BRENDA O’FARRELL
The 1019 Report
The three candidates vying for the open seat on Hudson council in the May 3 by-election all say the municipality’s small-town sense of community is at the base of why they want to be part of running the town, but each are focusing on very different issues as they make their pitch to voters living in the central village core.
Supporting the vibrancy of the town’s commercial core is a centrepiece of Andrew Dumas’ message.
“I definitely think that tourism has to increase in Hudson,” Dumas said in an interview.
Improving the town’s signage, making parking easier, while ensuring bylaws limiting noise and hours of operation are enforced are priorities for him.
Dumas, who is also the co-owner of Sauvé’s restaurant, is clear, the aim is not to turn Hudson into a party town, but bolster its welcome to visitors from neighbouring towns.
A resident for 27 years, Dumas started the Hudson Hospitality Association and is a member of the town’s Business Development Committee. He hosts local quiz nights and was also a volunteer firefighter for 15 years.
“Over the last 15 years I have been listening and learning,” he said, referring to the period of time since he last ran for a council spot. “I’m ready for the job.”
Victoria Henderson is a heritage conservation architect who moved to Hudson in 2016 and almost immediately began volunteering, joining the town’s planning advisory committee (TPAC). The committee provides recommendations to council on building and renovation permits.
Hudson is part of the Communauté métropolitain de Montréal and is subject to its increasing densification requirements, she acknowledged. Her experience on TPAC along with her professional experience, she said, has provided her with insight on how the town needs to update its planning bylaws in order to improve their coherence with different residential building types, including multi-unit dwellings, and cut the red tape that many property owners seeking permits now face.
She aims to work toward helping council find a way to strike a balance between sustainable growth while preserving the small-town elements that make Hudson unique.
“There is a sense of community that seems to exist more than in other places,” Henderson said.
She currently works for the City of Montreal’s urban planning department and is the administrator of a popular community Facebook group, Hudson + Vicinity, which has about 3,200 members.
Luc Dionne is familiar with campaigning in Hudson. The retired actuary, with decades of experience as a financial consultant specializing in long-term and risk management, ran unsuccessfully in the District 2 race in last fall’s general.
He is running again for three reasons: since moving to Hudson five years ago, he was struck by the level of volunteerism in the town and jumped right in and found the experience welcoming; he has found residents are interested and wants to keep them informed; and believes the town could benefit from his professional expertise to map out the financial implications and benefits of long-term planning.
“I don’t want to be confrontational,” Dionne said. “I want to inform.”
Hudson needs to plan its much needed investments in upgrading roads and other infrastructure, he said, explaining how his professional insight into how different planning approaches can best manage these responsibility could affect the long-term implications on tax bills.
Voters in District 3 can cast a ballot in the advance poll set for Sunday, April 26, from noon until 8 p.m., while polls will be open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. on by-election day, Sunday, May 3.
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