With all signs pointing toward an election being called once parliament returns from prorogation in late March, the parties are already gearing up for a spring vote.
Salaberry-Suroît MP Claude DeBellefeuille has already thrown her hat into the ring, announcing on January 7 that she will seek a fifth term representing the region as a member of the Bloc Québécois in Ottawa.
DeBellefeuille’s first term in office stretched from 2006 to 2011. She ran in both the 2011 and 2015 elections, before regaining her seat in the House of Commons from 2019 to the present.
During this last year, DeBellefeuille said she continued to bring people together to find solutions to challenging issues. She specifically mentioned convening the Comité d’Action de Suivi pour la Voie Maritime, which she initiated in 2019, to mitigate the planned closure of the Larocque Bridge at the start of last year.
DeBellefeuille also highlighted efforts to bring the RCMP and border municipalities together over border control issues. The deputy was instrumental in the creation of a single telephone number that citizens could call to reach the RCMP, the circulation of an informative leaflet to border residents, and new aluminium panels to be installed with the phone number to reach the RCMP.
She also noted the Bloc Québécois’ support for seniors, and the party’s hard push to withdraw supply-managed products from trade negotiations with Bill C-282, which passed all stages in the House of Commons before stalling in the Senate.
Salaberry-Suroit MP Claude DeBellefeuille has announced she will run again in the next federal election, which is expected to be called sometime this spring. (PHOTO Facebook MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent)
DeBellefeuille said she is determined to continue this work in her riding. “I’m extremely happy in my role as MP; it’s a position that fills me with happiness,” she stated, noting it is an honour to serve the citizens of Salaberry-Suroît.
“My work in Ottawa isn’t over yet, and I’m determined to keep on making things happen,” she added.
Regarding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation on January 6, DeBellefeuille acknowledged his commitment to the public, before adding she believes he made the right decision to step down.
“Regardless of the leader, regardless of the circumstances, there must be an election in the spring of 2025!” she exclaimed.
Once called, this election will mark DeBellefeuille’s seventh campaign. If re-elected, she will take office for her third consecutive, and fifth term in 18 years.
Ormstown’s mayor, Christine McAleer, presented a balanced budget of $8,167,136 for the fourth year of her mandate during a special municipal council meeting on December 11. The figures for 2025 forecast an increase of $257,137, or five per cent, over the previous year’s budget. Over 84 per cent of this revenue is expected to come from property taxes.
McAleer explained that the council took several factors into consideration while formulating the budget, including the general tax rate. In Ormstown, the average tax rate for all property categories is not expected to exceed an average of 4.8 per cent, while the average tax bill will increase by an average of 2.89 per cent.
The mayor noted that every effort was made to curb increases while pointing out the municipality has a small number of commercial and industrial institutions that would allow for a more diversified source of income. She announced the municipality would be working on a new approach to its economic development.
“We want to develop the municipality in a way that respects taxpayers’ ability to pay, and with a view to sustainable development,” she said. “We are committed to maintaining a competitive tax system, and will continue to work towards this goal,” she added.
A second factor involved controlling the increase in operating expenses for municipal services, including the public works department, which accounts for around 25 per cent of the municipality’s expenses, as well as administrative services, human resources, communications, and public safety.
A third significant driver revolved around investments in infrastructure improvements. “We could not ignore the many difficult realities that required solutions and sums of money in the very short term,” McAleer said, noting the municipality had little to no choice but to invest in several capital projects.
Ormstown will invest nearly $14 million in various infrastructure in 2025 alone. The mayor confirmed that over a third of these expenditures will be financed by grants, the general fund, and the unrestricted surplus.
McAleer pointed out that despite narrow revenue margins that left little room to manoeuvre, the municipality has been able to innovate despite the need to rationalize spending in all departments.
The municipality’s three-year investment plan represents over $54 million in estimated expenses between 2025 and 2027. Major investments in 2025 will include $4.71 million for a wastewater overflow plan, with a total investment over three years of $15.4 million. At least $5.78 million is expected to be spent on the water and sewer network in 2025, with additional investments of $13.6 million by 2027.
Other significant investments for 2025 include over $1.35 million in road and sidewalk maintenance, over $325,000 in recreational infrastructure (splash-pad and skating rink), and over $1.6 million for municipal buildings, including the town hall, garage and ecocentre, and recreation centre.
The municipality will delay the financing of a drinking water treatment plant to 2026, when $15.4 million is expected to be invested over two years.
McAleer said she was proud of the budget, saying she and the council were confident they would make a success of the final year in their term.
The municipal council adopted the bylaw establishing the tax rates and payment terms for 2025 during a special meeting on December 16. The bylaw was approved by majority vote, after two of the five councillors present voted against plan.
Ormstown resident Philippe Besombes, who is also the president of the Association des Gens d’Affaires d’Ormstown et des Environs (AGAO+), was the only individual present to question the council during both meetings on December 11 and 16. He expressed concerns over the steep increase in tax revenue since 2021, and the impact this may have on residents.
“Tax revenue, or what we’ve been taking out of the pockets of the municipality’s residents, whether residential, commercial, or agricultural, has gone from $3.2 million to $6.7 million. That’s a lot of money,” said Besombes, who noted this cannot be attributed to new residents as development projects have been at a standstill for the past three years. He questioned whether some residents would be able to afford the increase, and asked whether the mayor would consider authorizing payments over four installments instead of three.
The town of Huntingdon inaugurated its new community kitchen on December 17, preparing the way for numerous delicious opportunities for local businesses and organizations working in the food security and preparation sectors.
Around 15 people attended the ceremony, including Huntingdon mayor André Brunette and several municipal councillors. Representatives from the town, the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent, and local community organizations including the La Bouffe Additionnelle food pantry and the Popote Mobile meal delivery service also attended.
Also present at the inauguration were members of the Table de concertation en Sécurité Alimentaire du Haut-Saint-Laurent, including Marie-France Meloche of the Centre Integré de Santé et de Services Sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest (CISSSMO), who explained that the partnership table will create a sub-committee to coordinate the new space.
Brunette confirmed the kitchen is free to use by the Haut-Saint-Laurent community. “It does not belong to the town. It belongs to everyone,” he explained, saying he hopes the kitchen will become a shared meeting place where different community groups, producers, or small business owners can come together to cook, organize workshops, and prepare healthy and appetizing meals or products.
Huntingdon mayor André Brunette officially opened the town’s new community kitchen on December 17 in the presence of several representatives from the municipality, the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent, the Table de Concertation en Sécurité Alimentaire du Haut-Saint-Laurent, and several community organizations including the Popote Mobile and La Bouffe Additionnelle. (PHOTO Sarah Rennie)
The fully equipped kitchen, which includes large fridges, sinks and wash areas, commercial stoves, and stainless-steel counter spaces and work surfaces is approved by the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation (MAPAQ). It is located at 4 Lorne Street, in the same complex as La Bouffe Additionnelle and the Little Green Library.
Huntingdon received $100,000 in funding for the project from the Ministère des Affaires Municipals et de l’Habitation through Volet 4 of the Fonds Régions et Ruralité: Soutien à la Vitalisation et à la Coopération Intermunicipale. The total cost for the kitchen was around $125,000. The town contributed the remaining $25,000 and will cover the operating and maintenance costs associated with the space.
