France Bélisle is a Canadian politician who served as the mayor of Gatineau, Quebec from 2021 to 2024. She was elected in the 2021 Gatineau municipal election, becoming the city's first female mayor.[1]

France Bélisle
22nd Mayor of Gatineau
In office
November 16, 2021 – February 22, 2024
Preceded byMaxime Pedneaud-Jobin
Succeeded byDaniel Champagne (acting)
Personal details
Political partyIndependent
OccupationJournalist

Bélisle was educated in journalism at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University,[2] Bélisle worked as a journalist and news director for Ici Radio-Canada Télé owned-and-operated station CBOFT-DT in Ottawa, Ontario until joining Tourisme Outaouais as its executive director in 2015.[3] She left that role in 2021 to mount her campaign for mayor.[4]

She campaigned on themes of transparency at Gatineau City Hall, as well as on the need for Gatineau to maintain and improve its collaboration and communication with Ottawa City Council.[2] During the campaign she faced allegations that her leadership of Tourisme Outaouais had created a toxic work environment at the organization.[5]

She was sworn in as mayor of the city on November 16, 2021.[6] She resigned on February 22, 2024, citing a toxic political environment and death threats, triggering the 2024 Gatineau mayoral by-election.[7]

Electoral record

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2021 Gatineau municipal election: Mayor
Party Candidate Popular vote Expenditures
Votes % ±%
Independent France Bélisle 29,768 42.86 $81,079.89
Action Gatineau Maude Marquis-Bissonnette 26,151 37.65 -7.46 none listed
Independent Jean-François Leblanc 11,326 16.31 $71,309.44
Independent Jacques Lemay 1,077 1.55 $8,206.19
Independent Rémi Bergeron 727 1.05 $0.00
Independent Abdelhak Lekbabi 411 0.59 none listed
Total valid votes 69,460 99.25
Total rejected, unmarked and declined votes 524 0.75 -0.98
Turnout 69,984 35.11 -3.41
Eligible voters 199,302
Note: Candidate campaign colours, unless a member of a party, are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items
(signs, literature, etc.) or colours used in polling graphs and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
Sources: Office of the City Clerk of Gatineau[8] and Élections Québec[9]

References

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  1. ^ Josh Pringle, "France Belisle elected Gatineau's first female mayor". CTV News Ottawa, November 7, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Ted Raymond, "Transparency and connecting with Ottawa priorities for Gatineau Que.'s new mayor". CTV News Ottawa, November 8, 2021.
  3. ^ Justine Mercier, "France Bélisle à la tête de Tourisme Outaouais". Le Droit, June 30, 2015.
  4. ^ Camille Boutin, "Tourisme Outaouais perd sa présidente-directrice générale". Ici Radio-Canada Ottawa-Gatineau, January 6, 2021.
  5. ^ Mathieu Bélanger, "France Bélisle nie les allégations de harcèlement en milieu de travail". Le Droit, October 25, 2021.
  6. ^ Ted Raymond, "Newly-elected Gatineau mayor, councillors to be sworn in". CTV News Ottawa, November 16, 2021.
  7. ^ "Gatineau Mayor France Bélisle steps down, citing hostile political climate". CBC News. Ottawa, Ontario. February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  8. ^ "2021 municipal election – Results". City of Gatineau. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  9. ^ "Summary of election expenses - Municipal". Élections Québec. Retrieved February 26, 2024.