Marjorie Drolet, council member for The Nation. (File photo)

A record 40 women ran in Prescott and Russell’s municipal and school board elections on October 26, with 21 elected to positions across the region, according to Leadership féminin Prescott and Russell (LFPR).

In a statement following the election, the organization congratulated the women elected and highlighted several developments in female representation in local government.

Although the number of women elected to municipal councils remained unchanged at 13 compared with the 2022 election, LFPR pointed to gains in several communities. For the first time in recent memory, two women will serve as mayors at the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) council table, doubling female representation at the upper-tier municipal level.

Russell Township will also have two women on its municipal council for the first time, while Hawkesbury will have three elected women, representing the region’s largest increase in female municipal representation.

Women elected across the region

The women elected to municipal office include Julie Séguin, mayor of Hawkesbury, and Corina Parisien, mayor of Champlain.

The following women were elected as municipal councillors:

• Dominique Bertrand and Lisa Deacon in Russell Township;
• France Daviault in Clarence-Rockland;
• Francyn Leblanc and Antonella De Dona in Casselman;
• Kathleen O’Connell Renaud, Monique Desjardins and Karina Sauvé in East Hawkesbury;
• Marjorie Drolet in The Nation; and
• Denise Robitaille and Johanne Lapalme in Hawkesbury.

LFPR also recognized women elected to school board positions, including Lindsay Doucet in Clarence-Rockland, Muriel Lalonde in Alfred-Plantagenet and Nathalie Ladouceur in Hawkesbury.

Tara Barton-Maclaren and Sue Wilson were also listed among the elected school board representatives, although their municipalities or school board jurisdictions were not specified in the announcement.

Three women were elected as trustees for the Police Village of Russell: Stephanie Mac Millan, Julianne Bankley and Alison Brown.

Record number of women ran for office

According to LFPR, 40 women ran in this year’s municipal and school board elections, an increase of nearly 50 per cent compared with the previous election.

The organization attributed the increase in part to its campaign, “Ça prend des femmes comme toi… en politique municipale” (“It Takes Women Like You… in Municipal Politics”).

Over the past several months, LFPR organized networking activities, training sessions, information meetings, individual support and opportunities for elected officials and candidates to exchange experiences.

Marie-Noëlle Lanthier, executive director of LFPR, said the election results reflected growing interest among women in participating in local government.

“The results of this election demonstrate that women belong in municipal and school board politics more than ever,” Lanthier said. “We are proud of the women elected, but also of all the candidates who took the leap.”

She added that the campaign’s broader achievement was seeing more women speak out, meet with residents and share their perspectives on the future of their communities.

Of the 40 women who ran, 21 were elected when municipal council, school board and Police Village of Russell trustee positions were combined.

LFPR said it hopes women who were not elected will remain involved in their communities and consider running again in a future election.

The organization also noted that several candidates valued the opportunity to meet residents and share their vision for their municipalities.

Challenges remain in female representation

Despite the increase in candidates, LFPR noted that women remain underrepresented on some municipal councils.

In Alfred-Plantagenet, no women were elected to municipal council. In Clarence-Rockland, where five women ran for municipal office, only one secured a seat.

The organization said these results demonstrate that further work is needed to achieve more balanced representation across Prescott and Russell’s municipalities.

LFPR thanked all candidates for their commitment and the time they devoted to their campaigns, regardless of whether they were elected. It also acknowledged municipalities that took steps to encourage public participation and greater interest in local politics.

The organization said it intends to continue supporting women interested in public service and encouraging more women to consider running in future elections.