“I think we’ve got a good mix, not just a mix of experience but also a mix of personalities. Also, a mix of different life experiences. I look at council, and I think we’ll be all right.”
For Lucier, getting into the work and getting a good idea of the ins and outs is a first priority. Taking a cue from an unnamed philosopher, he said, “tear down no fence that you don’t know why it was built”. The first goal is to figure out why things are the way they are, then see what if anything needs changing.
One area he is looking at is accessibility. Lucier is looking to make use of the mayor’s office at the back of the Civic Centre. He said he wants to have specific and regular hours there, where he can meet with members of the public to discuss issues.
“I want to be present,” he stated. “You can’t be accessible if you’re not present. I’m going to make it my own space.”
He added he hoped councillors would likewise take from this and also be accessible to the public.
One of the first projects he will have to hop into is the lagoon. With work ongoing on the long awaited project, Lucier said he would have to talk to the people directly involved, see what is happening and what challenges might be awaiting. At the end of the day, he said, they are moving in the right direction. He wants to find out what he can do to help the project, but has no interest in interfering for the sake of it. Listen to the people who know, and help move obstacles if needed.
Lucier said he wants to do more promoting of the successes of Boissevain-Morton. It is part of the transparency, to feed the vision of what is happening to the citizens and the wider world.
As with all municipalities with an urban/rural split, balancing the interests of the two can be a challenge. The new head said communication is very important to this. You have to listen to the people and be willing to have the people actually talk to you.
“I think it starts with just talking to them, and listening to them. Giving them a safe space to tell you what the issues are. When you can, act to make positive changes. Where it may be beyond your reach, be honest and say ‘this is outside our area of influence. We can speak to it, we can elevate your concerns, but realistically at the end of the day, if our voices aren’t heard collectively, I’m sorry, we’re in the boat together.’”
His years in the RCMP have given him a lot of experience in dealing with the public. Lucier said in many cases, people just want to be heard. This goes for all ratepayers, no matter where they live in the municipality.
Lucier and the council were sworn in Thursday morning. Then comes the work. He said he knows there will be a learning curve for the first few months, figuring out procedures and what works and does not. They can leverage the experience in the municipal office, which is important and will be when the budget comes up relatively soon.
“It’s going to be an education,” he said. “Nothing comes without a little bit of learning.”
Lucier said he really wants to showcase the community in his term.
“It’s fairly simple stuff, but realistically, we need to tell the story of our community because we have a great community and we need to get it out there. Hopefully, we can attract people who want to come here and make a life here and be a part of what we all know, that this is a great community.”

by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff