Peter Black
peterblack@qctonline.com

Mayor Bruno Marchand has named an executive committee comprised of all six of his Québec Forte et Fiére party councillors plus four members from other parties.

Transition Québec leader and new Limoilou councillor Jackie Smith, while not having a seat on the ruling body, will be on several key committees within the Marchand administration. The executive committee will have six women among its members, the first time women have formed a majority of the inner circle.

“I am very proud of this executive committee that we present to you today,” Marchand said in unveiling his administration at city hall Nov. 17. “It represents the will of the citizens who decided to elect a minority municipal council. Our discussions with other parties led us directly toward this very important objective of daily teamwork to move our city forward.”
Marchand himself will handle economic development, major projects, culture and relations with First Nations.

Here are the key appointments:

• Pierre-Luc Lachance, councillor for Saint-Roch–Saint-Sauveur, formerly with Équipe Labeaume, will handle finance, technology and information, supply and material resources, democratic life and transportation maintenance.
• Marie-Josée Asselin, councillor for Loretteville–Les Châtels, has sustainable development, environment, water treatment and garbage management, urban forestry, police and fire protection, animal control and labour relations.
• Mélissa Coulombe-Leduc, councillor for Cap-aux-Diamants, gets heritage, urban planning, tourism, and parks and green spaces. She will also be head of ExpoCité.
• Maude Mercier Larouche, councillor for Saint-Louis-Sillery, is as- signed the tramway project, “mobility as a service” and communications.
• Marie-Pierre Boucher, councillor for Louis-XIV, has land use planning, social housing, social and community development and seniors.
• Catherine Vallières- Roland, councillor for Montcalm-Saint-Sacrement, will be deputy mayor and be responsible for international relations, major events, culture, family and the vivre-ensemble project.
• Steeve Verret, a former Équipe Labeaume executive committee member and councillor for Lac-Saint- Charles–Saint-Émile since 2005, will handle management of motorized equipment, building management, engineering, and sewer and aqueduct management. He will sit as an independent councillor.
• Jean-François Gosselin, former leader of and mayoral
candidate for Québec 21, and councillor for Sainte-Thérèse-de-Lisieux, will be responsible for sports and recreation. He will sit as an associate member and not participate in discussions outside of his responsibilities.
• Véronique Dallaire, councillor for Des Saules-Les Méandres, elected as an Équipe Marie-Josée Savard candidate, will be an associate member responsible for universal accessibility.
• David Weiser, councillor for Le Plateau district, elected as an Équipe Marie-Josée Savard candidate, will be responsible for immigration, relations with cultural communities and the anglophone community.

Marchand named Smith to a string of important committees, including the tramway project steering committee, the ExpoCité management committee, the Réseau de Transport de la Capitale board and the administrative board of the Office municipal d’habitation de Québec.