Author name: Brenda O'Farrell The 1019 Report

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

Pincourt’s 22-year saga to build an arena is finally entering the home stretch, the town announced last week, as it moved forward with a plan to build a sports centre.

In what municipal officials called “a major milestone,” Pincourt signed an agreement in principle with a construction company to conduct a feasibility study that would see a new sportsplex built across from the École secondaire du Chêne-Bleu on Pincourt Boulevard, the site of a former abandoned arena building.

 “The people of Pincourt have been waiting for this project for a long time,” said Pincourt Mayor Claude Comeau last week, adding that the town was taking “an important step forward with caution and commitment.”

The feasibility study, which will be carried out by construction company Médifice Investissements, will provide Pincourt with details on the timeline and cost of building an arena.

“This stage is non-binding for construction and aims to lay the concrete foundations for a structured and feasible project,” a statement from the town said.

The planned facility would include an indoor ice rink that can double as a multifunctional amphitheatre for musical, cultural and community events.

22-year imbroglio

The project would also mean the abandoned building still on the site, which has been covered with graffiti and has long been an eyesore in the neighbourhood, will finally be torn down.

The dilapidated structure, which was never completed, near Fifth Avenue, was abandoned not long after construction of what was to be an arena began in 2003 due to financing issues.

Pincourt had subsequently faced a lawsuit by the building’s contractor. The dispute lingered in the courts for seven years before the town decided to purchase the building in 2012 for $3.25 million.

There had been multiple attempts since then by the town to sell the property to private firms for development, but each attempt failed to move the project forward. In 2019, the town had announced it would demolish the decrepit structure, but that plan was delayed as well.

Shortly after the 2021 election, Comeau promised to relaunch the project. With support from Vaudreuil MNA Marie-Claude Nichols, the town sought financial assistance from the Quebec government in 2023, but that bid was ultimately declined.

The town has since “deemed it appropriate to explore new avenues to bring this project, which is eagerly awaited by the population, to fruition,” the statement continues.

Over the past couple of years, the town has been meeting with officials of the neighbouring municipalities of Terrasse Vaudreuil, Notre Dame de l’Île Perrot and L’Île Perrot pitching the project as one that would benefit all concerned, as there is currently no arena on the island. All the towns have agreed to collaborate to see this project through.

“I am convinced that we can all work together to finally deliver this project, which is crucial for all citizens of the island,” Comeau added.

There is no precise timeline for when the study will be completed, but the town is hoping to have it by the end of this year, Pincourt communications director Vicky Sauvé told The 1019 Report.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

In the 2021 municipal elections,only two of the nine positions on St. Lazare council were contested, drawing only a small fraction of the more than 16,000 registered voters to the polls.

This year, with a challenger running against incumbent Mayor Geneviève Lachance and three first-time candidates having already stepped forward to run for council, the November vote is shaping up to be a little bit more of a contest.

In District 8: Incumbent councillor David Hill, who was acclaimed in 2021, is only one of nine incumbents who has yet to announce whether he will run again in this district that covers much of the west end of the town.

While Hill said he will announce his intentions “in the next few weeks,” a challenger has stepped forward.

Daniel Thibaudeau is seeking the seat. A retired Sûreté du Québec officer, who spent nine of this 33 years on the force as the national spokesperson for the SQ, says he’s ready to give back to the community once again.

“With my background (in the SQ), I can bring that experience to the table at the city council in affecting change regarding many aspects of public safety,” Thibaudeau explained in an interview. “Looking at infrastructures and doing crime prevention and traffic safety through environmental design is one of my specialties and I look forward to putting that to the benefit of the citizens.”

Thibaudeau, who was awarded the Governor General’s Police Exemplary Service Medal in 2024, said his top priority is to address the looming issue of water quality and pressure in the Green Maple Hill neighbourhood – a small cluster of about 60 homes in the far-west sector in District 8.

“I want to get that file rolling and make sure that those people have adequate drinking water services,” Thibaudeau explained.

Like Hill, Thibaudeau said he wants to focus on preserving the natural character of the district, which covers heavily-forested areas west of the Saddlebrook neighbourhood. However, Thibaudeau explained he would take a more pragmatic approach to the role, differing himself from Hill’s approach, which he described as more of an activist.

Hill has voted against several development projects because they are “incursions into pristine forested areas.”

“We need people like that, most definitely,” Thibaudeau said of Hill. “They have their role. But his role in municipal council is not expected to be one of activist. It’s one to be working for the people and concretely achieving change.”

Thibaudeau added that he would be open to development in the district to meet with the increasing demand for housing. “But development on our terms, by our standards and at our pace.”

In District 7: So far there is only one declared candidate in this district, which covers the central-west portion of the town, including a swath north of Ste. Angélique Road east of Côte St. Charles.

Incumbent Donald Andrews, who won the seat by acclamation in 2021, said he will be running again.

In District 6: With incumbent Brian Trainor already stating he will not seek re-election, first-time candidate Lorraine Caron is the only registered candidate running in the ward, which covers the Cedarbrook neighbourhood.

A scientific researcher and consultant with a PhD in biomedical sciences and bioethics, Caron has held numerous committee roles with the town over the past decade. These include chairing the town’s environmental committee since 2016 and sitting as a member of the town’s Economic Development Committee since 2021. In 2023, she was recognized as St. Lazare’s “Volunteer of the Year.”

“I want to get involved in municipal politics to play a more proactive role in the decisions that will shape the long-term evolution of my town,” Caron stated in a press release.

Her priorities include maintaining “sound financial management,” adapting the town to climate change, preserving St. Lazare’s natural heritage and promoting the local economy.

In District 5: So far, incumbent Richard Chartrand is the only candidate. Chartrand has held this district, which covers much of the central area of the town, stretching westward from Bédard Avenue to Rue de l’Héritage since 2017. He was acclaimed in 2021.

In District 4: Incumbent councillor Michel Poitras is looking to hold on to his seat, which covers a central area of the town east of Bédard Avenue.

In 2021, this was one of the two seats that was contested, with Poitras winning the contest with just over 70 per cent of the vote cast.

In District 3: With incumbent Marc Emond having confirmed his intention to run for re-election last week, this is the only district where a race is guaranteed in the November election.

Emond won the ward, which covers the easternmost area of the town, including the Chaline Valley neighbourhood, in 2021 with a slim 51.5-per-cent majority.

To date, his only challenger is Roselyne Legault, a retired labour lawyer and former teacher who wants to encourage more residents to get involved in governance at the local level.

“The first government with which we can engage, it’s the municipal government,” Legault said in an interview. “We can speak much more easily to our municipal representatives than to our (MNAs or MPs).”

Many residents are unaware of the responsibilities of municipalities, how municipal budgets work or how to make sense of some of the language used by municipal governments, she said.

“Sometimes, governmental language, it’s like Chinese,” she said. “Often, when you don’t understand, you can’t get interested. We must improve resident participation and demystify the government language.”

“Through my training as a lawyer and teacher, I’m used to explaining things and simplifying them so that people understand,” Legault added.