“We made sure to set up a project that responds concretely to the needs of the community,” said Brunette. “We are very proud to offer community organizations and volunteers a space and professional equipment that will help them in their efforts to guarantee the right to healthy food for all,” he added, noting the town is especially committed to supporting those working in the field of food security.
In 2022, Huntingdon was instrumental in relocated La Bouffe Additionnelle to its current location, and in 2023, the town installed a cold room and freezer chamber in the suite next to the food pantry. Now that the community kitchen is open, the town has also announced it will provide the Popote Mobile with a suite next to the kitchen so they can offer their meal delivery service for seniors from the same building.
The mayor of Saint-Anicet, Gino Moretti, will be moving on from municipal politics after the end of his second mandate this fall.
Moretti announced he would not be seeking a third term just before the start of a special council meeting and budget presentation on December 16. “Tonight will be my last municipal budget,” he confirmed. “I have other opportunities in the future,” he added, without further explanation.
The mayor then turned the floor over to director general Denis Lévesque, who presented the details of the municipality’s annual financial exercise, which predicts a balanced budget of $6,418,064.
Lévesque explained that this year’s figures were influenced by several key factors, including the filing of a new municipal roll that saw a 54-per cent increase in the value of all properties. The average assessment for a single-family home jumped from $288,647 in 2024 to $431,032 in 2025, which represents an increase of over $142,000.
The director general was also careful to note a 5.5-per cent increase in shared expenses with the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent, the impact of inflation on all municipal expenditures, and the need to invest in municipal infrastructure having an impact on the overall budget.
Lévesque then presented the details of the capital expenditures program, which estimates an investment of $11,358,000 over the next three years. The municipality expects to invest over $4.9 million in 2025 on the paving of several roads, equipment for the fire service, and several major infrastructure projects.
Saint-Anicet will spend $1.2 million over three years to renovate the town hall, which Lévesque explained was lacking space. Half of the investment will be made in 2025, while an additional $300,000 has been budgeted for 2026 and 2027.
An additional $1.2 million will be spent in 2025 for repairs to the Catholic Church and community centre. Lévesque explained that the roof is currently leaking, and the municipality hopes to stop this before the structure is damaged.
The municipality will be installing washrooms at Parc Jules-Léger at a cost of $150,000, while development plans for Parc Génier will incur annual investments of $350,000 over the next three years. An additional $50,000 will be invested in the park in Cazaville as well.
Investments in the fire service include the purchase of a new boat as well as a new auto-pump fire truck, which is expected in 2026 at a cost of around $1.2 million. An underground cistern is also being installed in Parc Génier at a cost of $138,000. This will allow the fire department to fill their tanks with water more quickly. Lévesque noted excavation work has already begun in the park and a concrete slab has been poured.
Around $4.2 million will be spent on road maintenance between now and 2027, including the repaving of the Chemin St-Charles Ouest, the Chemin Rivière La Guerre, sections of the Chemin des Prairies, as well as sidewalk maintenance within the town and work on the Montée Cazaville.
Lévesque noted that the municipality was required to bring its wastewater treatment facility to standard, requiring an investment of $1.2 million. The municipal garbage truck is also in need of replacing at an estimated cost of $500,000 in 2026.
The director general noted that much of the planned expenditures will be covered by different grants and subsidies as well as loan bylaws.
The council unanimously approved both the budget and the capital expenditures plan before a notice of motion was tabled presenting the tax rates, service taxes, and the terms and conditions set out for this year.
The tax rate in Saint-Anicet is set to decrease from $0.4686 per $100 evaluation in 2024 to $0.3049 in 2025.
The bylaw was on the agenda for approval during the regular council meeting on January 13.
Reduced service hours at the Herdman, Trout River, and Lacolle Route 223 ports of entry went into effect on January 6.
The hours of service at the Herdman crossing, which connects the municipality of Hinchinbrooke to Chateaugay, New York, as well as the Trout River crossing that links Elgin with Constable, New York, have now been reduced by half: from 24 hours to 12, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The hours at the Lacolle Route 223 border crossing at Rouses Point in New York have also been reduced from 24 hours to 12: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The joint decision to scale back the operating hours was announced in November by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as part of a collaborative effort to coordinate the service hours at connecting ports of entry.
Despite an outcry from residents and local politicians on both sides of the border, as well as a concerted effort by Salaberry-Suroît MP Claude DeBellefeuille, the CBSA is intent on permanently maintaining the new hours.
In December, DeBellefeuille addressed a formal letter to Dominic Leblanc, then the minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Government Affairs, in which she asked for the CBSA’s decision to be reassessed while suggesting that a closing time of 10 p.m. would be more appropriate.
A formal response was received on January 2 from Andrew Lawrence, the director general of the CBSA’s Travellers’ Operational Guidance and Support Branch, on behalf of David McGuinty, the current minister of Public Safety.
Lawrence states that as a result of these changes, “Canada and the U.S. are able to resolve problems related to incompatible hours of operation at ports of entry.” These issues can include security risks posed by open barriers at ports of entry, coordination difficulties between the CBSA and CBP in the event of incidents, and delays in the removal of inadmissible travellers and goods to the other country.
Lawrence also refers to a study of operational pressures, peak periods, and related service requirements, which indicated that most of the affected entry points cleared – on average – no more than two cars or commercial vehicles per hour during the period in which they are now closed.
DeBellefeuille confirms that the Bloc Québécois requested a breakdown, by hour, of the number of crossings at both the Herdman and Trout River ports of entry from the CBSA; it showed numbers that were above the two vehicle-per-hour average.
The deputy says that since November, her team has received over 50 testimonials from local residents detailing how this decision will impact their daily lives. She has spoken out against the CBSA decision in the House of Commons and through the media, and shares that at least two municipalities, Elgin and the town of Huntingdon, have adopted resolutions similarly denouncing the reduction in operating hours.
DeBellefeuille says that despite her interventions, as well as the testimonials from locals and accurate traffic data, the CBSA has maintained its decision.
“Unfortunately, the response we received leaves no room for questioning this decision,” says DeBellefeuille. “Clearly, despite our best efforts, we have not succeeded in convincing the competent authorities.”
The New Frontiers School Board (NFSB) is among the school service centres and school boards to receive additional funding to restart francization courses that were shuttered in November after government funds ran dry.
The Quebec government announced in early December that $10 million would be allocated to school service centres and boards across the province based on the needs in different regions.
According to Louisa Benvenuti, the manager of administrative and communication services with the NFSB, the board has been given an allotment for 13 full-time equivalent student places for French-language courses expected to run between January and March. This will allow the NFSB to register approximately 50 part-time students at the NOVA Career Centre in Chateauguay.
Benvenuti says there is a possibility the NFSB will be able to offer another round of courses accommodating around the same number of students from April to June.
The students will be referred to the NFSB by Francisation Quebec, a government-mandated agency established through the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation, et de l’Integration to oversee French language courses offered for free to newcomers to the province.
