Retired Judge George Pérusse to Chair Edmundston Electoral Ward Review Committee

Dec 17, 2024

Since the local governance reform, which saw the amalgamation of the City of Edmundston, the Village of Rivière-Verte, part of the LSD of Saint-Jacques and part of the LSD of Saint-Joseph, the new municipal council elected in 2023 has asked that the electoral ward boundaries be reviewed.

In particular, the elected representatives wish to resolve the issues of the imbalance in the number of residents per ward and the imbalance in representation per ward.

To proceed with this complex process, City Council has given its approval to the creation of a citizens' advisory committee, which will be tasked with recommending a redistribution of the electoral wards and a method of representing the population.

Retired judge George Pérusse has agreed to chair the committee, which will be made up of 3 to 5 people. Judge Pérusse will be responsible for appointing the people who will assist him in the important work of his committee and for making recommendations to the municipal council. The committee will be supported by several municipal employees, particularly in the areas of mapping, urban planning and communications.

"Redrawing the boundaries of our city's wards is an important element in ensuring fair representation of the population. To carry out this process successfully, I intend to surround myself with impartial people with knowledge of this type of process. We will certainly be holding consultations to hear people's opinions and suggestions. This is essential to ensure the transparency of the process," explains Mr. Pérusse.

Edmundston Mayor Eric Marquis believes that the work of Mr. Pérusse and the new committee is complex, but absolutely necessary to the democratic process. "Mr. Pérusse and his team will have carte blanche, meaning that they will carry out their work impartially, without interference from City Council. Everything is on the table, whether we're talking about a possible reduction in the number of elected officials, councillors elected at-large or the status quo."

The committee is due to begin its work early in the new year, with a final report due in the spring.

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CONTACT: Eric Marquis, Mayor of Edmundston, 506.739.2115

Biography of Mr. George Pérusse

A native of Edmundston, Mr. Pérusse graduated from École Supérieure Cormier d'Edmundston in 1967 and was awarded the Governor General's Medal. He went on to earn a BSc in biology from Saint-François Xavier University, with the ambition of going into medicine.

In 1971, he enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. He obtained his law degree in 1974 and lived in Grand Falls for three years before being appointed to the New Brunswick Provincial Court in Edmundston, where he served for more than 35 years. At the age of 28, he was the youngest judge ever appointed in Canada.

Despite his demanding profession, Mr. Pérusse has always been very active in his community, particularly with Les P'tits Violons de Mgr Lionel Daigle music school.

Since his retirement a dozen years ago, he has devoted himself to painting. A nature lover and outdoor enthusiast, he learned to paint on location. He has taken part in various symposiums in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick. He was a member of the board of directors of the Rendez-Vous des Artistes de Saint-Léonard, N.-B. from the beginning and participates every year as a painter.

He was a member and president of CPAÉ (Affaires Économiques paroisse Saint-Basile) until last spring. He was also a member of the board of directors of Savoir Sphère Canada Inc. for 10 years, and chaired the committee celebrating the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Religious Hospitallers of Saint Joseph of Saint-Basile from 2022 to 2023.

When he's not enjoying the great outdoors, he remains actively involved in his community as a volunteer.

Mr. Pérusse is married to Pauline Banville and has two children.