Suzanne Gammon
Tribune
The 2026 municipal election got off to a slow start, but with the nomination deadline coming later this week, August 21, several late entries have made for some exciting races.
While the top job of mayor is still contested by only three hopefuls, incumbent Kathleen Thorne Rochon, former councillor Yvon Duhaime and newcomer Charles Desgroseilliers, several new and familiar faces have come forward to seek a ward seat.
Since the Tribune’s last report, when only one ward (Sturgeon Falls ward 3) was contested, there are now races in five of the eight municipal wards, including ward 5 (Field area) where no candidate was registered just two weeks ago.
Ward 1 incumbent Kris Rivard is now facing newcomer Christine Littlechild, and ward 7 incumbent Roland Larabie is now opposed by newcomer Blake Watson, while wards 2, 7 and 8 incumbents, Roch St. Louis, Fern Pellerin and Georges Pharand respectively, so far remain unchallenged. A four-way race was declared early in ward 3, where newcomers Richard Forget and Corrin Smith and past candidate Denis Sabourin are all gunning to replace incumbent Daniel Gagné. No new candidates have come forward in that crowded ward.