Francisation Quebec will prioritize students who are currently on waiting lists; however, Benvenuti suggests that past students attending courses through the NFSB may not be referred back to the board.
The Centre de Services Scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands was not included on the list of service centres and school boards to receive additional government funding to restart courses. As a result, the suspended francization courses being run through the Centre de Formation Générale des Adultes des Tisserands will remain closed for now.
Celebrations over a recent decision by the Commission de Protection des Terres Agricoles du Québec (CPTAQ) that rejected a request to operate an asphalt plant on Covey Hill may have been premature.
Groupe Chenail Inc., which is behind the installation of the asphalt factory at the Carrieres Ducharme quarry in Havelock, filed a motion to appeal the CPTAQ’s decision with the Tribunal Administratif du Quebec (TAQ) in mid-December.
The company is demanding that the TAQ reverse the CPTAQ’s decision and authorize the operation of the asphalt factory until July 19, 2039. If this proves impossible, the company is requesting the TAQ “reverse the decision and return the file to the commission for a decision by two new commissioners.”
According to the filed motion, the Saint-Rémi-based company is contesting the CPTAQ’s ruling on twelve grounds, arguing the commission erred significantly in its decision by “basing its analysis on assumptions and fears supported by no concrete, documented facts, most of which are not covered by the Act respecting the preservation of agricultural land and agricultural activities (LPTAA).”
Groupe Chenail states the CPTAQ’s assessment of the impact of an asphalt factory on existing agricultural activities, including tourism, was flawed, as was its consideration of environmental impacts over which they argue it has no jurisdiction.
The motion suggests the CPTAQ misinterpreted the LPTAA by refusing the factory on the grounds of its discharges, which Groupe Chenail Inc. insists would fall within environmental standards and thresholds. It argues that expert reports confirming the project’s compliance were disregarded.
Groupe Chenail inc. is also contesting the CPTAQ’s conclusion that the addition of an asphalt factory would constitute a new use and not an accessory use under the LPTAA.
The CPTAQ concluded that the asphalt factory, even as an accessory use, would impact existing agricultural activities and future development, and that this would also affect the homogeneity of the environment. The company argues against this, pointing out an accessory use by its very nature must have less impact than the primary use, in this case referring to the quarry.
Groupe Chenail Inc. also questions the CPTAQ’s interpretation of regional particularities as set out in section 12 of the LPTAA, arguing that it failed to consider zoning bylaws as well as decisions by both the Quebec Superior Court and Court of Appeal.
The CPTAQ issued its final decision on November 7. Over 20 individuals, groups, and organizations argued against the asphalt factory before the commission. The CPTAQ is now required to provide the TAQ with a copy of all files relating to the case by mid-January.
The board of directors and management at the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest (CISSSMO) presented its final annual review during a public information session on November 27 in Vaudreuil.
The creation of Santé Québec, the province’s new public health agency that launched on December 1, effectively eliminated the regional health agency. As a result, the evening oscillated between cautious optimism and sentimentality as the CISSSMO’s deputy president and CEO Dominique Pilon spoke of the agency’s challenges, successes, and priorities for 2025.
Some of the highlights mentioned include improvements in access to care, such as the official inauguration of midwifery services in the region, which welcomed its first birth on March 25. At least five vaccination and screening centres became permanent points of service, to relieve overcrowding at CLSCs and hospitals and to help consolidate and optimize the use of space and human resources.
CISSSMO’s deputy president and CEO, Dominique Pilon, presented the regional health agency’s challenges, successes, and priorities for the coming year during the annual public information session, which took place on November 27 in Vaudreuil. (PHOTO Sarah Rennie)
The hours for daytime medical services were extended to evenings and weekends. According to Pilon, this will benefit those who need the technical facilities of a hospital. “Before, they had to stay in bed at the hospital, taking a bed just for tests, examinations, or to receive ward care. What we have done is improve the order of services, allowing for much earlier discharges and better hospital fluidity,” he explained.
Healthcare workers are also performing virtual follow-ups with patients in their homes for issues such as hypertension, diabetes, and even lung disease. Nurses can see data in real time and from there, adjustments can be made to medication or treatment plans, which prevents visits to emergency rooms.
Pilon also highlighted how primary care access points (GAP) have allowed those without a family doctor to be seen. Local teams are processing between 110 and 230 requests per day, and 80 per cent of the requests are fulfilled within 36 hours.
Following a law that required health agencies to eliminate the hiring of placement agency workers, the CISSSMO launched a massive recruitment campaign that resulted in 560 hires. “At this time last year, we had over 1,000 employees working for us from the independent workforce,” said Pilon. “One year on, fewer than 175 people come from the independent workforce. As of April 1, we will no longer have any,” he added.
Priorities for 2025
The main priorities for the upcoming year include budget management. The CISSSMO posted a consolidated deficit of $106 million in 2023-2024; however, Pilon insists the budget will be balanced for 2025. “Two months ago, we had a projected deficit of $142 million. Today, two-months later, the forecasted deficit for Montérégie-Ouest is $98 million,” said Pilon.
In terms of budget recovery, Pilon acknowledged that independent labour was a significant factor. Last year, agency workers represented $52 million of the CISSSMO’s budget. This number is expected to fall to around $16 million for this year.
“An exceptional job has been done by all the teams, not only by the finance teams, but also by all the departments that have worked hard to reduce expenses within the organization,” he noted, while suggesting he is confident the organization will continue to reduce its spending without impacting patient care.
Human resources and recruitment will also be prioritized. According to Pilon, 250 of the CISSSMO’s recent hires were all from the independent workforce. He noted the organization has also launched an international recruitment office and will soon welcome 20 new nurses to the Hôpital Anna Laberge in Chateaugay.
Pilon also emphasized the importance being placed on human resources. He mentioned that during the most recent exams for nursing assistants and nurses (LPN), the 34 LPN candidates posted a 94 per cent pass rate, while all 73 nurses who took the exam achieved a passing grade.
“This is the culture we want to establish, of being able to support those who want to come and work for us,” said Pilon, who heralded the success rate as proof the nurses and LPNs were well prepared, with the supervision they needed to succeed.
He finished by noting the organization is looking ahead to several major infrastructure projects, including the future Vaudreuil-Soulanges hospital, the opening of the new Maison des Aînés alternative long-term care residence in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, and improvements to the Suroît and Anna Laberge hospitals.
Shannon Thurston of Staveley Farms in Saint-Anicet says she is concerned for the longevity of her Boer goat herd.
A change in regulation surrounding the importation of male breeding animals by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has left Canadian breeders unable to import new breeding genetics from the United States. The CFIA suspended Option 2C for importing bucks and rams in 2022, which eliminated two of three options available to Canadian breeders looking to introduce new genetics to their herds.
Thurston says this change could have a devastating impact on Canadian goat herds, including her own. She explains that if she cannot introduce diversified genetics into her herd within a short period, she could begin to see higher levels of inbreeding, deformation, difficult kidding, low immunity, lowered performance, and several other issues.
Shannon Thurston says she is concerned for the genetic diversity in her Boer goat herd in Saint-Anicet. (PHOTO Shannon Thurston)
The CFIA implemented the change to protect against the spread of disease, including scrapie, a fatal prion disease that affects sheep and goats. Thurston insists, however, that there was no specific reason to suspend the policy, noting there have been no outbreaks linked to imported animals, and the science behind scrapie transmission has not changed.
