Jason St. Louis, who ran as an independent candidate in this year’s provincial election, will once again appear on the ballot—this time in next month’s federal election.
St. Louis, a former mixed martial artist (MMA) with several national and world titles from a 35-year career, was born in Cornwall. He now lives in Russell, Ont., and is the father of three children.
After watching businesses shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, including one of his own, St. Louis began to take an interest in politics. He pursued a law degree and now works as both a paralegal and a driving instructor.
While he acknowledged that winning was unlikely in the provincial election—Progressive Conservative candidate and incumbent Stéphane Sarrazin was re-elected in Glengarry–Prescott–Russell—St. Louis said his goal was to make his voice heard, share his platform and offer voters an alternative.
“I just had all these ideas, and I needed to educate myself more on the issues people were concerned with provincially and now federally,” St. Louis said in an interview with The Vision. “I gained some confidence when I ran in the provincial election and just said, I have so much more to do. I still want people to have another option, a different voice, and give them the transparency they need.”
As an independent candidate, St. Louis said he has followed all sides of the political spectrum and doesn’t want to be tied to party promises that, in his view, are often broken. He said he and other like-minded individuals are forming an association of independent candidates.
“We want to have a group where independent candidates support each other and promise to share everything with constituents in our ridings,” said St. Louis. “We need to stand together and show people that we promise to be your voice at the federal level.”
St. Louis is one of six candidates running in the newly realigned riding of Prescott–Russell–Cumberland. The riding, formerly known as Glengarry–Prescott–Russell, now includes parts of eastern Ottawa (Ramsayville, Mer Bleue, Carlsbad Springs) as well as Clarence-Rockland, Hawkesbury, The Nation, Casselman, and the townships of Alfred and Plantagenet, Champlain, East Hawkesbury and Russell.
More information is available at his website: jasonstlouis.ca.