She would maintain a constant on-the-ground presence in order to check the pulse of the district. “When you see people face to face, you better understand the situation.”

In District 2: To date, there is no declared candidate in the ward, which covers the town’s northeastern area, made up mostly of agricultural land.

Incumbent Pierre Casavant has not publicly announced whether he will run for re-election, and has not responded to a request for comment. He has represented the district since 2019, winning his seat in a by-election. He was re-elected by acclamation in 2021.

In District 1: Incumbent Tanja Minisini has confirmed her intention to run for re-election. The ward, which includes the north end of the town, including a cluster of homes south of Highway 40, and stretches to Harwood Boulevard, just south of Hudson. Minisini was acclaimed in the 2021 election.

Residents interested in running for town council have until Oct. 3 to register as a candidate. Municipal elections across Quebec will be held on Nov. 2.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

One of the people that founded a group advocating for the merger of the four municipalities on Île Perrot has stepped forward to run for a council seat in Notre Dame de l’Île Perrot, a move that will put the issue of municipal fusions on the debate table.

“This will surely be a subject that will be discussed with people I meet to see how they feel about it,” said Lise Chartier, who announced her candidacy for the District 3 council seat last Wednesday. “I think one must see people, meet with them, talk with them (and) see what their positions are.”

“I intend to ask people ‘What would this mean for you? Do you want it? Would you like to know (about it)?’” said Chartier, who is a former journalist, communications professional and historian who’s written three books on the history of the island of Île Perrot. “Knowledge is the basis for good decision-making.”

The topic of a possible merger of the municipalities of Notre Dame de l’Île Perrot, L’Île Perrot, Pincourt and Terrasse Vaudreuil dates back to the 1980s. The subject was revived last year, when Chartier and a small group of residents on the island launched Avenir Île Perrot – Becoming Île Perrot, a grassroots group that is advocating for the merger and currently pushing for the four municipal councils on the island to request a free, no-obligation feasibility study conducted by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAMH) to give residents all the facts on the pros and cons of a merger. A petition created by the group calling for each of the four municipalities to request the study has collected more than 500 signatures.

Chartier, who served as a board member and communications director for the group recently left Avenir Île Perrot – Becoming Île Perrot as she makes her run for council.

While she agrees a feasibility study would provide a much-needed “base” of information on this topic, she will listen to and respect the will of the constituents.

In July, L’Île Perrot council adopted a resolution requesting the merger study by the MAMH. However, a study can only be done if two or more municipalities adopt the resolution, and the topic has not gained much traction among the three other municipal councils.

Last week, Notre Dame council approved a resolution stating it was not in favour of a merger feasibility study. At the Aug. 12 meeting Notre Dame Mayor Danie Deschênes said a merger would complicate finances for the town, the largest and wealthiest on the island.

“We collectively experience enough instability in other areas of our lives that we do not wish to experience the same in our city and community,” she wrote in a message to The 1019 Report.

“That’s her opinion,” said Chartier of Deschênes’s opposition to municipal mergers. However, she added that the opinions of a mayor are not always shared by a majority of citizens. “I think the citizens should give their opinion.”

District 3, where Chartier will run covers the town’s northeastern section, north of Perrot Boulevard, bordering Lake St. Louis. The seat has been held by Daniel Lauzon since 2009. Lauzon did not respond to an inquiry as to whether he will run for a fifth mandate.

Encouraging more citizen engagement

While the merger question matters, Chartier said she is not a one-issue candidate. If elected, she aims to promote citizen engagement through increased communication.

A former journalist and communications specialist, Chartier said she understands the value of open communication. She had co-founded Caisse, Chartier et associés, a media-monitoring firm that operated Canada-wide for 30 years until it was bought out in 2001.

She has also been involved with various local historical and cultural groups, including the Notre Dame de l’Île-Perrot cultural committee, the Ste. Jeanne de Chantal Heritage Foundation and the Pointe-du-Moulin Historical Park Development Society. She also chaired the Île Perrot 350th anniversary committee in 2024 and serves as president of the Île Perrot History and Genealogy Society.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

St. Lazare will not follow other municipalities in the 1019 region with a temporary ban on non-essential water-use activities amid hot temperatures, according to Mayor Geneviève Lachance.

“We’re nowhere close to a ban,” Lachance told The 1019 Report. “According to our infrastructure department, we’re doing fine at this point.”

Although there is no water shortage in St. Lazare, water usage has increased in the past weeks, and is now considered excessive, according to barometer signs posted along main arteries.

This comes after several municipalities in the region placed temporary bans on lawn watering and other non-essential water-consuming outdoor activities earlier this month. Though temperatures have cooled a bit this week, these bans will remain for the remainder of the summer season.

In the past weeks, the towns of Hudson, Les Cèdres and Vaudreuil-Dorion have all announced bans on lawn watering, pool filling and the washing of cars, windows and driveways.

The smaller towns of Vaudreuil sur le Lac and L’Île Cadieux also have the bans in place, as they are connected to the Vaudreuil-Dorion water supply network.

The municipalities of Rigaud and Pointe des Cascades had previously implemented similar bans earlier this summer, which continue.

In separate public announcements, the municipalities all stated that these measures would prioritize water for drinking, infrastructure use and firefighting.

The restrictions came as Quebec’s wildfire management agency – known by its French acronym SOPFEU – listed Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Montreal and the North Shore as under “extreme” risk for wildfires earlier this month. The situation has since improved, with the SOPFEU lowering the region’s wildfire risk to “moderate.”

Bylaws in St. Lazare restrict the use of water to clean driveways or to fill swimming pools, while lawn watering using mechanical or automatic sprinklers is limited to a strict schedule. Lawn watering using a manual hose and washing individual cars is still permitted at all times.

The town has seen water usage increase in the past three weeks. Last week, St. Lazare’s water consumption was 9,054 m³; while the previous week, from Aug. 4-10, water usage hit 10,012 m³. And the week before that, from July 28-Aug. 3, it hit 9,090 m³.

An acceptable level of consumption is set at 7,299 m³ or less.

At this time last year water usage in St. Lazare was considered acceptable as it averaged about 6,500 m³ per week.

Residents should not confuse the barometer reading of usage levels with available levels of water, Lachance said.

“The barometer is to create awareness about consumption and doesn’t indicate that we’re running out of water,” she said. “As always, we encourage people to use water responsibly and follow bylaws on exterior use of potable water,” she explained.

For the time being, the bans are in place elsewhere in the region. Municipal inspectors are patrolling the towns that have bans in place to ensure residential compliance with these measures. First-time infractions could result in fines ranging from $250 to $500. Vaudreuil-Dorion and Hudson have announced its bans will remain in place until Sept. 2, at which time they will be reassessed.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

Though the official start to municipal election campaigns across Quebec is still a little more than a month away, the two mayoral candidates in St. Lazare are already laying out their pitches to voters.

Incumbent Mayor Geneviève Lachance will face off against first-time challenger Marie Morin, an agriculturalist and business owner. No other mayoral candidates have stepped forward. This will be the town’s first competitive mayoral race since the 2017 election, as Lachance was acclaimed in 2021.