To call attention to this issue, Thurston has launched a petition with the House of Commons in Ottawa to urge the CFIA to review its policy and its potential impact on goat farming across the country. Salaberry-Suroît MP Claude DeBellefeuille has sponsored the petition, which needs 500 signatures to move forward.
The petition calls on the CFIA to provide scientific evidence demonstrating an increased risk of scrapie transmission from imported male breeding animals to justify the removal of Option 2c.
Thurston is also requesting the government organization implement an industry-wide program for genetic-based scrapie resistance testing, and that the CFIA recognize scrapie-resistant genetics in goats.
“They have shut us right down and have not offered us any options,” says Thurston, who suggests that so little genetics have come into Canada for the Boer breed that it will soon be very problematic.
Thurston says she hopes people will support the petition. “Even in our own industry, it’s hard to make people understand the impact this will have,” she explains.
The petition can be accessed and signed online by searching for e-5199 (Animals) on the ourcommons.ca website.
Around 50 people attended an information session with Kruger Energy, the developer behind the Les Jardins wind farm project, at the recreation centre in Hemmingford on November 26.
Jean Robert Poulin, the project development director for Kruger Energy, provided an update on the project which includes 13 turbines in Saint-Patrice-de-Sherrington, three turbines in Saint-Michel, and five turbines in Saint-Édouard. Hemmingford is included in the project because all the electricity generated by the turbines will be transmitted by underground cables to converge at the substation located in Hemmingford Township.
The company is in the process of completing the environmental impact assessments and inventories on the different sites, as well as visual and noise simulations. Poulin confirmed that all the information gathered over the past months “has not had any impact on the project configuration.” A series of informative panels were set up in the room with the preliminary results of the different studies.
Poulin said the studies, which include an environmental impact assessment, including several sound studies and models, a shadow analysis, a landscape study including a visibility analysis and visual simulations, an archaeological assessment, and biological inventories will be finalized before the end of the year.
Once completed, these will be submitted to the government. Initial presentations will also be submitted to the Bureau d’Audiences Publique sur l’Environnement (BAPE) and the Commission de Protection du Territoire Agricole (CPTAQ). The ensuing approval and permitting process will take up much of 2026.
Construction on access roads, the distribution network, foundations, and the substation is expected to start in 2027. The wind farm should be operational by December 2028 following work to upgrade existing roads, the installation of wind turbines, and site remediation.
More details on the wind farm can be found online at projeteolienlesjardins.com.
The first floor of the Centre d’Hébergement du Comté de Huntingdon (CHSLD) has been transformed into a village as part of a collective project to create a warm and comforting environment for the 30 residents who call the floor home.
The My Village, My Community mural project was officially inaugurated on November 29, with representatives from all the partner organizations, including Les Aidants du Haut-Saint-Laurent and the Alzheimer Society Suroît, the Comité de Concertation des Ainés du Haut-Saint-Laurent, the Huntingdon County CHSLD, and École Secondaire Arthur-Pigeon.
The My Village, My Community project was inaugurated at the Huntingdon CHSLD on November 29. (PHOTO Sarah Rennie)
The murals depict familiar landscapes and landmarks in the Haut-Saint-Laurent, such as an orchard, the Powerscourt covered bridge, and the clock at the central intersection in Huntingdon. Other sections were painted to look like a market, a barber shop, and streetscapes with houses. They were painted between September 18-20 by 45 students from Arthur-Pigeon, who worked with artists and community volunteers to bring the village to life.
“The Haut-Saint-Laurent region is renowned for the commitment of its community, and this project demonstrates once again that when many partners join forces, great things can be achieved,” said Bernard Cyr, the assistant general manager of General and Specialized Physical Health with the Centre Intégré de Santé et de Services Sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest.
Cyr congratulated those involved, saying they had not only succeeded in creating a warm and welcoming environment for the clientele and their loved ones, but a stimulating and innovative workplace for the unit’s staff as well.
Frédéric Roiné, the manager responsible for the living environment, noted that the painted walls have beneficial effects for the residents, including the creation of visual landmarks and distinctive elements that will enable them to more easily find their way around the floor.
“The project on paper was to paint the walls, to make a beautiful mural. But it was more than that, it was also about developing links with the community, with the different age groups who took part in the project, and links with the seniors,” said Arthur-Pigeon students Zachary Laroche and William Pineault, who noted the project helped them to realize the significance of their community.
As of December 1, the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest (CISSSMO) ceased to exist. Local health services will now be provided by Santé Québec Montérégie-Ouest (SQMO), which is part of a provincial network of health-care agencies organized under the newly created crown corporation.
Claude Jolin, who chairs the CISSSMO’s board of directors, referred to the change in governance as an important milestone and major transformation, during the organization’s annual general meeting and public information session on November 27. “We have begun to prepare ourselves to ensure a smooth transition and to continue to offer excellent care,” he confirmed.
Representatives from the CISSSMO talked about the transition to Santé Québec on November 27 during the organization’s annual general meeting and public information session. (PHOTO Sarah Rennie)
CISSSMO’s deputy president and CEO, Dominique Pilon, explained that while there will be a significant adjustment period, he considers the changes to be positive. “This is not the end. It is the beginning of a great adventure for the entire network,” he said.
Johanne Fleurant, the assistant director of social programs, rehabilitation, and public health at the CISSSMO, then presented the details relating to this change and what it will mean for the local health network.
She pointed out that sweeping healthcare reforms tend to happen in Quebec around every nine or ten years. The last major upheaval was in 2015, when the integrated health and social services centres (CISSS) were first introduced.
The main change this time around is that Santé Québec is a crown corporation that will become the single employer for healthcare workers in the Quebec’s public sector. “We don’t yet know the full extent of the changes this will bring,” admitted Fleurant. Santé Québec will be responsible for coordinating all health and social service resources, as well as strategic planning. It will then be up to health-care establishments to put these plans into operation based on the resources and healthcare needs of the population.
The current board of directors for the CISSSMO will remain in place until June 2025 to ensure the transition to the new governance structure goes smoothly. The board will then become an institutional board of directors with an advisory role, made up of users, representatives from the research community, healthcare facilities, human resources management, the business community, and the various hospital and support foundations.
There will also be certain criteria for the composition of boards, including a requirement that two-thirds of all members be independent, and 40 per cent of seats must be filled by women. Boards will also be required to reflect Quebec’s diversity while taking the socio-cultural, ethno-cultural, and linguistic composition of the territory into account.
Fleurant explained that the transition will allow the SQMO to access best practices from across the network and export them to the Montérégie-Ouest. She noted the change will also allow for resources to be pooled across the province, while allowing for greater staff mobility across different sites at the more local level.
Beyond returning to a balanced budget, Fleurant said that over the next several months the SQMO will be rolling out a new integrated plan to improve access by March 2025, coordinate services, and support the major transformations currently underway.
The MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent is hoping that work on the first murals to be painted on silos as part of a regional network will start over the coming summer.
