Dave Aiello

I'm Supporting Jean-François Gosselin for Mayor of Québec

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Earlier in October, I learned that Jean-François Gosselin, a fellow RPI Hockey alumnus, is running for Mayor of Québec City, Canada.  I looked around for a web page written in English that described his candidacy, and when I couldn’t find one, I started tweeting anyway:

I wanted to take a moment on my own website to say why people from across North America should care about this race, and why JF Gosselin is the right man for the job.

I believe that Québec and its metropolitan area has more potential as a tourist destination and trading partner with the United States than it has leveraged.  Québec could do a much more effective job of reaching out to the USA with someone who is very comfortable speaking English as mayor.  JF has lived in the USA when he was a student at Rensselaer and when he played professional hockey, and he would be a very effective cultural ambassador.

But the main reason why a city elects a mayor is to be the leader of the city government, and this is where I think JF Gosselin has a major advantage.  As a former college and professional hockey player, his ability to work as part of a team is unquestioned.  Compare his skills as a team leader throughout his life to the skills of his main opponent, Régis Labeaume– a man the CBC refers to as “King Régis”.

Labeaume, known for a quick tongue and abrasive relationship with local media, is sometimes called “King Régis” for his iron-clad hold on city hall and his management style.

Every major city in North America has probably had a mayor who has this sort of controlling personality.  The question is, can Québec do better with someone who is a better listener and who has a more approachable personality?  The answer is “yes” and JF Gosselin is the man for the job.

If you have a vote in the election in Québec on Sunday, November 5, please vote for JF Gosselin as mayor and for his teammates from Quebec21.

daveaiello