Don Bouchard is seeking a seat on Clarence-Rockland City Council in Ward 5 in the October 26, 2026 municipal election.
Bouchard is one of two certified candidates registered for the Ward 5 councillor position, along with Chantal Sarkisian.
The 48-year-old says he has lived most of his life in Clarence-Rockland, where he is raising a blended family of five children.
“I’m proud to be raising our blended family of five children here,” Bouchard said. “Having lived here for most of my life, I understand both our history and our immense potential.”
Background in municipal government, education and community leadership
Bouchard brings previous municipal political experience to the campaign.
He served as a Clarence-Rockland city councillor from 2018 to 2022 and ran for mayor in the 2022 municipal election. According to the City’s official election results, Bouchard received 3,951 votes in the 2022 mayoral race, finishing behind Mario Zanth, who was elected with 4,874 votes.
Before entering his teaching career, Bouchard worked for the City of Clarence-Rockland as a Recreation Program Manager.
He has bachelor’s degrees in Human Kinetics and Political Science, as well as master’s degrees in Change Management, Community Development and Management, and Sports Sociology.
Bouchard has spent more than 20 years in education as a full-time professor in Social Work at La Cité College. He also teaches part-time at the University of Ottawa in its Social Work and Gerontology programs.
His community involvement includes serving as a board member of Valoris for Prescott-Russell and as president of the board of the Fondation franco-ontarienne.
Bouchard says the combination of municipal government, education and community leadership experience would allow him to return to City Hall with a strong understanding of the community and its residents.
Why Bouchard says he is running
Bouchard says his decision to seek a council seat is based on what he describes as Clarence-Rockland’s potential and the concerns he has heard from residents during the campaign.
He says he has spoken with nearly 1,000 residents while going door-to-door.
According to Bouchard, the issues he is hearing about most often are taxes, roads and infrastructure, transportation and community safety.
“I want to bring my experience in municipal government, education, and community leadership back to City Hall,” Bouchard said.
He says his goal is to help maintain Clarence-Rockland as a community where families can afford to live, seniors can remain in the community, businesses can grow and future generations have opportunities.
Taxes and economic growth
Bouchard’s first major campaign priority is what he describes as reducing the tax burden on residents.
He says residential property taxes have increased by a compounded 31 per cent since 2021, and argues that residential property owners are carrying more than 94 per cent of the tax burden.
Bouchard says he believes the municipality needs to focus on economic growth and attracting businesses that can generate additional commercial and industrial tax revenue.
Among the sectors he identifies are light manufacturing, logistics, food processing and medical services.
He also says economic development should include continued support for existing local businesses.
Highway 17 and public transportation
Transportation is another major focus of Bouchard’s campaign.
He is calling for the widening of Highway 17 and says Clarence-Rockland should pursue a public-transit agreement with OC Transpo.
Bouchard argues that improved transportation connections would provide residents with faster and more reliable access to Ottawa for employment, education and essential services.
His campaign says improvements could also help reduce congestion and shorten commute times.
The City of Clarence-Rockland is currently divided into eight wards, with one councillor elected from each ward. The ward boundaries were revised ahead of the 2026 election following a boundary review.
Roads and infrastructure
Bouchard also wants infrastructure maintenance to remain a priority.
He points specifically to Clarence-Rockland’s gravel-road network, saying that as a councillor in 2022 he supported the maintenance program for the city’s 91 kilometres of gravel roads.
If elected, he says he would continue investing in their maintenance.
For paved roads, Bouchard says the municipality should place greater emphasis on preventive maintenance rather than waiting until roads deteriorate to the point where expensive reconstruction is required.
He describes the city’s asphalt roads as some of its most valuable municipal assets.
Community safety and speeding
Community safety is the fourth major issue Bouchard says he is hearing about at the doors.
He identifies speeding and unsafe driving as recurring concerns among residents.
Bouchard says he would work with the Ontario Provincial Police to increase targeted enforcement in areas where residents report persistent problems.
He also proposes an online reporting tool through the City’s app that would allow residents to report speeding and other traffic concerns, with the goal of helping identify areas where enforcement is most needed.
Election day
The 2026 Clarence-Rockland municipal election takes place October 26.
Voting will be conducted online and by telephone, with the voting period running from October 21 at 9 a.m. through October 26 at 8 p.m.
The City’s official candidate list currently shows Don Bouchard and Chantal Sarkisian as the two certified candidates for Ward 5.
Bouchard says his campaign is ultimately about bringing his previous municipal experience back to City Hall while focusing on the issues he says residents have identified as priorities.
“I’m running because I care deeply about Clarence-Rockland, I believe in what this community can become, and I want to contribute my experience and energy to that future,” Bouchard said.