As the summer winds down, Lachance said she’s looking to hear from voters, inviting residents to “kitchen table meetings” to discuss the town’s direction under her leadership, her vision for the future and the challenges that lie ahead. And there will be no shortage of challenges facing the municipality in the next few years, she explained in an interview last week.

“There are so many different things that we can see coming up,” Lachance said.

These challenges include balancing population growth with forest preservation and water management, as well as funding municipal infrastructure and improving public transit. The arrival of the new Vaudreuil-Soulanges Hospital, slated to open in 2027, is also expected to pose challenges.

“That’s a big thing that will have a big impact on St. Lazare,” Lachance said, referring to the hospital. “So we have to be able to plan properly and have a vision of what we want to see and set that vision into a plan.”

Lachance said her chief asset heading into the election is her experience in municipal politics — the past four years as mayor and the previous four as a councillor. She is someone “who knows how the law works, how municipalities work (and) how government works.”

Lachance added that she plans to share more details of her vision for the future of St. Lazare publicly in the coming weeks.

Challenger seeks to encourage voter participation

As for Morin, she pointed to several reasons why she threw her hat into the ring, among them was not wanting a repeat of the 2021 election where Lachance and six councillors won their seats by acclamation.

“I believe in democracy, and democracy only happens if there are elections,” Morin said. “The last thing I want is for people to be acclaimed.”

As the owner of Serre St. Laz, a small-scale vegetable growing operation specializing in hot pepper production, Morin feels local businesses face too much red tape, which hampers the town’s economic viability.

“As a business entrepreneur, my way of looking at it is: Why do we have a butcher who lives in St. Lazare and has his shop in Vaudreuil? Why do we have a baker in St. Lazare that has his shop in Vaudreuil? Or a chocolatier that lives in St. Lazare with a shop in Vaudreuil?”

Her shop is located in neighbouring St. Clet.

Morin would also make environmental health a priority with a focus on forest management that sees dead or diseased trees removed more quickly. She mentioned that she would also be keen to see the town implement measures to prevent potential wildfires from spreading, such as using fuel breaks — a man-made clearing of land between forested areas designed to contain wildfires, which Morin recalled she frequently witnessed in her youth in Alberta.

Morin had told The 1019 Report back in March that she planned to knock on the doors of the more than 7,000 residences in the town to meet voters. That plan was paused due to a notice from Élections Québec informing her that the campaign period begins in September.

“I’m a rule-follower,” she said with a laugh, adding that she’ll pick up where she left off on Sept. 19, the official start day of the election campaign.

Residents interested in running for mayor or for council have between Sept. 19 and Oct. 3 to submit their nomination to the town. Municipal elections across Quebec are scheduled for Nov. 2.

BRENDA O’FARRELL
The 1019 Report

How municipal officials communicate with members of the public in English is about to change across the province as new restrictions outlined in Quebec’s Bill 96 come into force next month.

But a directive approved by Hudson town council on Monday aims to maintain using another language other than French in some circumstances, despite the fact that it is one of three municipalities in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region that has bilingual status.

Under the implementation guidelines of Bill 96, adopted by the provincial legislature in 2022 that amended Quebec’s French Language Charter, all municipalities have until September of this year to comply.

But there are a few exceptions towns can avail themselves of if they adopt a specific directive. And that is what Hudson did Monday evening.

Hudson council unanimously approved a motion, entitled Directive relative à l’utilisation d’une autre langue que le français, which outlines a clear framework for town staff as to when and how they can use English.

Council’s approval of the directive is a key move. Without it, a municipality would not be able to provide a broader range of communication in English to residents after September, when the so-called transition period to the stricter language guidelines outlined in Bill 96 expires.

St. Lazare council is expected to make a similar move later this month, according to Mayor Geneviève Lachance.

“It’s a directive that allows employees to apply the exceptions specified in Bill 96 concerning the use of other languages,” Lachance said. “And yes, we plan to meet the deadline. Having said that, Bill 96 brings a level of complexity to municipalities like ours who in real life are truly bilingual even if in the eyes of the (Office québécois de la langue française), we’re not because they use birth language and not spoken language as a base of their law.”

The exceptions include in emergencies, in situations involving public safety, fire prevention, crime prevention, extreme weather events, to ensure that bylaws are accurately interpreted and issues touching on tourism. They also include communication to residents directly from the mayor.

St. Lazare does not have official bilingual status.

Reporter Joshua Allan contributed to this report.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

The Town of St. Lazare’s is aiming to cap off its 150^th anniversary celebrations with a “major event of the year” later this month, and have turned to a former head of production with the Just For Laughs festival and performers from the Cirque du Soleil to pull it off.

The event is an “urban opera” written by Patrick Rozon, a former executive producer with the renowned Montreal comedy festival, who also happens to be a resident of St. Lazare. The production will be staged in the town’s main park as part of the annual Festi Ouest weekend. It is a six-act performance that “retraces the City of St. Lazare over the (past) 150 years,” said Paul Lavigne, president of the St. Lazare anniversary celebration committee.

“It’ll absolutely be incredible,” Lavigne said. Rozon “really did an awesome job.”

Entitled “L’arbre des merveilles,” the show will be presented on Friday, Aug. 22, at 8 p.m. at Bédard Park.

It is part of ongoing events that have been organized to mark the town’s 150^th anniversary and is being touted as a highlight of the third annual Festi Ouest weekend, which runs Aug. 21-24 .

The performance will feature music, historical images of the town, a fireworks display and performers from the Cirque du Soleil. It is based on historical research conducted by the St. Lazare Historical Society

“We’re using local people as extras, dancers from here and musical guests from all over the place. It’ll be an incredible show,” Lavigne said.

The performance will be followed by a “Supper in the Park” on Saturday, Aug. 23. The event will be held under a tent at Bédard Park that can accommodate up to 400 guests.

“We really wanted to create things that happened in the past. We’re bringing back the Saturday family supper,” Lavigne explained. “The supper with friends, neighbours, colleagues, family. Basically, what we want is to recreate a kind of family supper event.”

Tables, chairs and music will be provided. Guests may bring their own food or purchase from the several food trucks that will be on site. The commemorative 150th anniversary beer brewed by the Trois Lacs microbrewery that has been sold at anniversary events throughout the year will be for sale.

A number of events marking the town’s 150^th anniversary have been held this past winter and spring. The public reaction to the festivities thus far has been “absolutely incredible,” Lavigne said. “People are just overwhelmed by everything original that we’re doing.”

Third annual Festi Ouest

St. Lazare’s annual weekend of western-themed fun will also be returning for its third edition that weekend, kicking off on Thursday, Aug. 21. Like previous editions, the festivities will include carnival rides, live country music, line dancing classes, food trucks, a mechanical bull and a meet-and-greet with some of the horses from Les Forestiers Equestrian Club and the Équi-Libre Therapeutic Riding Centre.

