As had been rumoured, Ward 4 Coun. Evelyn Dutrisac announced Tuesday she would not be seeking re-election in the October municipal vote.
Dutrisac has been on city council for 12 years, representing her Azilda-area ward that includes the Donovan.
Dutrisac and Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann were the only two councillors re-elected in 2014, with the rest either not running again or defeated at the polls.
In a news release, Dutrisac thanked her husband, Roland, and her children for their support, and pointed to economic growth in her ward, St. Gabriel's Villa, the Rick McDonald Skate Park and the Azilda Dog Park as examples of what she accomplished in her time on council.
“My success in politics is attributed to being action driven and carrying projects on to the end,” she said in her release. “The growth we have seen in Ward 4 has been realized because we have empowered our families to become active and be responsible for thr solutions necessary to improve quality of life.”
Dutrisac is the second councillors to announce she's not running for re-election; Ward 11 Coun. Lynne Reynolds announced she was stepping down last week.
That means half of the four the women on this term of city council will not be back after the October vote. Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh has already registered to run for re-election, while Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann has not made her intentions known as of yet.
While she's leaving city council, Dutrisac said she has applied to be a member of the Canadian Senate, under the new, non-partisan process for choosing senators, and will keep working for the $5-million therapeutic pool that has long been her goal.
The pool would be used by the city's fast-growing population of seniors for physical therapy and rehabilitation. The pools are about four feet deep, warm – 33-35 C – and are fully accessible to a wider range of groups than traditional facilities.
She has been working to raise $300,000 for the facility, hoping other levels of government will step forward to help fund the project.
“With the support of our residents and families ... we will see this project built in the near future,” Dutrisac said in her news release. “Best of luck to all candidates in the race for councillor in Ward 4.”