At least 18 producers and individuals interested in the project, including members of the local UPA syndicate and representatives from the MRC and local municipalities, were present during a December 5 meeting where the project was formally introduced to the farm community.
While large-scale mural projects are not necessarily rare, this is first and only project that involves painting silos in Quebec. In an optimal scenario, the MRC is planning on creating three loops in strategic areas throughout the territory. The goal is to complete seven murals in 2025 and a further seven in 2026 to complete the network.
Nancy Brunelle, the cultural coordinator for the MRC, said the meeting was a good start. “We are quite pleased. For a first meeting, this is a success for us,” she commented.
After a brief presentation outlining the project, Brunelle introduced Robert Lalande of the Ferme Robert et Louise Lalande in Alfred, Ontario, which became part of the Popsilos project in 2020. He provided pertinent information and context for the MRC’s initiative.
Following this, two representatives from the Montreal-based social design firm Ohisse, which has been mandated to manage the project with the MRC, ran a brief workshop where interested property owners could locate their farms on a map.
“I put my name in as soon as I saw it,” said producer Bill Anderson, who added his Très-Saint-Sacrement farm to the map. “I just find it nice for the Haut-Saint-Laurent,” he added, suggesting he really liked the uniqueness of the project.
The endeavour has the support of the Ministère des Affaires Municipales et de l’Habitation. The MRC has budgeted $614,000 for the project in 2025 using Fonds Régions et Ruralité component-three funds dedicated to signature innovations.
The MRC expects it will cost from $50,000 to over $100,000 per silo. Brunelle said the MRC is also hoping to involve local artists in the project, during both the design and production stages.
Interested producers have until January 10 to complete and submit a participation questionnaire identifying the type of structure available, as well as the material and state of the surface to be painted. The form is available online at mrchsl.com/silos.
The Maison des Jeunes in Huntingdon will be without a home come July, if a solution is not found quickly to relocate the vibrant youth centre that is currently housed at École Arthur-Pigeon high school.
Around 30 individuals, including several area young people as well as representatives from the Maison des Jeunes, parents, and supporters of the community organization, attended the regular council meeting in Huntingdon on December 2. Students unfurled a banner signed by well over one hundred kids who rely on the youth centre’s services, and several rose to speak during question period to request the town’s support.
Representatives from the Maison des Jeunes in Huntingdon attended the monthly council meeting on December 2. The youth centre has been asked to leave the local high school by July and is now looking for a new location. (PHOTO Sarah Rennie)
Maison des Jeunes coordinator Nathalie Collin confirmed during the meeting that the Centre de services scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands (CSSVT) has now asked the youth centre to move. She pointed out that with little more than six months remaining, the situation facing the youth centre is dire.
“Here we are at a minute to midnight. We need a town hall, and elected officials who will sit down with us and work with us,” she said, while addressing the council.
A representative for the young people in the room presented mayor André Brunette and the town’s councilors with a formal invitation to visit the youth centre. Collin then asked whether the mayor would be willing to sit on a committee dedicated to finding a solution for the Maison des Jeunes.
Brunette readily agreed to be part of a committee, along with at least one other councilor. He noted,, however that the future of the youth centre has been the subject of meetings and discussions for over two years.
The town had at one point offered the Maison des Jeunes an opportunity to build on a piece of land along François Cleyn Street. This was determined to be less than ideal, as the youth centre would be located closer to elementary schools, near both the railroad and a cemetery. There were also concerns about young people walking along this busy section of François-Cleyn, as there are presently no sidewalks.
The Maison des Jeunes has also looked at different locations within the town, including a property on Chateauguay Street, as well as lots both in front and behind the high school. None of the potential scenarios played out in favour of relocating the centre. “There is no more land in Huntingdon that is affordable,” Collin lamented, while pointing out how difficult it is to develop concrete plans without a confirmed location.
For Collin, an optimal solution would be to integrate the youth centre into plans to enlarge the high school; but, she says, this possibility has not been brought to her attention by the CSSVT. She said she planned on asking the school service centre and governing board for more time.
She explained that earlier that day, there were over 170 students at the youth centre during lunch hour. Noting the Maison des Jeunes’ 40-year history, and its significant role within the community, she asked that the town take on a greater role in finding a solution.
In an interview following the meeting, Collin said she believes they will find a way to keep the Maison des Jeunes from closing. “We are asking for a place to build a 3,000 square-foot building. We don’t want a gym, or a climbing wall like you see in other youth centres. We just want a floor, walls, and a roof,” she explained.
“We can’t do it on our own, we need a partnership to make it happen.”
The regional government has appointed Claudia André as project manager. She will oversee the harmonization of the region’s land-use and development plan with the new orientations in land-use planning, established by the provincial government, that come into effect on December 1. The document must also correspond to objectives set out in the Politique nationale de l’architecture et de l’aménagement du territoire (PNAAT).
In a statement, the MRC says the revision of the SAD will enable it to better respond to regional challenges and define an ambitious future for the territory.
After more than a decade, the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent is overhauling its Schéma d’aménagement et de développement (SAD).
André describes the land-use and development plan as “a tool that deals with the environment, living environments, social and economic issues, cultural particularities, natural environments, tourism, mobility, and public spaces.”
The first plan of this kind was adopted in 1987, and a revised version was applied in 2000. This iteration will establish the region’s physical organization over the next 20 years. It will become one of the main planning tools for the choices and decisions affecting the MRC and its 13 municipalities.
André will oversee each stage of the project: updating the territorial portrait including the natural, social and economic environments; creating a strategic vision statement that adapts provincial policies to local realities; and formulating development orientations and objectives that address issues including transportation, infrastructure, and landslide stress areas. As well, an action plan will be drafted that sets out concrete objectives and actions for the region’s sustainable development, with a complementary document providing the rules and obligations that municipalities will need to include in urban-planning bylaws.
André says that once the plan is adopted in 2028 it will be available to elected officials and citizens, adding that it will serve as a consensus-building tool that reflects discussions and agreements between the municipalities, the MRC, and the provincial government. She says it will list timetables, different partners, and various methods for carrying out projects that are favoured at the regional level.
The MRC is encouraging the public to participate in the revision process. André says that while specific details have not been confirmed, the process will include public presentations, discussion tables, themed workshops, guided activities, a survey, a comment box, and a large-scale conference.
The 85 members of Valleyfield local 460 of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have been waving flags and handmade signs during daily demonstrations outside the Canada Post depot on Victoria Street in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.
The local represents Valley postal workers from Hemmingford to Dundee as well as the city of Valleyfield. Its members, along with the 55,000 other postal workers across Canada, walked off the job as part of a nationwide general strike on November 15.
Negotiations with a government-imposed mediator have been taking place since November 19 with both the urban and the rural and suburban mail carriers (RSMC) bargaining units. The CUPW has rejected a proposed 11.5 per cent wage increase over four years, asking instead for 22 per cent over the same period.
Talks between the RSMC union representative and management have focused on issues such as pay stability, validation, hourly rates, and maintaining hours. The urban units have focused on issues such as salary, minimum hours for part-time workers, and weekend delivery demands aimed at competing with “gig-economy” platforms that deliver parcels as cheaply as possible. The union is concerned this could impact full-time carrier routes on weekdays.
Postal workers with Local 460 in Valleyfield have been demonstrating in front of the Canada Post depot on Victoria Street in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield since the general strike was called on November 15. (PHOTO Sarah Rennie)
According to daily negotiations updates posted by the CUPW there has been some progress, with sides exchanging proposals; however, a lot of ground remains.
The federal government ended past work stoppages in 2011 and 2018 by legislating postal workers back to their routes. Jonathan Theoret, the president of Local 460, said he hopes the government will let the employees fight this one out. “We had a 98.5 [per cent] strike vote. That’s really strong,” he said, noting this is the first general strike since 2011.
“We have had special legislation every four years for 20 years,” he explained, noting that the workers signed a contract extension without negotiation two years ago during the pandemic. “Now is the time to ask for what we want,” he continued, noting that salary-wise, employees want to return to the same purchasing power they had in 2020.
Theoret said that so far, support from the public seems strong. “I understand that the market has changed in the past six years. I think the public likes Canada Post, and it is here to stay. It is a service we offer to everyone, even in the North,” he commented. “I understand there are financial challenges, but we all have to face this together,” he added, suggesting Canada Post needs to change as well.
No pickup or delivery
The work stoppage has shut down Canada Post operations entirely. The Crown corporation has said that mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered during the strike, and some post offices will be closed. No mail will be accepted, and service guarantees for items already in the network will be affected.
According to Canada Post, items will be delivered as quickly as possible once operations resume on a first-in, first-out basis, though it cautions that processing and delivery may take some time to return to normal.
The uncertainty around Canada Post’s ability to deliver the sizeable backlog of mail in a timely matter once the strike ends has some consumers holding off on purchases. Christina Fasoula, the owner of the Tricot Laines Studio yarn store and gift shop in Huntingdon, relies on Canada Post to receive and ship her products and has already lost sales due to the strike.
“It is not like we are in Montreal where there are other options. There are multiple companies that you can use to ship without Canada Post, but they are in larger towns. For us, it is not an option,” she explained, noting those options can also be expensive.
Fasoula says that while the strike is causing some complications for small businesses, she is hopeful that locals will consider doing their holiday shopping closer to home, where they can skip the stress of waiting for delivery.
Students attending French classes through the government’s francization program at area school service centres and school boards are looking for alternatives to learn French.
The courses are provided for free to immigrants through Francisation Quebec, a government-mandated agency run through the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation, et de l’Integration, on a full- or part-time basis.
As government funding for the program ran dry, the classes offered by the New Frontiers School Board (NFSB) at the NOVA Career Centre in Chateauguay were closed as of November 8. The courses being run by the Centre de services scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands through the Centre de formation générale des adultes des Tisserands (CFGAT) will also end, effective November 29.
This will affect 33 full-time students and 63 part-time students at the NFSB, as well as more than 150 students currently studying at the CFGAT.
“We have maintained the francization program for as long as possible to meet the demand,” said François Robichaud, the assistant director general for success at the CSSVT. “This difficult decision is based on the budgetary framework and the terms and conditions for using the funds,” he explained.
In past years, the government based its program financing on demand reported in the previous two years. New budgetary rules determining the financing for the 2024-2025 fiscal year are based on numbers pegged to 2020-2021 demand, when numbers were lower due to the pandemic. This was also the year during which the francization program was integrated with the CFGAT.
The Syndicat de Champlain confirmed to the Journal Saint-François that all five francization teachers on contract in the Vallée-des-Tisserands’ territory have been let go.
According to NFSB director general Mike Helm, the continuing education team worked extremely hard in terms of redirecting staff to ensure no jobs were lost.
“For us, it was about trying to support the community and its needs in terms of francization and the improvement of the French language,” said Helm. The NFSB did not offer any francization courses in 2020-2021, so is no longer able to offer the courses.
“It is really unfortunate that due to budgeting parameters, we are not able to provide this service,” he added, before suggesting that if the rules were to change, the NFSB would be open to restarting its program.
Travellers who frequently use the Trout River or Herdman border crossings to enter the United States are in for a shock.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced on Monday that it would be adjusting the service hours at 35 land ports of entry across the country as of January 6, 2025. This is being done in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which is adjusting its service hours at 38 ports of entry.
In the Haut-Saint-Laurent, the hours of service at the Trout River crossing, which connects the municipality of Elgin to Constable, New York, will permanently be reduced by half – from the current 24 hours to 12, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. The Herdman crossing, which links the municipality of Hinchinbrooke with Chateauguay, New York, will also be limited to between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The Lacolle Route 223 border crossing at Rouses Point in New York will similarly see its hours reduced, from 24 hours to 12: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Trout River border crossing in Elgin is one of three area crossings that will see its operating hours reduced by half, following a collaborative agreement between the Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The reduced hours at the Trout River, Herdman, and Lacolle Route 223 (Rouses Point) ports of entry will start on January 6, 2025. (PHOTO Sarah Rennie)
In a statement, the CBSA said the changes will enhance overall security for both countries. “It will allow the CBSA to use its resources more efficiently by deploying officers at busier ports of entry. This will support the CBSA’s ability to process travellers and goods as well as to manage enforcement activities.”
The service hours at the three connecting U.S. ports of entry will now align with the Canadian hours of operation. The CBSA said this “will allow both countries to return inadmissible travellers and goods to the other country, which is more difficult when one side of the border is closed while the other remains open.”
The CBSA maintains the change is based on an “analysis of operational pressures, peak periods, and services required at the ports of entry, to minimize the impacts on border communities.”
According to the CBSA, the ports of entry process an average of two or less vehicles or commercial trucks per hour during the period they will no longer be in operation. The CBSA notes that alternative border crossing options exist within a 100-kilometre radius, notably at the Dundee-Fort Covington and the Hemmingford-Mooers ports of entry.
‘A misguided decision’
The Customs and Immigration Union (CIU), which represents CBSA officers and personnel, is demanding the agency reverse its decision. Union president Mark Weber referred to the move as an “incredibly misguided decision.” In a statement, the CIU said the decision was made without consulting frontline officers working at the affected ports, or the border communities in which the crossings are located.
A CBSA employee, who spoke with The Gleaner on condition of anonymity, confirmed that employees at the affected border crossings were given no advance warning of the reduction in hours. They said that officers were told they would not lose their jobs, but that some would be relocated to larger ports. “Our personal and family lives will be sacrificed because of this,” they added, noting the long commute that may be imposed on border service agency officers.
“Most locals think this is temporary, but it’s not. It’s permanent,” they pointed out, noting that while the custom offices will be closed at 6 p.m., travellers should not expect to cross up to the last minute. “It will be more like 5:30 or 5:45 p.m.”
The officer is concerned that security along the border will be impacted as well. “We are actually stopping people from coming in, criminals, drugs, and guns,” they said, while questioning how leaving a nearly 80-kilometre stretch of the border less secure overnight improves security.
Impact on families and the economy
Elgin director general Guylaine Carrière said the CBSA contacted her about the reduced hours. She says members of the council expressed their disappointment with the decision when she relayed the news, noting it will be a discussed during the regular meeting in December.