Saturday will feature country artists Sorenne, who performs in both English and French; Félix Lepage, a performer from Les Coteaux; Brittany Kennell, from Beaconsfield, she appeared on The Voice; and Guylaine Tanguay, who has performed with Roch Voisine. They will take to the stage between 11:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. Quebec artists AUDRÉE, Rebell Country and Dunberry will perform on Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m.

“This year is going to be an amazing year,” said Mayor Geneviève Lachance, referring to combining Festi Ouest with the 150th anniversary celebrations. “Just to celebrate the city and get together, all year it’s been a lot of fun.”

She has found it touching to see residents of all ages interacting at events like these, including between those who have recently moved to town and those who have lived there all their lives.

“That’s what I’m looking forward to the most, just the community gathering and the celebrating and people just being happy,” Lachance said.

Both Festi Ouest and the 150^th anniversary celebrations are free events. Bracelets for access to unlimited rides are available for purchase online via the town’s website.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

Le Nichoir bird conservation centre in Hudson is reminding residents not to abandon any fishing gear after the death of a young female mallard last week. The bird was admitted to the centre last Sunday with a fishing line tangled around its body and fish hook caught in its wing, requiring surgery. Despite the surgery having gone “really well,” the bird died the following day.

“Anytime we get a bird that was affected by fishing material, it always breaks our heart,” said Élise Laferrière, the education program coordinator at Le Nichoir.

Most residents enjoying summertime fishing may not think twice about cutting a tangled line, losing a small lead sinker or releasing a fish back into the water that had swallowed a hook too deeply to be removed.

“It’s been happening as long as people have been fishing,” said Laferrière. “And with the years, of course, those discarded materials accumulate.”

Le Nichoir treats about half a dozen birds that have been badly injured by abandoned fishing gear each summer, she said.

“And those are only the birds that were found,” Laferrière explained.

Cases often involve these birds getting tangled in abandoned fishing lines, sometimes cutting off circulation to one or more limbs and requiring amputation. Many fish-eating birds, especially loons, will also inadvertently consume hooks that have been left inside fish, causing severe internal damage, Laferrière said.

Even small lead fishing sinkers, a pack of which can be bought at Canadian Tire for around $7, can have a negative impact when left at a fishing site. Many species of birds swallow small stones to help with digestion, which can be easily confused with these lead sinkers.

“That causes an acute poisoning,” Laferrière explained. “They (become) anemic. They have severe neurological symptoms. Most of the time they will die from it.”

What’s more, deciding whether these injured birds require surgery is always a tough call for the workers at Le Nichoir, Laferrière added. Wild birds don’t tolerate anesthesia well, raising the risk of them dying during surgery or soon after.

“But we can’t just leave (them) because they will die from infection,” she said.

Residents who go fishing can prevent these unnecessary injuries to birds by being more mindful of their gear, Laferrière explained. This includes ensuring that all gear that was taken for fishing is brought back home at the end of the day.

Prevention may also include small changes in the choice of fishing gear, like using steel or copper sinkers instead of lead ones, and using barbless hooks that are more easily removed while catch-and-release fishing.

“We always say that it’s always better to prevent (these injuries) than to try and heal them from it,” Laferrière added.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

All towns in the 1019 region face the challenge of balancing population growth with maintaining an adequate water supply. However, some smaller municipalities in the region’s western edges face unique challenges on that front — without municipal water systems, the towns of St. Télesphore, Rivière Beaudette and part of St. Polycarpe rely on an ancient groundwater source, known as an esker.

“We made it our mission to preserve the esker sector, because the sector is very fragile,” said Marie-Louise Séguin, one of the founding members of the group L’Esker de Vaudreuil-Soulanges. The non-profit organization held a launch party July 11 to celebrate its renewal as a group dedicated to the protection of a 12-square-kilometre area in St. Télesphore, as well as to broadening public knowledge about its functions and importance to the area.

L’Esker de Vaudreuil-Soulanges is a grassroots group that had been formed in the fall of 2023 to advocate against a plan put forward by the MRC Vaudreuil-Soulanges to build a compost facility north of the esker.

“It was a vulnerable location (for the project),” said Séguin, explaining that such a facility risked contaminating the water source.

The MRC ultimately abandoned its original plan. It is now proposing to build a multi-million-dollar compost-processing site on an 11-acre tract of land in the industrial park in Coteau du Lac.

Today, the group seeks to educate residents about the esker’s importance, not only as a source of drinking water, but also as part of the region’s “geological heritage,” Séguin explained, adding that it is “a unique and impressive ecological formation.”

The esker is a remnant of the Ice Age, when Canada was covered by a glacial sheet. The erosion of these glaciers about 10,000 years ago left behind geological ridges of sand and gravel deposited by glacial meltwater which are found across Canada and parts of the United States. This created a unique source for natural groundwater filtration, resulting in high-quality potable water.

A special feature of L’Esker de Vaudreuil-Soulanges’ July 11 launch was the introduction of a new craft beer, made with water sourced directly from the esker. The beer, named “L’Esker,” is brewed by the Ferme Brasserie Schoune, located just north of the ecosystem. The beer can sports the group’s blue water droplet logo. For each can sold, the Ferme Brasserie Schoune says it will donate $1 to L’Esker de Vaudreuil-Soulanges. The group is also accepting donations online.

The group says it plans to carrying out environmental studies of the esker, as well as organizing various public awareness campaigns to promote its continued protection.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

The City of Vaudreuil-Dorion is moving forward with a plan to construct a $14.67-million covered refrigerated ice rink in a park just north of Cité des Jeunes Blvd., near the junction with De la Gare Blvd.

City council adopted a loan bylaw for the project at the July 7 city council meeting, which then put it to a register process last Friday to allow anyone against the plan to oppose it. It failed to collect enough signatures to block the project.

The new refrigerated rink will be built in Quatre-Saisons school park, located next to École des Légendes and Hymne-au-Printemps elementary schools. It will have an NHL-size surface (60 metres by 26 metres) and will be included among the many playing surfaces already offered at the park, including a soccer pitch, a basketball court, a playground and a splash pad.

The rink will be built on the eastern side of the park, bordering Toe Blake and Maurice Richard Streets – a fitting location given that both were Montreal Canadiens legends who are in the NHL Hall of Fame. “Rocket” Richard and Hector “Toe” Blake, who also coached the team for 13 years, helped Montreal secure the Stanley Cup a combined 12 times in the 1930s, ’40s, ’50s and ’60s.

The rink project is part of the city’s five-year capital expenditure plan, which includes adding two pickleball courts and a utility building at the site.

The $14.67-million loan bylaw will be financed over a 20-year period, city clerk Zoë Lafrance explained at the July 7 council meeting.

As winter weather conditions become increasingly uncertain, more municipalities in Quebec are turning to refrigeration technology for outdoor rinks. These types of rinks use generators to keep the ice at an acceptable temperature for skating of around -5° C, even in fluctuating outdoor temperatures that reach as high as 18° C.

The towns of St. Zotique and Notre Dame de l’Île Perrot are currently the only municipalities in the 1019 region that have rinks that use this technology.

