Trois-Rivières Mayor Jean Lamarche announced Monday that he is suspending his municipal activities for a few weeks due to an "unhealthy work climate" at city council.
In a brief statement, the mayor's team said the hiatus is necessary for Lamarche to reposition himself "in the face of the unhealthy working climate around the council table."
"Unhappy to have to temporarily interrupt his duties, this break is necessary for him to re-energize and re-evaluate his ability to work in balance with his core values," the release said.
Mayor Lamarche has also asked that item six of Tuesday's public meeting on the notice of motion for the 40/55 Industrial Park be withdrawn.
This project has divided the municipal council for several months because of the destruction of wetlands, according to the local publication 'Le Nouvelliste', which also reported that a municipal councillor received threats by email from another elected official concerning his position on the expansion project of the Industrial Park 40/55.
Lamarche has been mayor of Trois-Rivières since 2019. In the 2021 municipal election, he was re-elected with 61 per cent support.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 16, 2023.