“I find it very, very early,” said Carrière of the 6 p.m. closing. “It will have a major impact on a lot of the families here in Elgin,” she added, while suggesting there will no doubt be consequences for the local economy as well. She was also taken aback by how soon the changes will come into force, noting the timeframe does not give people and businesses much time to adapt.
Carrière said she spoke with the CBSA about the fire-rescue mutual aid agreements that exist on both sides of the border, and was told a procedure would be put in place to allow first responders to cross at all hours in the event of an emergency. She admitted that while this is positive news, there were delays in response times when the border was closed during the pandemic.
The reduced hours are problematic for those who live on one side of the border but who work on the other, or who cross regularly for work. For Rick and Kenny Van Winden, who own land and farm in Chateauguay and Burke, New York, the new hours will be particularly challenging.
“They have been combining there for the last couple of weeks, and they are not home until 11 or 12 at night,” said Natalie Wattie, who is married to Kenny. “It is going to cause some problems, because while some springs and falls are ok, some are not. If you are planting and missing that window because you can’t cross, then you can’t get your crops in on time,” she explained.
“There is never a time when they are done at 5:30 p.m.,” Wattie added, noting the detour to Hemmingford or Dundee on a tractor would be “insane.”
Politicians express concern
New York State senator Dan Stec issued a statement on November 21 blasting the decision. “You can’t have a part-time border!” he exclaimed; while highlighting the disruption this will cause to the unique relationship that exists between communities, referring specifically to the mutual-aid pacts in place. The senator also pointed to the “turmoil” created in the region by irregular immigration, to suggest the move will impact the safety of those living along the border.
New York governor Kathy Hochul has publicly stated her opposition to reducing operating hours at the border, calling on the CBP to reverse its decision.
On the Canadian side, Salaberry-Suroît MP Claude DeBellefeuille has also come out against the CBSA’s decision. “I cannot support a reduction in service that will have an impact not only on citizens, but also on businesses in our region,” she said, while decrying the lengthy detours this will entail. “I am already getting calls from businesses expressing their dissatisfaction,” she added.
“We know that there are major issues at the border,” said DeBellefeuille. “It strikes me as an odd time for the Border Services Agency to cut their services.”
The MP is now asking citizens and businesses who are affected by this announcement to contact her team so they can document the impact of the CBSA’s decision in the region.
Those interested in sharing their story can contact DeBellefeuille’s office by email at: claude.debellefeuille@parl.gc.ca.
The Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable closed the Walker Bridge in Huntingdon on October 29 immediately following an accident involving a cube truck.
The century-old structure, which spans the Chateauguay River, was closed as a precaution after a cube truck collided with the clearance gauge as it approached the bridge.
The Walker Bridge in Huntingdon has been closed since October 29 following a collision between a cube truck and a clearance gauge. (PHOTO Sarah Rennie)
The clearance structure was damaged due to the collision. Marie-Michelle Pilon, the communications advisor and regional spokesperson for Montérégie, says the gauge needs to be repaired, particularly the bases and anchors that support the structure.
Pilon confirms the work will take place “over the next few weeks,” and that this will allow the bridge to be safely reopened.
An investigation by the Direction des Enquêtes et des Pursuits en Intégrité Municipale (DEPIM) of the Commission Municipale du Québec has concluded the town of Huntingdon committed wrongdoings in its allocation of tax credits and financial assistance to businesses.
The report, issued by the commission’s municipal integrity investigations and prosecutions branch on October 31, reveals that the town granted a tax credit over ten years to Greenvest Enterprises Inc., the developer behind the restoration of the O’Connor Building, without having first passed a bylaw authorizing it to do so. The report also alleges that financial assistance offered to businesses exceeded the limits imposed by the Municipal Aid Prohibition Act and required citizens’ approval.
Huntingdon’s director general, Johanne Hebert, acknowledges that the town committed an error regarding the awarding of a tax credit to those restoring the O’Connor Building.
The Commission Municipale du Québec has concluded that the town of Huntingdon committed a procedural error in the awarding of tax credits to the developers behind the restoration of the O’Connor Building. (PHOTO Sarah Rennie)
Hébert concurs that the resolution authorizing an agreement between Greenvest Enterprises Inc. and the town was passed by the municipal council on March 13, and that during the same meeting a notice of motion for bylaw 973-2024 was presented. The bylaw established a financial assistance program for the restoration of buildings of special or historic interest in the downtown sector. “The bylaw did not come into force until publication of the public notice to that effect on April 19,” she says. As such, the resolution to authorize the agreement should only have been passed once the bylaw was in force.
“There was no ill intent on our part,” says Hebert. “I think we were just so happy to have succeeded in saving the O’Connor Building,” she adds.
Huntingdon mayor André Brunette agrees, noting it was important to the council that the town’s historical landmarks be saved. The bylaw, regardless of the procedural error, allows the town to offer financial assistance to those willing to help revitalize the town and its older buildings.
Hebert confirms the DEPIM’s report will be deposited during the regular council meeting on December 2, at which time the town will move to repeal the March 13 resolution before passing a new resolution authorizing the agreement with Greenvest Enterprises Inc. in compliance with bylaw 973-2024. This will meet two of the three recommendations issued by the DEPIM as part of its report.
Investigation to be reopened
Hebert says that while she concurs with the DEPIM’s findings concerning the O’Connor Building, she believes the investigators interpretation of article 92.1 of the Municipal Powers Act concerning the town’s financial assistance to businesses is flawed. She disagrees with the report’s conclusions and says she wrote to the investigators with her concerns before the report was published.
Both Hebert and Brunette say they are disappointed that the results of the investigation were made public before discussions could take place to address the town’s concerns. The mayor says the council is now considering hiring a lawyer to respond to the municipal commission and the contents of its report.
Hebert confirms she has been in contact with both the Ministère des Affaires Municipales et de l’Habitation and the commission. She says the investigation will be reopened and that a meeting with the DEPIM’s investigators is already scheduled and will take place shortly.
Little Bean is a new web-based prenatal resource for expectant mothers looking for unbiased information on a range of subjects as they prepare to meet their baby.
The support service, which includes online prenatal classes, was recently launched by nurse clinicians Sabina Finnie and Agathe Lapointe to help women approach their delivery experience from a knowledgeable, prepared, and confident perspective.
Finnie has roots in the Valley, and she says she was thinking especially about rural areas and the somewhat limited availability of prenatal services. She says the number of families that come to the maternity ward unprepared has always surprised her. “A lot people did not know the minimum about what was happening to both them and their baby while they were delivering,” she says, noting new parents are often also not aware of the different interventions that might happen during the process. “This is in part because families will put their full trust in the hands of the medical staff, and while the medical team is there for expectant parents, they do not know what they want, and this may be different from what they think is best.”
Lapointe works in a more high-risk environment at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, but says that even some women who are facing complicated pregnancies and deliveries arrive unprepared.
“I think there is a belief out there that birth is a rite of passage, and you just have to tolerate it to get to the good part of having your child,” says Finnie. “Birth will change you. It’s a monumental moment, and I feel that being informed and prepared will help women make choices and avoid feeling like they did not have any control over their birth,” she exclaims, noting that a positive birth experience can influence everything that follows.