There is no set start date for construction of the rink, said city communications adviser Jessica Genest, but the city aims to have it operating for the winter of 2026-2027, and welcome skaters from November to April each year.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

At the urging of a grassroots groups advocating for the merging of the four towns of Île Perrot, L’Île Perrot’s council has approved a resolution requesting the Quebec government conduct a feasibility study on the possible fusion of the four municipalities on the island. But it is going to take more for the study to be triggered.

“We consider it to be a good coup,” said Gérard Farmer, president of Avenir Île Perrot – Becoming Île Perrot, of the resolution, explaining that other towns will have to pass similar resolutions before the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing will conduct the analysis.

L’Île Perrot’s council opted to make the first move, unanimously adopting the resolution at its July 8 meeting, because the study would outline the pros and cons for any potential merger, said Mayor Pierre Séguin.

“The council and I think that if there was a serious study made that said the pros and cons (of a merger), the citizens could make a decision about whether they’re for it or not,” Séguin said in an interview last week.

The study can only be done at the request of two or more municipalities. Avenir Île Perrot – Becoming Île Perrot — a grassroots group focused on promoting the merger of the municipalities of L’Île Perrot, Notre Dame de l’Île Perrot, Pincourt and Terrasse Vaudreuil into one city — recently launched a petition calling for each of the four municipalities to request the study. The petition has collected more than 500 signatures.

The group had previously met with officials from Pincourt, but Farmer said there is little indication that elected officials are looking seriously into passing a similar resolution. A request for comment from Pincourt Mayor Claude Comeau went unanswered.

Though the group is content that L’ Île Perrot council took this step, it doesn’t come as a surprise.

“During our presentations (earlier this spring), the people from the Town of L’Île Perrot were very receptive,” Farmer told The 1019 Report. “So there wasn’t much surprise there because the majority of the councillors at that point were quite in favour of the unification of the cities.”

Séguin has previously spoken in favour of a merger and explained that his council felt the offer of a free, no-obligation feasibility study by Quebec would be too good to pass up. However, he added, “it takes two to tango.”

Both Farmer and Séguin said a feasibility study would at least provide answers to these long-standing questions about merging the towns. Séguin added that he has been hearing the same debate since the 1980s.

“If the study isn’t done, the conversation will continue anyway,” Séguin said. “We can’t ignore the question. Does it make sense? Or, does it not? “If it doesn’t make sense, we stop. That’s it.”

Notre Dame Mayor Danie Deschênes had described the subject as “dépassé” and a “non-issue” in an interview back in May.

“I don’t have any citizens who talk to me about this except those who write to me asking ‘Come on, what is this idea?’” she explained.

Merging the four municipalities would mean combining things like municipal debt, Deschênes said.

“It’s us who will take the lion’s share of this debt,” she said of her town, pointing out the higher average property value.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

For centuries, the St. Lawrence River has served as an important shipping route, giving access to the interior of Canada. And for more than half a century — from 1899 to 1958 — the Soulanges Canal was part of that vital commercial route. Thousands of ships would enter the canal either at Pointe des Cascades or Les Coteaux and travel for 23 kilometres to bypass rapids before exiting and continuing their journey — either westward toward the Great Lakes or eastward out to sea.

Construction of the canal began in 1892, designed to replace the Beauharnois Canal that was not deep enough to accommodate larger cargo ships.

Construction of the Soulanges Canal spanned seven years, with as many as 1,200 workers facing the challenges of having to remove large stones found all long its route.

When it finally opened in October 1899, the canal was the first in the world to use the river’s current to generate electricity, which was used to power street lamps along its route. This electrification also enabled the five locks along the canal to function with fewer operators, allowing the canal to run 24 hours a day.

Four lighthouses — two at both the entrance and exit of the canal — also lit the way for passing ships. These lighthouses in Pointe des Cascades and Les Coteaux are still standing today.

Between 1940 and 1950 an estimated 5,000 ships travelled through the canal, with the last ship passing through in the fall of 1958.

While the Soulanges Canal fell into disuse, its history has been immortalized with numerous information panels that can be found along its 23-kilometre stretch. Over the past 70 years, the canal has also been enjoyed by locals for swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding and other water activities.

Petit Pouvoir

The hydroelectric power station built alongside the canal in Les Cèdres in 1899, dubbed the “Petit Pouvoir,” was designed by engineer Thomas Monro in the Romanesque château style, including turrets, quoins-style corners and cornices.

As with the canal itself, the station ceased operations in 1958, however, the Petit Pouvoir’s impressive architecture earned it a designation as a heritage building by the Quebec government in 1984.

Though the building has been vacant since 1995, Transports Quebec confirmed plans are in the works to restore the historic structure.

“Once restored, the ministry will seek to find a partner who can operate this heritage building in a viable and sustainable manner,” Transport Quebec spokesperson Stéphanie Langelier told The 1019 Report.

There is no timeline for the refurbishing plan, however.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

The Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal aims to more than double the number of people in Vaudreuil-Soulanges who live near an Exo train station — except in Hudson.

The regional authority’s proposed 2026-2046 urban development plan, or PMAD, would see the average number of residences within a one-kilometre radius of train stations in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Pincourt, Terrasse Vaudreuil and Île Perrot stations increased from 40 to 100 dwellings per hectare.

Hudson, which also has an Exo train station, however, has been exempt from having to adhere to the transit-oriented-development (TOD) density levels being imposed by the CMM, Mayor Chloe Hutchison confirmed earlier this month to The 1019 Report.

Hutchison welcomed the CMM’s omission of Hudson from the TOD zones in the proposed PMAD, explaining train departures from the Hudson station are too infrequent to justify a significant density increase.

The increased density requirement would have also have an impact the surrounding natural spaces, she said.

“Had we kept the TOD, that would’ve doubled the density and had (an) impact on Sandy Beach,” Hutchison said. There has been a push by both the town an

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

An ambitious and audacious multi-million-dollar project to transform the Soulanges Canal into a unique linear park envisioned to become an iconic regional attraction that provides recreational activities, hosts cultural events and serves as a tourist destination, took a step forward earlier this spring when the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges put forward a plan it hopes will capture the imagination of residents and provincial government funding agencies.

The blueprint, officially adopted in May, outlines a modern new vision for the historic 126-year-old canal.

Designed by Montreal-based architectural design firm Collectif Escargo, the plan showcases a series of hubs along the abandoned canal that follows the north shore of the St. Lawrence River and once served as a route for ships to bypass the rapids between Lake St. Louis and Lac St. François, stretching from Pointe des Cascades through Les Cèdres, Coteau du Lac and Les Coteaux.

Creating access points for water-based activities, improving cycling routes and providing outdoor entertainment venues, the revitalization of the canal is designed around five core themes: accessibility; recreation; protection of water and natural environments; art, culture, heritage and archaeology; and urban integration.

“It’s a project that has taken several years,” Marianne Sigouin-Lebel, the director-general of the Parc du canal de Soulanges, said in an interview last week. “But for us, it’s really worth doing it this way, to do it well.”

These themes closely align with residents’ desires for the future of the canal that have been expressed at numerous public consultations, Sigouin-Lebel explained. “We could really see in the project, and then in the images they gave us, the whole aspect of citizenship that was being promoted and then really the projects for accessibility, for citizens, for families, all that.”

