At the end of November, the Pontiac Federal NDP riding association elected a new president, Catherine Emond-Provencher.

A statement published on the association’s social media on Nov. 29 noted that outgoing president and two-time candidate Denise Giroux would be “planning to lend her voice to the activities and continued development of the NDP presence in the Pontiac.”

Emond-Provencher had previously worked with the party prior to arriving in the Pontiac, serving as an intern for Hélène Laverdière, who was the MP of the downtown Montreal riding of Laurier-Sainte-Marie. She also joined the Quebec Young New Democrats, and later served in the Ottawa office of MP Guy Caron in 2018, when he was the party’s parliamentary leader.

Following the completion of her masters degree at Carleton University, Emond-Provencher moved to the Plateau region of Gatineau with her partner this summer and ended up volunteering for Giroux’s campaign in September.

She said that her involvement with the party stems from the values instilled in her by her mother.

She added that her priority for the riding association would be to be active in the community and raise awareness about important issues in the region. She gave the proposed low-level nuclear waste facility at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories site in Chalk River as an example.

The full interview with Emond-Provencher is available below: