Quebec Premier François Legault stood before a packed room in Saint-Michel on July 7 to debut Carole Mallette as the candidate who will run in the upcoming provincial election for the Coalition Avenir Québec in the Huntingdon riding. Mallette will take over for current MNA Claire IsaBelle, who announced she would be retiring from politics after having represented the region for the past four years at the National Assembly.
Before introducing his new candidate, Legault addressed the crowd, which included the mayors of Huntingdon, Dundee, Saint-Anicet, and Sainte-Barbe, as well as several local municipal councillors and representatives from area organizations. He spoke of the riding’s pivotal role in producing food for the province, and confirmed his government’s commitment to helping the agriculture sector and specifically the region’s vegetable producers.

Legault commended IsaBelle on her dedication to the party and applauded her hard work over this past term. He then turned his attention to Mallette, who is well-known locally as the president of Les Usinages Mallette Inc. in Saint-Rémi which specializes in the manufacture and distribution of alternative solutions in the food processing and plastic recycling industries.
“Carole is a recognized businesswoman in the riding. She is a brilliant woman, a leader, a unifier, and a go-getter,” said Legault, who noted he needed someone like her on his team and “could not imagine a better person to represent the Huntingdon riding.”
A mother of two, Mallette has lived in the riding for over 15 years, and says she is eager to contribute to its development. “I believe that the only way to know the future is to create it. I like to act, to be active, to help people. I used to do it within my company, now I want to do it for all my fellow Huntingdon citizens,” she said, while promising to defend the interests of locals in Quebec City if elected.
IsaBelle, who recently tested positive for COVID, was absent for the announcement. In a Facebook post following the event, she wrote that there would certainly be other opportunities for her to gather with local constituents before the end of her term. “I can already tell you that you will be in good hands,” she added, in reference to her successor.
Quebec Solidaire also announces candidate
The Québec Solidaire coordinating committee in Huntingdon officially nominated Emmanuelle Perras as a candidate in the fall election, at an event in Hemmingford on June 9. An electrician by trade, Perras is the mother of three and has been a resident of Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle for the last 14 years. Involved in the community, she is a member of the governing board at her children’s school, a volunteer with the municipal library, and the administrator and founder of the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle (citoyens ensemble) Facebook group.
The local riding associations for the other main political parties, including the Quebec Liberal Party, the Parti Québécois, and the Conservative Party of Quebec have yet to announce the names of candidates for the October 3 general election. (SR)