The City of Mascouche has awarded a snow clearance contract to Simon Trudel, whose father Normand Trudel was arrested on charges of fraud and corruption in April.
Normand Trudel, who owns Transport and Excavation Mascouche, was arrested on suspicions of committing embezzlement and paying bribes to obtain municipal contracts.
The elder Trudel's company made headlines for charging $650 for cleaning snow off of each Mascouche fire hydrant. (In Sherbrooke, for example, the city pays no more than $15 per winter for each fire hydrant).
Simon Trudel founded Axica a few weeks after his father was arrested. Axica pays $16,000 per month to Transport and Excavations Mascouche in exchange for equipment rental.
The Mascouche opposition leader claims that the new contract was given in violation of city contract guidelines.
Stephane Handfield, leader of the Democratic Vision Party of Mascouche said that only companies with three years’ experience in snow clearance are eligible to apply for a snow clearance contract.
Simon Trudel’s new company was credited with having sufficient experience due to his involvement at his father’s company, according to Handfield.
Axica was said to be the only bidder for the contract but Handfield said that another company, Neige Expert, also made a bid for certain parts of the contract.
