The mayor of Shawinigan was careful not to openly contradict the conclusions of the CMQ investigation report, but nevertheless emphasizes that his version of the facts is not found in the 14 pages of the document. The elected official would have spent “three and a half, four hours” with the investigators.
Michel Angers maintains that he never made any promise of funding, alone in his office with the former general director of Culture Shawinigan, Bryan Perro, despite the contrary assertion in the CMQ report. “I told the investigators the opposite,” he maintains.
Mr. Perro, like everyone else, had to follow the prescribed procedure and submit his requests to the council, which was responsible for deciding, assures the mayor of Shawinigan. “I don’t have a checkbook in my office,” he insists.
Also Michel Angers finds that the words of the Municipal Commission are very harsh.
“If we had stolen money, if we had hidden money, if we had put it in our pockets, things like that, then I could understand.”
— Michel Angers, mayor of Shawinigan, regarding the conclusions of the CMQ investigation report
Mayor Michel Angers reacts to the CMQ report (Amélie St-Yves/Le Nouvelliste)
Advance by 24 hours, the press briefing looked like a demonstration of unity, while the entire municipal council and directors of the various departments of the City of Shawinigan were gathered in the council room to support Mayor Angers in his speech.
Errors and context
The mayor of Shawinigan nevertheless agrees that certain ways of doing things, certain resolutions, or the supervision of Culture Shawinigan, were not optimal. “There are some mistakes, certainly, that we made,” he says.
However, these errors were made in good faith, argues the first magistrate. In addition, the facts highlighted by the CMQ, particularly in the Jardin Luminaire case, occurred in the middle of a pandemic, in the middle of a prolonged boil water advisory, and while the City was dealing with important financial issues. – work, he argues.
He regrets that these mitigating circumstances are only mentioned anecdotally in the investigation report.
“Was it done maliciously, absolutely not. Did we cheat, did we hide, did we scheme, absolutely not. So I feel completely justified in continuing the work I started over the last 15 years.”
— Michel Angers, mayor of Shawinigan, regarding the conclusions of the CMQ investigation report
Despite the nuances that the mayor brings to the CMQ’s findings, it seems that the City intends to comply with the nine recommendations made in the investigation report. We also reiterate that several measures are already in place, suggesting that the work initiated following the submission of Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton’s report was not taken into account by the CMQ investigators.
Call for resignation
Note that a petition posted online in recent days, following the publication of the CMQ report, calls for the resignation of Mayor Michel Angers. As of 5 p.m. Monday, 1,394 signatures supported the request.
Called to comment, the main person concerned did not seem to mind such mobilization. “It’s part of democratic life,” observes the mayor of Shawinigan. It doesn’t change anything in my life, it doesn’t change anything in my career.”
Michel Angers is pleased to still have the confidence of his municipal council. He maintains that under his leadership and in the company of his team, the city has continued to progress over the past 15 years.
When asked how the population should receive the new blame from the Quebec Municipal Commission against the City, in a short period of time, the mayor of Shawinigan offers this answer: “me, what I want What the population remembers is that everything we did as work was in the collective interest, in the interest of the people.” Despite certain breaches of procedure, there was never any question of embezzlement, he reiterates.
