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Newly elected Fabre representative
Gilles Ouimet is looking forward to championing Laval’s interests in Quebec City
“as quickly as possible, in order to start
developing and improving public services
such as health, education and the environment.”
Ouimet told The Suburban in an interview that Laval Liberal party candidates
decided to work as a team during the election campaign. It worked so well, he said, that the four elected Liberal members plan
to continue to pool their efforts on the
island city’s behalf.
“We will definitely remain on that
track,” he vowed, “and we will also work
with the two other [Parti québécois] members, Léo Bureau-Blouin, from Laval des
Rapides and Suzanne Proulx, from Sainte
Rose, for the benefit of all Laval residents.”
Ouimet underscored the importance of
perpetuating longstanding efforts to
increase the range of services provided at
the Cite de la santé regional superhospital.
“We want to ensure that the people of Laval can get medical services in Laval.
We’ve already introduced oncology and
cardiovascular treatment centres here,” he
emphasized, “and we need to keep building
on that.”
Ouimet noted that new schools are also
a priority, due to Laval’s burgeoning youth
population.
“A new primary school in Fabreville is
already in the works,” he observed, “and
soon we’ll need to do the same thing in the
Sainte Dorothée area.”
Ouimet said that he sees mass transit as
an important means to safeguard the
environment.
“We will be watching closely to see how the Parti québécois will act on this front,” he promised. “The train linking Oka with St.
Bruno is supposed to pass through Fabre.
These issues are important to the citizens
in my riding.”
“My colleagues feel the same way,”
Ouimet continued. “It is our responsibility to make this parliament work in best interests of Quebec in general and Laval
in particular.”
He said that after 25 years as a criminal
lawyer—and, until last year, batonnier of the Quebec bar association—politics was
new to him. He added that running for
public office proved quite a moving experience, particularly the encouragement
that he received from members of the
Fabre Liberal riding association.
“Besides thanking all of them for their
support, I want to salute the riding’s
other candidates,” he concluded, “for having participated in a very interesting campaign that reinforced the democratic fabric of our society.”