Randy Jones, pillar of Quebec's Lower North Shore, is dead at 69

One of the most influential voices advocating for Quebec's Lower North Shore region has fallen silent. Randy Jones, a political figure and ardent defender of his region, has died. He was 69.

Born in Harrington Harbour in 1956, Jones distinguished himself through his involvement at several levels of government. He served as mayor of Gros-Mécatina, for 16 years, which includes the village of La Tabatière, where he lived.

Kathleen Jones, his younger sister, said he died on Tuesday while being transported to La Tabatière by plane. 

“Randy had a heart of gold and, no matter what, he had time for us. He would do anything for us,” Kathleen Jones said.

She said she doesn’t believe her brother “will ever be forgotten on the coast.” 

Jones's funeral will be held on Dec. 26 in La Tabatière, she added. 

Jones entered politics in 2005, after spending many years as a ship captain.

That same year, he became mayor of Gros-Mécatina and, soon after, ran for federal office, but was defeated in the 2008 federal election, receiving only 14 per cent of the region’s vote. 

He championed the extension of Route 138 throughout his life and was an outspoken advocate for his area.

“In 1988, I went to Quebec City with a bucket of water and protested for two days in front of the National Assembly, until Mr. Pierre Paradis [a former MNA] came out and said, ‘For heaven’s sake, Randy, come inside—we’ll talk to you,’” Jones recalled in a Radio-Canada interview. “A week later, we got our waterworks system.”

Voters on the Lower North Shore supported Jones numerous times, with residents of Mutton Bay and La Tabatière electing him for five terms. He was also elected warden of the Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent regional county municipality in 2017.

Following his most recent election, in 2021, Jones reflected on his career in an interview with Radio-Canada’s Boréale 138. He said he considered the arrival of cellular service and high-speed internet in his remote region that year as his greatest achievement.

“When you talk about getting chills down your spine — it really is a powerful moment,” he said, noting that as soon as it arrived in the region, cellular service helped save lives.

While he was an elected representative of a predominantly anglophone region, Jones spoke impeccable French and defended Quebec several times.