Concept images of the plan show wide footpaths along the canal, boardwalks and pedestrian bridges, as well as docks for pleasure boats and ramps for improved accessibility to the waterway. Wooden bleachers look out to a platform on the water to be used for concerts or other forms of live entertainment. 

The plan also outlines potential locations for nearby dining and spaces for community gatherings, as well as locations for murals and other works of public art. The length of the walkways along the canal will also be lit at night using directional projection devices, allowing users to safely stroll the area at night while minimizing the impact on the local ecosystem. 

A nod to canal’s history

The plan also incorporates some of the canal’s historic landmarks, some of which are showing their age after years of neglect.

“We’ve got to remember the canal was closed in 1959 due to the fact that the St. Lawrence Seaway opened up,” said Pointe des Cascades Mayor Peter Zytynsky in an interview. “So the canal was abandoned. (Left to) rot.”

The “Petit Pouvoir” hydroelectric power station,  which operated along the canal in Les Cèdres from 1899 to 1959 — is shown as a featured point of interest in the plan. The two-storey red brick structure was deemed a heritage building in 1984, but has remained vacant since 1995. The plan envisions the building fully restored and open to the public as a heritage site in the future.

The plan also features the renovation of the historic lighthouse at the entrance of the canal in Pointe des Cascades, including the construction of a paved footpath up to and around the structure. The 50-foot-tall lighthouse was built in 1904 and served to guide vessels into the narrow canal at night.

Good for tourism, future generations

Zytynsky expressed appreciation for the care the MRC is showing in preserving the history of the canal, as well as enthusiasm for the added tourism the plan will bring to the area.

“Just in Pointe des Cascades, the amount of visitors we get now is huge,” said Zytynsky, explaining that people from all over the region and even from Montreal come to the area to swim, kayak, paddleboard and cycle along the canal, among many other outdoor activities in the area. He expects the plan to improve accessibility and restore the historic landmarks and help to “bring the canal up to snuff when it comes to stuff like (tourism).”

Zytynsky said that while this ambitious design is unlikely to see results in the near future, he called the plan a long-term investment “for future generations to enjoy.”

There is no estimated cost pegged to the plan.

“There is no specific cost associated with it, as the work and projects will be carried out as opportunities and subsidies become available, in collaboration with other partners as needed,” said MRC communications adviser Catherine St-Amour, who added the project will be rolled out over a 30-year timeframe.

Sigouin-Lebel confirmed that no estimates for the total estimated cost to the region could be provided, adding simply: “It is certain that it will be several million dollars, if not tens of millions” over the course of the 30-year timeframe, paid for both by the region and through subsidies from the Quebec government.

As the canal is owned by Transports Quebec, it is now up to the ministry to accept the MRC’s plan and implement a strategy to upgrade the existing infrastructure.

“We hope that this (master plan) will push Transports Quebec to act,” Sigouin-Lebel added.

In the meantime, St-Amour said the MRC will develop “a strategy for implementing the plan (. . .) based on future opportunities.”

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

The Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal is looking to dramatically increase residential density in all 11 of the municipalities in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region that are part of the regional authority’s territory, according to its new regional development plan unveiled last month.

The plan sets a minimum target density of 36 dwellings per hectare by 2026 for all municipalities in the region. That target will increase to 46 dwellings per hectare by 2046.

Although these targets are a significant increase from the levels outlined in the current development plan, they represent a dramatic five- to eight-fold hike from the reality of housing density that actually exist in towns like Hudson and St. Lazare in the next two decades.

For example, in St. Lazare, the second largest municipality in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region, existing housing within the urban perimeter of the town stands at 4.9 dwellings per hectare, according to the CMM.

Some areas outside this village core, however, according to Mayor Geneviève Lachance, have a housing density of 1.2 to 2.7 dwellings per hectare, while in parts of the east end of the town, the ratio is about 16 dwellings per hectare.

In the current CMM development plan, the target has been set at 16 to 20 dwellings per hectare in much of the municipality, while the new proposed plan would see that benchmark rise to 36 units by 2026, and jump to 46 units per hectare by 2046.

In Hudson, the residential density is now at 4.5 units per hectare in the town’s urban perimeter. In the current plan, the minimum is 16. This target would increase to 36 units per hectare by 2026 and 46 units by 2046.

In parts of the 11 CMM municipalities in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region that are designated public transit hubs — or Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) zones — the ratios would be even higher. These zones are located around the train stations in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Pincourt, Terrasse Vaudreuil and Île Perrot. In these zones, the housing ratio would be set at 40 to 100 dwellings per hectare. This would more than double the number of people in Vaudreuil-Soulanges area who live near an Exo train station.

“The revised (development plan) aims to create a complete and sustainable living environment,” said Laurence Pelletier, a research consultant for the CMM’s sustainable and prosperous communities department.

Pelletier added the recommendations included in plan, commonly referred to by its French acronym PMAD, including increased density in TOD zones, would “contribute to resolving the housing crisis while protecting the agricultural zone and conserving natural environments of interest.”

TOD zones include areas within a one-kilometre radius around a transit hub. Concentrating development in these zones is part of the CMM’s objective to reduce urban sprawl and encourage more residents to choose public transit over taking a car.

Does this increased density mean that residents of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Pincourt and L’Île Perrot should expect to see high-rise apartment complexes built near the train stations within the next few decades?

Not necessarily, according to Pelletier.

“The PMAD does not impose any height, lot coverage or dwelling dimension,” she explained, adding that the objective will depend on the “different standards established by the cities.”

She gave an example of a four-storey apartment building with apartments each at about 1,000 square feet in size. Such a structure, she explained, would more than meet the density requirement of 100 dwellings per hectare in a TOD zone.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

The Town of St. Lazare ended 2024 with a $6.1-million budget surplus, according to the annual audited financial report presented at last week’s town council meeting, bringing its total accumulated surplus to just over $10 million.

According to the figures presented by St. Lazare financial director Dominic Leger, the town received $39,658,310 in total revenues last year, while posting expenses of $34,751,900, accounting for a $4.9-million surplus. Calculating these figures alongside payments for long-term debt and transfers leaves the town with a $6.1-million surplus.

The presentation highlighted $5.4 million unanticipated additional revenues in 2024. Among these revenues included $650,000 more than expected in “welcome taxes” from new property owners, $1 million in funds for projects pushed to 2025, and $1.5 million returned in fee adjustments for Sûreté du Québec services.

Mayor Geneviève Lachance spoke about the mishap with the SQ at the council meeting, lamenting the fact that the Quebec government did not see fit to pay the town interest on the $1.5 million it had been overcharged.

“The government took it (the money) and was very kind to keep it and send it back to us several months after, but we didn’t receive any interest paid to the city,” Lachance said. “The government makes interest on the backs of our citizens, so it’s a little absurd.”

