A current city councillor has announced her intentions to seek the office of Timmins mayor in the upcoming municipal elections.
Ward 5 Councillor Michelle Boileau made the announcement on Facebook following the July regular meeting of city council.
“My family and I are excited to announce that I have submitted my nomination for the office of Mayor of the City of Timmins in the fall elections,” she said in the announcement. “This is not a decision we took lightly but now that we have arrived to it, we are looking forward to the challenge ahead.
"I am deeply and forever grateful for the unending support of my family and friends.”
Boileau was elected in 2018 and works for Collège Boréal as the manager of Programs and Services (Employment/Immigration). Born and raised in Timmins, she has a B.A. in Second Language Teaching from the University of Ottawa and completed a Master of Research in Educational and Social Research from the University of London (UK).
Within city council, she sits on the Francophone Liaison Committee, the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board, the Timmins Museum National Exhibition Centre board, the Timmins Public Library board, Violence Against Women, and the Timmins Police Service Board.
She feels ready to step up to the position of mayor.
“These last four years have proven to be the greatest learning experience of my career thus far, both professionally and politically,” Boileau said. “It has been an honour to represent the people of Timmins, and I have been inspired by the community leaders that I have had the privileged to work with.
“Serving as a municipal councillor while employed full-time and raising a baby (now toddler) has been challenging, overwhelming, enlightening, but above all, motivating.”
It is a decision that she did not take lightly.
“So, why now run for mayor?” Boileau explained. “Over this past term, I have gained a better appreciation of the significance of the generational decisions that council is entrusted to make.
“When the latter are before us, I think about my daughter, and the impact we will have on her future and that of the generations to come after her.”
Boileau said she hopes to bring a number of issues to the forefront in Timmins.
“The next four years will be pivotal for our community and I believe this is a time for reconciliation, innovation, inclusion, and stewardship,” she said. “There are many priorities that must be addressed, but the most pressing files for me — as a candidate, resident and mother —include (in no particular order): Health Human Resources, Housing, Mental Health and Addictions, Environment, and Economic Development.”
In her free time, Boileau enjoys walking, hiking and biking, snowboarding, travelling and volunteering.
“Some of my favourite things about Timmins include the area’s natural beauty, the accessibility to an array of fun outdoor activities, the economic opportunities and potential for growth, and mostly, the city’s culturally diverse and resilient population,” she said in her bio on the city’s website.
Municipal elections take place on Oct. 24.
