Josef Spence – Contributor

On Oct. 23 a unique engagement with municipal activities occurred at 5 p.m. in the Gait. Through the last couple of months, prospective representatives for the Sherbrooke municipal councils have vigorously campaigned, as the signs throughout Lennoxville and the rest of Sherbrooke indicate. On Oct. 23 the campaign was brought to Bishop’s in a mayoral debate organized by the Bishop’s University Politics and International Studies Association (PISA) and broadcast and moderated by CJMQ 88.9 FM Radio. This debate sparked wide interest in the Lennoxville community, drawing attendance from many Bishop’s students and Sherbrooke residents alike. 

Over the course of the campaign mayoral candidates attended two other debates preceding the debate at Bishop’s. Both of those debates were in French, making the debate hosted at Bishop’s the only English debate in the election campaign. Most of the mayoral candidates participated in the debate: with Marie-Claude Bibeau, Raïs Kibonge and Vincent Boutin in attendance, though Guillaume Brien was occupied by another commitment. Raïs Kibonge was the candidate for Parti Sherbrooke Citoyen and Guilllaume Brien was the candidate for Parti Vision Action Sherbrooke. The other two candidates contested the mayorship as independents, with Vincent Boutin stressing the fact that his independent status would allow him to better collaborate with other members of the municipal council if he was elected. Occasionally the candidates struggled with articulating their points in English, though this struggle fostered a collaborative situation in which the candidates aided each other at various points throughout the debate in finding their intended wording. 

After a welcome, introductions and opening remarks from the moderator, the candidates were invited to give opening statements not more than two minutes long. They spoke about their previous experience in government —whether Federal for Bibeau or municipal for the others —and stressed their unique abilities to represent the needs of Sherbrooke’s residents. They then continued on to discuss in 45-second intervals various questions of policy in the themes of housing, mobility, municipal taxation, economic development in the municipality, public safety, governance, homelessness and, uniquely, the protection of the Anglophone community in Sherbrooke, put to them by the moderator. A short crossfire exchange in which the candidates were given the opportunity to question the other candidates themselves, and the questioned candidates respond, occurred before a brief five-minute intermission during which the candidates mingled with the various residents attending the debate. Following the intermission the audience asked questions directly to the candidates and the candidates had 45 seconds to respond. After the Q&A period the candidates had a final opportunity to pitch themselves through their closing remarks and the moderator concluded the debate with a thanks and a reminder of the election date: Nov. 2, 2025. 

This debate was one of the most significant events in the mayoral campaign taking place in English. It allowed those in the community to better familiarize themselves with the positions and intentions of the candidates while also providing students with an opportunity to engage with and observe those politicians who work on issues that are literally close to home: roads, sidewalks, signage, emergency services, etc.. Many people, both students and community members, expressed their appreciation for the debate and the PISA team reported that it went better than they had ever hoped. It brought folks from all walks of life in the community together to see and deliberate the future of the municipality.