France Daviault is entering the race for councillor in Ward 6 of Clarence-Rockland, saying her professional leadership experience and community involvement can help provide a stronger voice for residents in Clarence Creek and surrounding rural areas.
A resident of Clarence Creek, Daviault is the mother of two adult sons, including one who is building a small business in the region. She says that experience has given her another perspective on the challenges facing the next generation as they look to build careers, businesses and families in the community.
Daviault says she wants to help protect the qualities that make Clarence-Rockland unique, including its rural character, bilingual and francophone roots and strong sense of community.
“I value what makes our area special — our rural character, our bilingual and francophone roots, our sense of community, and the way people look out for one another,” Daviault said. “Those are qualities I want to help preserve as Clarence-Rockland continues to grow.”
Daviault brings more than 15 years of senior leadership experience in the non-profit sector to the campaign. She currently serves as the CEO of a national organization, where her responsibilities include managing large budgets and teams, working with governments and community partners, strategic planning, governance and decision-making in complex environments.
She is bilingual and previously served in the Canadian Armed Forces Army Reserve, retiring at the rank of Captain.
Her community involvement has included organizations in Clarence-Rockland and Prescott-Russell, including the Clarence-Rockland Food Bank, the Indigenous Grassroots Circle of Eastern Ontario and the 137 Rockland Army Cadets.
Daviault says that combination of professional and community experience has reinforced her belief that effective leadership starts with listening.
“Community service is important to me, and I believe good leadership starts with showing up, listening and being willing to do the work,” she said.
Why she is running
Daviault says she decided to enter the Ward 6 race because Clarence-Rockland is at an important point in its development.
The municipality is experiencing continued growth, she says, creating opportunities while also putting increasing pressure on infrastructure, roads, services and taxpayers.
She believes decisions being made now will have a long-term impact on the character and affordability of the community.
“I’m running because I believe I have experience that can be useful to our community at a crucial point in its growth,” Daviault said.
While she acknowledges that she entered the campaign later than some other candidates, Daviault says she is using the early part of her campaign to meet with community organizations and speak directly with residents.
Rather than approaching the campaign believing she already has all the answers, she says her priority is to listen to residents about the issues that matter most to them.
“I have views and experience of my own, but I don’t believe good representation starts by telling people what they need. It starts by listening,” she said.
Responsible growth, infrastructure and taxes
One of Daviault’s key priorities is ensuring that municipal growth is accompanied by responsible planning and investment.
She says Clarence-Rockland needs to ensure its infrastructure and services keep pace with development, while also protecting taxpayers from unnecessary financial pressures.
Residents, she argues, should have a clear understanding of how their tax dollars are being spent and should see value from those investments.
“Growth needs to be well planned, not simply accommodated,” Daviault said.
Her platform calls for a focus on infrastructure, financial responsibility and ensuring municipal decisions provide value for taxpayers.
Rural communities and access to services
Daviault also wants to put greater emphasis on the needs of residents living outside the urban centre of Rockland.
Ward 6 includes Clarence Creek and surrounding rural areas, communities she says have their own identities and priorities.
She believes residents throughout Clarence-Rockland should have meaningful access to municipal services, recreation opportunities and community investment, regardless of whether they live in the urban or rural parts of the municipality.
“Clarence-Rockland is more than the urban centre of Rockland,” Daviault said. “I want to ensure that residents have meaningful access to municipal services, recreation and community investment and that rural voices are considered when decisions are made.”
Alto project a major issue
Another major issue for Daviault is the proposed Alto high-speed rail project.
Daviault says she is not opposed to high-speed rail itself, but she currently opposes Alto coming through Clarence-Rockland because of the potential impacts she believes the project could have on farmland, private property, community connectivity and the environment.
She says the concerns raised through Alto’s consultation process need to be taken seriously, particularly where alternative routes have been proposed that could reduce impacts on Eastern Ontario farmland.
“Based on what we know today, I oppose Alto coming through Clarence-Rockland,” Daviault said. “I am not opposed to high-speed rail as a concept, but I don’t believe our rural communities should be expected to absorb unacceptable impacts on farmland, private property, community connectivity and the environment so that a train can travel between larger urban centres.”
If elected, Daviault says she would push for a strong municipal voice in discussions surrounding the project, meaningful consultation with residents and farmers, and greater transparency as Alto progresses.
She says her position could evolve as additional information becomes available, but she intends to continue asking why Clarence-Rockland should bear the impacts of the project if alternatives exist that could avoid or reduce those impacts.
A focus on representation
Daviault says she is not promising that a municipal councillor can control decisions made by provincial or federal governments. Instead, she says her role would be to ensure Ward 6 residents have someone advocating for them at the municipal level.
She describes her approach as one based on experience, integrity, accountability and a willingness to ask difficult questions.
“I know how to manage budgets, work through complex issues, bring people together and ask difficult questions when they need to be asked,” she said.
At the same time, Daviault says her professional background does not mean she believes she has every answer.
“As a municipal councillor, I know I won’t control every decision made by other levels of government,” she said. “But I can make sure the people of Ward 6 have a strong voice, that their concerns are heard, and that our community has a seat at the table when decisions affecting us are being made.”