man with a vast amount of knowledge, drive and conviction and he never stopped, ever!" Remarking about the character of the late councilor, the mayor adds, “If anybody needs help, he was always there."

Gagne's passing now leaves two unfilled seats on the five-person village council. The other seat was vacated months earlier by Councilor Paul Gauthier who had to step down after purchasing a residence outside of the Village.

Maynard explains that a by-election will be held on June 17th, with two candidates in the running. However, he clarifies that the winner of that by-election will fill Gauthier's seat. Municipal election rules stipulate that another by-election will be needed to fill the seat left by Gagne's passing.

According to Maynard, proceeding with another by-election will have to be decided by the St. Pierre Jolys council. He says they also have to take into account the proximity of the next municipal elections which is in October of 2022.