Spurning a byelection, Greater Sudbury city council voted during today’s special meeting to appoint candidates in the 2022 civic election to fill vacated seats in Wards 2 and 3.
Eric Benoit has been appointed to Ward 2 and Michel Guy Brabant has been appointed to Ward 3, with both members slated to be made official during the March 19 city council meeting.
Both newly appointed members watched Friday’s special city council meeting from the council chambers gallery, and told Sudbury.com afterward they’re eager to fill their respective roles.
“I have the time available to put forward and do this,” Brabant told Sudbury.com, adding that he’ll have a lot of catch-up work to do for the first while, but he’s eager to get rolling.
Retired from a career in the military, he said, “I’m too young to not do anything. I served and I want to keep serving, and this is one avenue that opened up.”
Born and raised in Chelmsford, Brabant said amalgamation left communities outside of the city core feeling ignored, which he’ll strive to resolve.
“The outskirts have needs that are different from the downtown core,” he said, reiterating what he described as a common refrain from Ward 3 residents — “What about us?”
“I believe you should be the voice of the people for your ward,” he said of city council members.
Benoit works in IT at Gateway Casinos Sudbury and is raising four kids at home in Lively, but told Sudbury.com he’s committed to finding the time to put in full-time hours with city council.
“It’s got to be a full-time job,” he said.
Benoit described his motivation for seeking the Ward 2 seat in 2022 remains the same today as it did then: “To ensure that the people of my ward had a good, strong voice that was willing to work with the rest of city council.”
Greater Sudbury city council’s decision to appoint the two new members follows this year’s deaths of Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini and Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier.
“It’s heartbreaking I’m taking over like this,” Benoit said. “I’m just looking forward to jumping into the role and giving the ward a representative.”
Brabant said he has continued following city council news closely following the 2022 election, since he planned on running again in 2026, at which time he said Montpellier indicated he would not seek re-election.
By getting into city council now, Brabant said it’ll give him an opportunity to try it on for size and see if it fits in advance of the 2026 election. Similar to Benoit, he pledged to put in full-time hours with city council during his condensed term.
Greater Sudbury city council was unanimous in their decision to appoint Benoit and Brabant to their respective positions, which avoids the costly and time-consuming process of hosting a byelection.
The cost of hosting a byelection was estimated to be $500,000 to $600,000, and the byelections would have been held no later than Aug. 22. City solicitor and clerk Eric Labelle told city council members that voter turnout for byelections is usually half that of general elections, and 2022 voter turnout in 2022 was 45 per cent in Ward 2 and 41 per cent in Ward 3.
In the 2022 election Benoit received 1,814 votes to Vagnini’s 2,830, and Brabant received 1,369 votes to Montpellier’s 2,373. Both were two-candidate races, and their respective share of the vote was 39 per cent (Benoit) and 36.6 per cent (Brabant).
“When we sign on to be on council, to be mayor, it never crosses our minds that we would lose colleagues,” Mayor Paul Lefebvre said at the start of today’s meeting. “We dealt with not only one but two tragedies.”
The meeting’s opening moment of silent reflection was in Vagnini and Montpellier’s honour.
During city council’s discussion on whether to proceed with appointments or a byelection, Ward 1 Coun. Signoretti noted that Benoit and Brabant had both already done “the heavy lifting” by seeking public office already in 2022, and “received sizable votes from their constituents.”
Another option proposed by city staff was to issue a call-out for candidates to apply, from whom city council would appoint members to the two vacated wards.
This is the process used to first appoint Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer to his position in 2014. At the time, Sizer pointed out during Friday’s meeting, the application process took place despite the fact he was the runner-up candidate to Fabio Belli in the prior election, whose seat vacated upon his death.
Eight people ran in that election, and 12 names came forward to fill the seat upon city council’s call-out for applications. These extra candidates, Sizer said, “were all of a sudden interested in representing the ward.”
“I don’t think it’s fair,” Sizer said of the application process, throwing his support behind appointing Benoit and Brabant.
“These people have spent the time, and two individuals have spent the time and were truly interested.”
Although city council members were unanimous in their decision to appoint Benoit and Brabant, not everyone in the gallery was supportive.
Area resident Chris Demkiw watched the meeting from the gallery, and was already gearing up to apply for the Ward 2 appointment on a campaign centred on improving the ward for young people.
Although disappointed by the day’s appointments, he told Sudbury.com after the meeting that he understood where they were coming from, and would gear up for an official run in the 2026 regular civic election.
The March 19 city council meeting at which the two new members’ appointments will be made official through the passing of a related bylaw will begin at 6 p.m. It can be attended in-person or livestreamed by clicking here.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
