He was elected to serve as Vice President of Clubs and Societies for the Champlain Student Association. While in this new role and building on his passion for politics, he organized a federal election debate on campus in 2021 between candidates from all major parties in the riding of Brossard—Saint-Lambert. “Champlain was a time for me to explore, and it really felt like I had every opportunity to discover,” he said. “It was very tight knit, and there was a clear community fabric. It allowed me to grow into myself more and more.”
Throughout his studies, he remained engaged in politics, having helped out Doreen Assaad’s Brossard Ensemble team during the 2021 Brossard municipal elections as a campaign manager for the successful election of a candidate to city council. He remained consistently involved afterwards, sitting on Brossard Ensemble’s executive committee as party secretary and helping organize events which saw hundreds of attendees throughout the previous mandate.
“I’m the type of person who wants to give a helping hand, because if I don’t, I’ll wonder ‘what if’. What if I could have made a difference?” he said.
After graduation from Champlain, Thomas completed a Bachelor’s degree in the Urban Studies Honours program with a minor in Political Science at McGill. “This was my chance to explore a little more of my interest in geography and bring in politics, because human geography has to do with the relationship between space, place, and people,” he said.
Thomas completed his honours thesis on the topic of Brossard’s specialized planning program on the New Downtown that aims to reconfigure the area around the Panama REM station, a significant part of the area he currently represents in his district. “I really wanted to demystify the project, interview residents of Brossard to see what they think of it, and how it might change the dynamics of their city,” he said.
Shortly after his studies, Thomas was surprised when Mayor Doreen Assaad later called him to invite him to run as a candidate for the party in the upcoming municipal election. “I said, ‘Really? 21-year-old me?’ I was stunned beyond belief,” he said. “It was really something special when she called me.”
Right before running for office, he served as a political attaché for Linda Caron, MNA for La Pinière, a riding comprising much of Brossard’s territory. He was keen to join the team and lend his voice to the realm of politics in a more public role.
“I had seen the side of helping someone out from behind the scenes, and then suddenly I was in the position of being the person whose face was on electoral signs all across the city, knocking on doors, talking to people about the issues they hold to heart,” he said.
His sustained devotion to his community and his keenness for municipal issues allowed him to integrate himself within an experienced team, who saw potential in the voice of youth in politics. “I had to break out of the thought process of me asking myself, ‘Am I really capable of doing this?’ I had to remind myself, ‘You are here because you are meant to be here.’ It was very reassuring when I was knocking on doors and talking to residents, learning that people really wanted youth to be involved. People felt that we need young voices at city hall.”
Thomas flipped his seat from the opposition in District 6 in a sweep that saw every member of Assaad’s Brossard Ensemble team elected. He presides the Environment and Public Works Committee and sits as a member of the Planning Advisory and Demolition Committees. He said he is embracing the new role and while continuing his Masters studies full-time, which he attests are very complementary to one another. “So far, I’m able to strike a balance. I’m able to respond to citizens when they reach out and also do my homework. I really am privileged to be living both experiences at once.”
Thomas’ advice for current students and recent grads: “Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Sometimes the things that seem the riskiest end up being the most fulfilling and teach you the most valuable lessons. If you go for something and you discover it’s not your thing, it’s not a waste of time: you’ll learn you don’t like something and that is equally as valuable. Don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith even if it seems daunting. You never know unless you try.”
