Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to honour André Genest's 35 years of community service. Born in Wentworth‑Nord in Les Pays‑d'en‑Haut, André spent his life serving everyone in his community. In addition to his career in municipal government, he worked as an educator in a youth centre and even welcomed into his home children who were homeless and lacked hope.
He was elected as a municipal councillor in 1990 and served six terms as mayor of Wentworth‑Nord and two terms as reeve of Les Pays‑d'en‑Haut RCM, directly elected by the people, from 2017 to 2025. He also represented the 1,050 municipalities of the Fédération québécoise des municipalités on the board of directors.
Although André successfully managed a number of major projects during his career, I am confident that the sports complex is the one he is most proud of. He brought together nine municipalities around a $45-million collective project, which will be his legacy for future generations.
After 35 years of service, his last day as an elected official was November 2. I would like to wish my friend André, on my own behalf and on behalf of the members of the House, a happy retirement.