Increased long-term debt

The presentation indicated a substantial increase in the town’s long-term debt, which was pegged at $48.9 million. This is an increase of 83 per cent, or about $22.2 million since 2023. This was attributed to temporary loans totalling $23.6 million, the majority of which went toward the construction of the sanitary sewer system in the Frontenac sector in the town’s east end — a project that looked to link 360 homes to the town’s sewer infrastructure. Residential homes in the sector were connected to the city’s network in August.

Despite this increase, Lachance pointed out that the debt rate for St. Lazare residents currently sits at 96 cents per $100 of property valuation.

“If we look at comparable cities in Quebec, the rate is $1.49 for $100 of valuation,” she explained, adding: “For the municipalities in the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, (the rate) is $1.35 for $100 of valuation, which is much higher than it is for St. Lazare residents.”

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

The St. Lazare town council moved forward with its “Growing Greener” development project last week, which looks to develop an enclave of 60 single-family homes on land in the Saddlebrook area while preserving natural spaces by adopting two proposals to reduce the minimum sizes of the dwellings in the zone.

Councillor David Hill, whose district is where the project will be located north of Oakridge Street, was the lone council member to vote against the pair of bylaw changes June 10, meant to reduce some of the environmental impact of the new development. The proposals passed nonetheless by a vote of eight to one.

Hill had previously spoken out against the development project, telling The 1019 Report back in March that he does not support any project that causes “incursions into pristine forested areas.”

He took to Facebook on June 9, the day before the council meeting, to inform residents of the council’s proposals, calling the zone “the few remaining green spaces within the urban perimeter.”

Mayor Geneviève Lachance, however, has insisted on multiple occasions that this project takes environmental preservation to heart.

“This project is the result of a long process of discussions and revisions between the city and the developer, to reach a balanced compromise that supports both development objectives and environmental protection,” Lachance said in a reply to Hill.

She said developer Habitations Robert, which owns the land, had sued for the right to build a traditional development in the zone back in 2019. She added that such a project would have seen “a much higher number of homes covering the entire area.”

The “Growing Greener” plan will see 15 of the 53 hectares in the zone developed for homes and roads. The remaining 38 hectares, made up of woodlands and wetlands, will be preserved in perpetuity. What’s more, the wetlands in the zone will be given a 30-metre-minimum buffer area with the development – an increase from the 10-metre minimum in other areas in St. Lazare. A biologist will also be on-hand during the construction process to monitor the environmental impact.

The project sees the minimum lot size in the enclave reduced from 10,000 square metres to 1,500 square metres. The minimum width between units and the road will also be reduced from 12 to 10 metres, while the minimum distance between units will be reduced from 10 to eight metres.

“I think with the long list of things that we’re asking the developer to do in order to preserve (38 hectares of) this land, it’s the most ecological project we can have,” Lachance had explained in a March interview.

The town held a registry on the pair of bylaw changes yesterday, June 17, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Both Lachance and town clerk Nathaly Rayneault clarified at the June 10 meeting that the registry was not for residents to vote against the development project itself, but against the proposals to decrease the lot sizes in the zone, and that the project may still go ahead regardless.

The two changes required 28 and 14 signatures, respectively, in order to be put to a town referendum. Results were not available before The 1019 Report went to print.

The project is not expected to break ground until at least next year.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

The plan to increase the number of housing units across the Greater Montreal area — including parts of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region — has been unveiled and, as anticipated, it outlines a framework that will see huge population increases in local municipalities.

How local towns will deal with this push to increase population densities is an open question, however.

“Such densities are not feasible across much of our territory, particularly in the west, where groundwater recharge zones, forest cover and low-impact development models must be protected,” said St. Lazare Mayor Geneviève Lachance in response to questions from The 1019 Report.

According to the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal’s new land development plan released earlier this month, which sets guidelines for 2026 to 2046, housing density rates will be increased to 40 dwellings per hectare for much of the residential areas of towns like St. Lazare and Hudson, while areas next to transit services in Vaudreuil-Dorion could see housing densities reach up to 300 units per hectare. Currently much of the residential sectors of St. Lazare have a housing density of less than three units per hectare.

The CMM’s density target has been a topic of concern in St. Lazare for the past few years, where elected officials have cited increased density requirements as a risk to the town’s rural character.

Lachance said the town is already in contact with officials at the MRC to seek exemptions from the increased density target, particularly in the densely-forested Saddlebrook sector, where the density level currently sits at 2.7 dwellings per hectare.

While the PMAD offers some flexibility with the density requirements, Lachance added that “flexibility is conditional and must be justified with strong technical and planning arguments.”

The CMM, which includes 82 municipalities on and around the island of Montreal, released its land-use plan June 9. Now, Quebec’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs has until December to approve it. It is likely, however, that the plan will be sent back to the CMM for changes, said Catherine St-Amour, a communications adviser for the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges.

“The (Municipal Affairs Ministry) will validate whether it is compliant (with the law),” St-Amour explained. “If there are things that are not compliant – that’s happened often in the past – often the first version is refused.”

She added that the MRC is still in the process of digesting the plan and declined to comment further.

“It’s very tricky to make a quick judgment,” she said.

Hudson Mayor Chloe Hutchison, who chairs the CMM’s Culture and Heritage commission, a position that has provided her with a front-row seat on how the plan has been development, said environmental preservation can be achieved by limiting urban sprawl – one of the goals of the plan.

“I think that’s what’s often missing in the criticism of this plan is that in order to protect more and to keep within our footprint without sprawl, we need to increase our density,” Hutchison said.

“It’s really an interesting plan once you understand what they’re up to,” she said. “It’s really about making sure the Greater Montreal area remains attractive, competitive and ‘un endroit où il fait bon vivre.’”

Lachance acknowledged that it would be several years before any proposed changes would be implemented at the local level.

“It’s a long way’s away,” she said while commenting on the plan during St. Lazare’s last council meeting on June 10. “But we still have to prepare now for it.”

Once Quebec approves the plan, it is expected that the MRC will have two years to conform to meet the goals listed. Once that is completed, individual municipalities will be given between six months and two years to ensure that their territorial development align with the regional guidelines.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

After 33 years on the Vaudreuil-Dorion council, Paul Dumoulin announced his bid for mayor for the fall election last week. Dumoulin was accompanied by current Mayor Guy Pilon and fellow members of the Parti de l’action de Vaudreuil-Dorion (PAVD) at the historic Maison Trestler on Wednesday evening for the event.

“It’s been 33 years that I’ve been a councillor, and I’ve always said one of these days I’d like to (run for) mayor,” said Dumoulin in an interview. “Now the time (is right).”

Current Mayor Guy Pilon plans to step away from municipal politics after filling the role since 2005. He voiced his support for Dumoulin at the Wednesday evening event and in a subsequent interview.

Dumoulin “understands that you need to make decisions,” said Pilon, commending the political decisiveness of his government over the past decades. “We made decisions (. . .) when you look at the result after 20 years, I think it’s (been) fantastic.”

Pilon added that he plans to be involved in the election campaign this fall, where he’ll lend his voice in support of Dumoulin and the PAVD candidates for council.

Continuity promised

Dumoulin explained that he isn’t ashamed to say that his administration would largely maintain the same course set by Pilon.

