Collard is a French school board trustee and lawyer who has lived in riding for 35 years
French school board trustee Lucille Collard has won the provincial byelection in Ottawa-Vanier, which includes both Sandy Hill and the University of Ottawa campus, keeping the historically Liberal riding red.
Collard, who has lived in the riding for 35 years, is a lawyer and a trustee with the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario. She won the riding with just over 52 per cent of votes, according to the unofficial results.
The riding was held by former Liberal MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers but she resigned last summer to become the principal of the University of Toronto’s Massey College. Des Rosiers was also the former dean of the U of O’s faculty of law (common law section) before becoming an MPP.
NDP candidate Myriam Djilane came in second place with just over 25 per cent of votes. Djilane studied social work and theatre and works for Air Canada.
Progressive Conservative candidate Patrick Mayangi took third place with 11.69 per cent of votes. Mayangi is a legislative assistant for Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan MP Garnett Genuis and holds degrees in political science and European, Russian and Eurasian studies.
Green Party candidate Benjamin Koczwarski came in fourth with 8.58 per cent of votes. Koczwarski is an engineer and city planner who has worked with UN Habitat for Humanity.
In an interview with the Fulcrum earlier this month, Collard said a lack of affordable housing and poverty are two of the biggest issues facing Ottawa-Vanier.
“We know residences around here are not affordable for a student and it’s a struggle for a lot of people to find something that is suitable,” said Collard in regards to affordable housing.
Collard added that poverty “is certainly a big, big challenge,” and said that the riding needs “to work with all levels of government to find rapidly some short term, but also longer-term solutions to that problem.”
“If we are working all work together, we can actually draw more resources together to be able to make a difference,” said Collard.
The Ottawa-Vanier byelection saw about a 20 per cent voter turnout.
Another byelection was also held in Orléans, where Liberal candidate and former city councillor Stephen Blais won with 55 per cent of votes. Natalie Montgomery ran in the riding for the Progressive Conservatives, Manon Parrot for the NDP, and Andrew West for the Green Party.
