Vaudreuil
James Hughes
Candidate
Biography
James Hughes, the CEO of Mission Old Brewery and father of three, is making the leap into provincial politics by joining the Quebec Liberal Party.
James Hughes holds a Bachelor of Civil Law from McGill University, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University. James Hughes has extensive experience in social services, particularly in the area of homelessness. He has dedicated his career to working with nonprofit organizations to promote social inclusion and help break the cycle of homelessness in Canada.
In addition to leading Mission Old Brewery, the QLP candidate in Vaudreuil is currently a member of the ad hoc committee on Montreal’s encampments, the inaugural chair of the board of directors of the Provincial Roundtable on Employment (PERT), founding president of the organization YES Emploi + Entrepreneuriat, and also serves on the board of directors of the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM).
Throughout his career, James Hughes also served as Deputy Minister of Social Development for New Brunswick from 2008 to 2011. In that role, he helped implement the province’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, an initiative widely recognized for its forward-thinking approach. From 2012 to 2015, he also served as president of the Graham Boeckh Foundation and co-founded the Montreal Movement to End Homelessness (MMFIM). Finally, Mr. Hughes is also the author of three books published in 2015 and 2018 et 2024 on homelessness, the improvement of social programs, and their importance in Canada.
Mr. Hughes’s dedication has been recognized on numerous occasions. In 2014, he received the Goldbloom Award for his contribution to Quebec’s English-speaking community. In 2019, Queen’s University awarded him the John Stirling Medal in recognition of his commitment to Montreal’s most vulnerable residents. Finally, in 2025, he was also awarded the Medal of Honor by the Quebec National Assembly for his lifelong career dedicated to social advocacy and supporting the underprivileged.
