Reid will not run again
Pierre Reid, who has served as the Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for the Orford riding for the last 15 years, confirmed on Monday morning that he will not be running for reelection this fall. Speaking at Cherry River Marsh interpretation centre, the veteran politician said that although at 69 his heart is still in the political game, it is important for him to spend the coming years with his ten year old son Louis.
“In 2003, I lived alone and my two daughters were away in the city. In 2018, I obviously still have my two daughters, but also a 10 year old son and three grandchildren,” Reid said, explaining that the decision was a longer and more difficult one for him this year than in past elections. “My choice to not return to politics was, in the end, a choice to be able to see my son Louis grow up, and to be with him as he does so.”
Ried noted that both he and his exwife Lynn Blouin have been serving in roles that keep them busy and moving around, and explained that the scheduling involved in the shared custody agreement they have with their son had become extremely complex and often unbalanced. Concerned about negative impacts that the complex custody arrangement might be having on the child, the outgoing MNA said that he is looking forward to being able to offer his son a more regular and predictable life starting in October. He also said that he plans to spend more time visiting with his three grandchildren in Montreal.
While stressing the importance of being with his family, Reid emphasized the point that he is not checking out immediately. With seven months left between his announcement and the
end of his current mandate, the MNA said that he will remain fully engaged and working on the ground in his riding and in Quebec City.
“My office will continue to be 100 per cent functional,” Reid said.
Among the projects that the Orford MNA highlighted as important for him to see finished before leaving office in the fall was the Stanstead-based student support organization Phelps Helps.
“Everyone should be talking about Phelps Helps,” Reid said, praising the organization and its founders not just for the work they do with local school children, but also for playing what he considers to be a major role in the economic and social development of Stanstead and the surrounding area.
The MNA explained that he has long felt that the Stanstead area deserves a fresh start after having faced years of difficult economic conditions. The work being done by Phelps Helps, he said, stands to have a significant impact on the local population by building from the ground up, starting with the community’s children. That work, Reid added, has already received support from a number of local businesses, but he made it a personal goal to see the Provincial Government chip in more as well.
“Everyone in the private sector is asking, what is Quebec doing for (Phelps Helps)?” Reid said. “We were successful in getting some money, but it is not enough and I would like it to be more regular for a certain number of years.”
Ideally, Reid said, he would like to see the provincial government match private sector funding over a period of several years.