TOWN COUNCILLOR PROFILE – Paul Chauvet

• 

Councillor Paul Chauvet moved to Whitecourt in 1998 and started his career in real estate. In 2001, he broke out on his own and started a franchise of Exit Realty. His wife, Sue, works alongside him, and together they have two boys who work on the Whitecourt Fire Department. “They are rock stars. They are well respected, and they are respectful,” gushed Chauvet. “My wife is a teacher and is a workhorse. The hours that she puts in each day are crazy. I’m enormously proud of my family.”

Since his first election in 2013, Chauvet has proudly represented the residents of the community. He said that his love for Whitecourt and his eagerness to be part of the town’s leadership were some of the reasons why he ran for council. “I saw lots of things that the town was doing that I liked. I wanted to be part of it. It is not like I ran because I was mad and wanted to change things. I wanted to bring out the best interest in the town, whether it was promoting tourism or developing our 50-year-plan.”

The 50 Year Strategic Plan is one of his favourites. “Not very many municipalities have that. Most do not even have a 20-year plan. I loved that everything was planned, and we all had a vision on how to get there, with different ideas, but still moving forward.” Chauvet said he is also proud of Eastlink Park and was happy to see the project come to fruition. “

In 2015, two years after his first election, Chauvet said the economic slump hit hard. “We had two good years and two bad years. We did what we could, and we did a good job. When I was re-elected in 2017, it had been four years of hardship. I think we had a stronger council overall, but the outside forces were keeping us down. The economic downtown, COVID, the issues with Woodlands County was one punch after another. I feel that our hands are tied more.”

Even with negatives hanging overhead, Chauvet said there is plenty to be happy about. “We still have some of the lowest property taxes and utilities for communities our size with our amenities, and we will be paying off the Allan & Jean Millar Centre in 2022. We also have the Christensen Development breaking ground. It took years, but it’s finally happening.”

Dealing with voters and helping provide answers is something that Chauvet enjoys doing. “Sometimes it can be tough, but I look into everything that comes my way, and I always check back to make sure they got an answer. I like making sure I close that loop.” He wishes that more people would vote, though. “We get 26 percent voter turnout. Before COVID, we would have one person at our council meetings, besides those paid to be there as either a member of the town or media.”

He said that one thing has always resonated with him when it comes to elections. “When you say you’re not going to vote, it’s still a vote. It is a vote of compliance and submission. Not voting is just a vote of submission. If there is something that concerns you, then step up and run or vote.”

Chauvet said one of the misconceptions about being a councillor is that it’s an easy job. “The time commitment is a lot bigger than people realize. To be a good councillor you have to spend the time. You can’t just float. You need to read your background and be current. I have no regrets about the decisions I have made. I feel that I always acted in the best interest of our beautiful community.”

Looking ahead, Chauvet said he is hoping for an addition to the family. “My wife and I are looking forward to grandkids, but our boys don’t seem to be in a hurry,” he laughed. Keeping a smile on his face and a jump in his step is part of maintaining the positivity moving forward. “I love the town. I love driving down to Rotary Park and seeing all the different license plates. Sometimes I make conversations. They say we are lucky to have what we do, and that makes me proud.”

At this point, he has not decided if he will seek re-election in the fall but noted there is plenty of time to make that decision. “I haven’t really discussed it with my family yet. If I do decide to run, it is up to the people to decide if they want me. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do what I did.”