“People like it in Vaudreuil-Dorion,” he said. “Sometimes people (are elected) and say it’s going to be different. But why should it be? I’ve been there with (Pilon) since he started as mayor. I don’t necessarily want to change everything.”

He compared the role of mayor of Vaudreuil-Dorion to manning the helm of a large ship. “The ship is moving well, and we still want the ship to go as well as it was going.”

The PAVD candidates will see a mix of new and returning faces. Councillors Luc Marsan and François Séguin will run again in Districts 1 and 2, respectively. They will be joined by political newcomers Dominic Lalonde (District 3), Alexandre Ménard-Levasseur (District 4), Nancy Dallaire (District 5), Sarah Champagne (District 6), Zoulikha Benfares (District 7), and John McRae (District 8).

At the Wednesday evening event, party members detailed their priorities for the future, including addressing the traffic woes along Harwood Blvd. in the Dorion district, flood zone protection, overseeing the opening of the new Vaudreuil-Soulanges Hospital, and practising fiscal responsibility.

New party to challenge old

Dumoulin and the PAVD will be running against the recently-launched Inspire Vaudreuil-Dorion, led by current District 4 councillor Karine Lechasseur. Lechasseur announced her bid for mayor at a party event on May 6, promising increased collaboration between residents and the city under her leadership.

District 3 councillor Jasmine Sharma will also run under the new party’s banner. Both Sharma and Lechasseur had been members of the PAVD, but left the party to sit as independents in January 2023, accusing the party of lacking inclusive engagement.

Along with Sharma, Inspire Vaudreuil-Dorion unveiled four candidates for council so far, all political newcomers: Maëlys Eouani, Sheldon Burgoa, Noémie Huet Gagnon and Benoît Giguère. This team will be the largest organized electoral group to challenge the PAVD since 2017, when the Équipe Nous Sommes challenged the ruling party, but fell short of getting any candidates elected.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

Rigaud’s mayor has yet to announce whether she plans to run again in the November municipal election but that has not delayed the start of the race for the top elected position in the town of about 7,900, as two candidates have already thrown their hats in the ring.

Rigaud councillors Charles Meunier and Kevin Ménard announced their intentions to run for mayor in the fall election in the past weeks.

“I think the City of Rigaud is a wonderful playground with enormous potential,” Meunier said in an interview last week. “There’s so much we can do here. We just need to work more together. I think I can be the one with my team to make that happen.”

Meunier said he is running “with the goal of bringing more responsible and transparent leadership to Rigaud.”

If elected, his government would focus on infrastructure maintenance and development, environmental management and increasing community engagement.

Incumbent Mayor Marie-Claire Frigault has not indicated whether she will seek a second term.  She did not respond to a request for comment.

On May 16, Ménard announced he would be running for the position this fall. In a statement published to his Facebook page, Ménard explained that his focus would be on transparency and community unity, as well as “working together to build a more dynamic, ambitious Rigaud that is a great place to live.”

Ménard was acclaimed to his seat on council, representing District 4, in the 2021 election. He could not be reached for further comment.

Speaking with The 1019 Report, Meunier said that the town has been putting important issues on the backburner for too long.

“Instead of investments we need to do, we say that we’ll do that later,” he explained, using the example of the town’s aging wastewater treatment plant.

An engineer by training, with a background in sustainable development, business development and water treatment, Meunier said his professional experience would be an asset at the local level, but also when working with regional governing bodies.

Overall, Meunier said he’s hoping for a positive campaign with productive debates between candidates and without mudslinging. He added: “It’s very important to me that once the election is over that we all work together to do the best for our city. She deeply needs it.”

He added that more details on priorities and candidates are expected to be unveiled in the coming weeks.

First elected to the council in 2021, Meunier was faced with an Élections Québec inquiry amid questions about his place of residence prior to the election. The case was dismissed by the Quebec Superior Court in April 2024.

No other candidates have publicly announced their intention to run, confirmed Geneviève Hamel, communications director for the town.

With Meunier and Ménard in the mayoral race that leaves three of the town’s six councillor seats wide open, as the District 2 seat, held by long-time councillor Archie Martin has remained vacant since Martin’s death in January.

The period to officially register as a candidate for either mayor or for town councillor runs from Sept. 19 to Oct. 3. As this is still several months away, Hamel added “we can look forward to some surprises during this period.”

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

The Quebec government’s proposal to give smaller towns in the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal more clout is a positive step, but still will not amount to much for municipalities in Vaudreuil-Soulanges, according to the mayors of the region’s largest cities.

“We’ll see what it will mean and how it will be put in place,” said Vaudreuil-Dorion Mayor Guy Pilon, the only mayor in the 1019 region who sits on the regional authority’s council. 

It remains to be seen, he said, whether the rebalancing of power among the 82 municipalities on and around the island of Montreal can appease elected officials in smaller towns who are fed up with the centralized decision-making ability of the governing body that imposes population densification requirements and huge costs for such things as public transit and on all its members.

“In my view, it’s mostly symbolic,” said St. Lazare Mayor Geneviève Lachance, adding that the larger cities – Montreal, Laval and Longueuil – would retain a majority of the decision-making power, while the smaller, more rural municipalities along the North and South Shores would continue to hold little weight on the council.

She described the proposed changes as “nothing-game changing.”

For these smaller municipalities, she said, “it’s a small win at best.”

There are currently 28 seats on the CMM council, 14 of which are held by representatives from the City of Montreal. In the instance when a vote results in a tie, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante holds the deciding vote.

The proposed changes would see Montreal’s representation reduced to 12 seats on a 26-seat council. Plante, however, would retain the deciding vote in a tie.

The proposed changes were included in Bill 104, which was unveiled in the National Assembly on May 21 by Municipal Affairs Minister Andrée Laforest. In addition to reducing Montreal’s weight on the governing council, the proposal would also slightly increase the weight of the North Shore and South Shore representation. The municipalities in Vaudreuil-Soulanges are considered part of the South Shore region, or “couronne sud.”

“At the end of the day, you have to consider the couronne too, because we give a lot, lot, lot of money, and without the couronne, Montreal cannot live,” Pilon explained. “We have a big impact (and) we want to have an impact on the decisions, too.”

Among the CMM’s largest responsibilities are economic development and regional planning for the municipalities in the Greater Montreal region, an area that includes more than 4.4 million people, almost half the population of the province.

Included under the responsibility of regional planning is the task of setting population densification targets – a hot topic in several municipalities, including St. Lazare, where the threat of increased population density has left many residents worried about the impact on the rural identity of the town.

Lachance has warned that the CMM is expected to require new development projects to increase density to 40 homes per hectare – a significant jump from the current average of 2.7 homes per hectare in St. Lazare.

As for Pilon, he has been taking the temperature of local municipalities, gauging their sentiment toward the regional authority.

“There’s no town who, if given the choice to stay on the CMM or leave, they’d stay. Everyone would leave,” he said, adding that the municipalities would prefer greater control over their own planning and development.

Bill 104 is currently awaiting adoption by the National Assembly.