Stéphane Boyer has successfully secured a second term as the Mayor of Laval, Quebec. His victory was confirmed shortly after 8:40 PM, with Boyer capturing 58.78% of the votes. This translates to a lead of over 3,800 votes against Claude Larochelle from the Parti Laval.
Stéphane Boyer’s Impressive Campaign
Boyer, at just 37 years old, led with an impressive 43% support in pre-election polling conducted by Segma-Radio-Canada. Additionally, two-thirds of respondents expressed satisfaction with his performance in office.
Laval’s Growth Under Boyer’s Leadership
Under Boyer’s administration, Laval has seen unprecedented growth. Approximately 20,000 new residents have moved into the city within the last four years, bringing the total population to around 460,000. The construction of new housing has significantly increased, with 1,000 social housing units completed or underway.
Future Priorities
During his campaign, Boyer emphasized his focus on critical infrastructure projects. His administration has made progress on various initiatives, including the construction of a new police headquarters and a central library. He has committed to prioritizing investments in aging infrastructure such as roads, aqueducts, and sewers.
Challenges Ahead
Despite his successes, Boyer faced criticism from his opponents, who argued that he was slow to respond to urgent issues. They highlighted how the storm Debby revealed the poor condition of aqueducts, resulting in flooding affecting over 7,000 homes.
Political Background
Boyer made history in 2021 as the youngest mayor of Laval at the age of 33. He succeeded former mayor Marc Demers, winning a race that was less competitive than anticipated among eight candidates. His party, the Mouvement lavallois, won 14 out of 21 council seats, while Action Laval secured five and the Parti Laval took two.
This marks Boyer’s second term leading the Mouvement lavallois, which has been in power for the past 12 years. His party initially won the mayor’s office in 2013, ending over two decades of governance by former mayor Gilles Vaillancourt, who was later convicted of fraud in 2016.
