Isabelle Lessard, Stéphane Boyer and Michaël Pilote were 87 years old together and had barely six years of experience at City Hall when tragedy struck their community. How did these chosen young people hold the helm as their city fell through the storm? By sleeping very little, giving her 200%… and sometimes resting with her parents!
The three agree: regardless of age, there is nothing that can prepare a mayor for a crisis. “It’s not easy to deal with a tragedy,” summarizes Stéphane Boyer, who was elected mayor of Laval at the age of 33. Crises happen, they impose themselves and are beyond our control. »
In early February, a bus driver threw his 20-ton car at a daycare center in the Sainte-Rose neighborhood of Laval. Two children are killed in the drama and a shock wave shakes Quebec’s third largest city. Her community, upset by such a senseless act of violence, needs a shoulder to comfort them: Stéphane Boyer in particular will offer her comfort.
“A lot of the ordeal is a human challenge, it’s about channeling the emotions that people can experience and being a moral support,” explains the now 35-year-old mayor. When we spend a day meeting victims, it’s often emotionally difficult to come to terms with. I can say that a crisis like this is a crash course that we as mayors are given. »
“Age has nothing to do”
“You never think something like this is going to happen to you,” adds Michaël Pilote, mayor of Baie-Saint-Paul. For example, when it happens, you have no choice but to live it up, deal with the situation, and give 200% because the people elected you their mayor and flag bearer. »
When we spend a day meeting victims, it’s often emotionally difficult to come to terms with. I can say that a crisis like this is a crash course that we as mayors are given.
On May 1, floods inundated downtown Baie-Saint-Paul, forcing the evacuation of hundreds and wounding the heart of the community. A week and a half later, the mayor “celebrated” entering his thirties in the midst of the crisis, exhausted from nights with barely “two or three hours of sleep.”
“As long as you haven’t experienced it, it remains abstract. You may have seen what it’s like elsewhere by watching Premier Legault’s press conferences on TV when it came to COVID, or Lucien Bouchard and André Caillé’s during the ice storm, as long as you haven’t heard your phone ringing any two Minutes because you have to make a decision like that, because people need this or that, or because people are panicking and you have to calm them down, it’s incomprehensible. »
At the age of 29, almost 30, Michaël Pilote had to deal with the limelight of the media. Overnight, catastrophe struck his world and cameras from Quebec and beyond were trained on him.
For example, when it happens, you have no choice but to live it up, deal with the situation, and give 200% because the people elected you their mayor and flag bearer.
“There is international media that has taken an interest in us, our press conferences were broadcast live on all channels, the TV broadcasts stopped when we started speaking,” says the Charlevoix representative-elect. It threw us onto the big screen: it was my first time doing this and it took us out of our comfort zone. »
According to the two mayors, age has nothing to do with the ability to stand at the sickbed of his battered community. “I dare to believe that this is not a negative factor in our ability to weather crises,” says Stéphane Boyer. What is different at our age is certainly the way we deal with it, especially by often using social networks to inform the population. »
“The person can be 25 or 70 years old, maybe they are also able to do the job,” says Michaël Pilote. It all depends on the leadership: you have to be calm, surround yourself well, communicate well and then use common sense. Some have it by the age of 20, others never. »
A Queen in Chapais
At 23, Isabelle Lessard had to watch over Chapais while historic wildfires ravaged the small town. The decision to clear the site or not was his, a tough decision for such young shoulders.
“It might sound weird, but I’m pleasantly surprised by the reaction I got,” she explains. We never really know how we will react in such a situation. Even if I had re-read my emergency preparedness folder over and over again, in practice it is so different that we cannot be 100% prepared. »
I just didn’t have a choice: I really embraced my role as mayor and I put my heart into it. I said to myself, “Okay, there’s 1500 people counting on me, let’s go, I’m in gear and doing my job.”
She admits it right away: Before the crisis, she liked to let her decisions mature before making them. “I’m not necessarily recognized as someone who works so well under pressure,” says Isabelle Lessard. The braziers allowed her to prove to both her community and herself what she was capable of.
“I just didn’t have a choice: I really embraced my role as mayor and I put my heart into it. I said to myself: “Okay, there are 1500 people counting on me, let’s go, I’m in gear and doing my job.”
Just the idea of being confronted with such crises several times a year tires me, my God. I’m not ready to replace François Legault tomorrow morning… but it definitely makes me want to improve a little more!
The role of the mayor does not overshadow that of the daughter. At 23, Isabelle Lessard was fortunate to have her parents to take care of her during these difficult times. “My parents were great, but they were like a father and a mother. They were proud but worried at the same time. They wanted me to rest and they asked me: “Are you eating well, are you sleeping too?” When we talked about evacuation, they said: “No, no, no, we can’t leave you here alone!” It was a good feeling to be able to rely on them, even if I couldn’t show that I was tired in my professional life. At home I could rest, breathe deeply and close my eyes a little. »
Her image as mayor has also changed in the wake of the crisis. In the past, some could harbor doubts about a mayor born in 2000. “The crisis made it possible to confirm to people that I had my place.” »
She also expanded her political ambitions.
“Several people said to me, ‘You’ve handled it like a queen, I can see you moving forward in your career and becoming prime minister.’ “I’m stopping that for a bit because I’m not out yet and I’m exhausted,” she laughs. Just the idea of being confronted with such crises several times a year tires me, my God. I’m not ready to replace François Legault tomorrow morning… but it definitely makes me want to improve a little more!