Finnie and Lapointe began talking about their observations in February 2023, when they decided to work together to produce a resource to empower women to advocate for more informed birth experiences. Later that year, both women became pregnant and began to learn first-hand about navigating the health care system while expecting.
More services planned
“Our prenatal courses are really in-depth. They touch on 10 different topics and are very extensive,” says Finnie. The classes, which are currently presented in English, cover everything from what to include in a hospital bag to possible emergency scenarios and rare medical complications.
Finnie says they are working on a postpartum program and plan to eventually offer in-person services, including prenatal classes, workshops, and yoga instruction. “Birth is super important, but setting yourself up for a good postpartum is crucial,” she explains, while noting how difficult it can be to survive on little sleep or attempt to get anywhere on time while healing from delivering a baby.
Finnie also plans to integrate infant massage workshops into their list of services. She is completing a course on the subject and is partnering with Une Affaire de Famille in Ormstown to offer five free courses to parents with children under one year of age. The courses will take place on Wednesdays in November and early December. Families can register by contacting her directly at sabinafinnie@gmail.com.
More information on the prenatal courses currently available through the Little Bean web platform can be found online at little-bean.ca.
The Barrie Memorial Hospital was at the forefront of medical imagery in 2010, when a new CT scanner was installed at the Ormstown-based facility. Though still useful, that CT scanner is becoming obsolete.
“The replacement of the CT scanner is scheduled for the near future,” confirms a representative for the Communications and Public Affairs Department at the Center intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest (CISSSMO). She says that while the decision has been made to provide a new scanner, the regional health authority is not yet able to provide a precise timeline for its arrival.
The current CT scanner and the associated expenses to renovate the medical imaging department in 2010 cost $1.94 million. At least $350,000 was contributed by the Agence de la Santé et des services sociaux de la Montérégie, which eventually became the CISSSMO, as well as $150,000 from the Québec Foundation for the Barrie Memorial Hospital. As was previously reported, the bulk of the funds necessary to secure the purchase of the scan came from the Barrie Memorial Hospital Foundation (BMHF), which contributed $1.44 million to the project.
The CISSSMO considers the foundation to be an essential partner when it comes to developing the hospital. “Its ongoing commitment and interest in supporting projects enables us to enhance the quality of care and services offered at the hospital for the benefit of patients and employees alike,” says the representative.
“The foundation’s work, as well as that of the Women’s Auxiliary, with whom we also work very closely, is of great value to the community, as they actively and dynamically contribute to improving our care environment,” she added.
Philippe Besombes, the vice-president of the BMHF, says the organization will soon begin fundraising to cover the costs associated with accommodating the new technology. He estimates the costs for this part of the project will be around $250,000.
The New Frontiers School Board was among the five English-language school boards to hold elections across the province on November 3.
Anne-Marie Yelle was elected as the commissioner of ward number 6, which includes the territories of Beauharnois, Saint-Étienne-de-Beauharnois, and Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. The ten other positions, including nine commissioners and the chair, were all elected by acclamation.
All members of the council of commissioners will be sworn in during a special meeting on Tuesday, November 19, at Howard S. Billings Regional High School in Chateauguay. The council now includes John Ryan, who will serve a second term as chair, as well as Raymond Ledoux, Karin Van Droffelaar, Lina Chouinard, Kenneth Crockett, Cristian Espinosa-Fuentes, Dianne Eastwood, Peter Stuckey, Barbara Ednie, and Connor Stacey.
Following the release of the annual Bilan Faim report by the Banques Alimentaires du Québec on October 28, the Moisson Sud-Ouest food bank says it continues to see a considerable increase in demand for food aid.
In the last three years, the number of requests for food aid in the Haut-Saint-Laurent, Beauharnois-Salaberry, Vaudreuil-Soulanges, and Roussillon regions has grown by 30,206.
The statistics suggest the number of individuals and families in need is similarly growing across the country. Food Banks Canada says that a six-per cent increase in visits to food banks was registered nationally compared with last year – representing a 90-per cent increase since 2019. Organizations partnering with the network of food banks across Quebec are now responding to 2.9 million food aid requests per month – an increase of 13 per cent over last year’s numbers.
Over 35 per cent of those benefiting from food aid through one of the 80 food pantries and organizations served by Moisson Sud-Ouest are children. In addition to the food aid being distributed to homes with children, over 35,000 snacks are distributed each month. The organization reports that over 1,000 food baskets per month are distributed to employed individuals, and over 10 per cent of those relying on food baskets own their home.
In a press release, Moisson Sud-Ouest points out that the $30 million granted by the government in the last budget allowed the network of food banks to purchase more food to meet the demand. It notes that while the government’s recently released action plan to fight poverty and social exclusion is a step in the right direction, even stronger public policy is needed to fight poverty and hunger before the most vulnerable in society will see any concrete impacts.
“For the first time, the issue of food security has been recognized in the government’s action plan to combat poverty. However, we need to do more to reduce the enormous pressure exerted by the growing need for food aid,” says Yan Ouellette, the director of communications and philanthropy at Moisson Sud-Ouest. He suggests the government must act now to help those facing food insecurity by attacking the root causes of poverty. “We have recognized the state of emergency; now we must act to help the most vulnerable and reverse the trend we are facing,” he notes.
According to the Bilan Faim, 72 per cent of the organizations served by Quebec food banks faced shortages, and 54 per cent were forced to purchase food to meet the demand.
“Our organization is doing all it can to meet the demand, notably by setting up initiatives in collaboration with several partners in the region to increase the volume of foodstuffs we distribute, or by holding recurring fund-raising campaigns, but that’s not enough,” says Moisson Sud-Ouest director Stéphane Spisak. “We will continue to do all we can to support those in need, but alone, we cannot solve the problem at the source.”
The annual Guignolée des medias du Suroît fundraiser for Moisson Sud-Ouest will run from November 22 to December 31.
The Town of Huntingdon is looking ahead and planning for the future.
Mayor André Brunette and councillor Dominic Tremblay presented the town’s 2024-2034 Sustainable Development Master Plan to citizens on October 29 at the Salle Culturelle Alfred-Langevin. Both referred to the document as the roadmap that will be used to guide decisions concerning the town’s management, development, and planning efforts in the years ahead.
Spearheaded by the board of directors of the Huntingdon Economic Development Corporation, the ambitious 10-year plan is the result of a two-year process that prioritized public participation through workshops, focus groups, and consultations. The municipality received 300 responses to a survey, and over 50 residents took part in an interactive consultation in June 2023.
The finalized plan was adopted by the municipal council on May 28 of this year; however, the document will remain active, and the council has acknowledged that it will have to evolve with the town over the next decade.
The plan is structured around five strategic orientations or objectives that reflect many of the concerns or priorities identified by citizens. These touch on inclusivity, transport and mobility, climate change, the local economy, and the town’s heritage.
The plan includes a list of strategic initiatives and projects to be completed in the short, medium, and long term that address each of the objectives. These include the establishment of a community and cultural centre, the installation of a community kitchen, the development of a town-centre revitalization plan, the creation of a new linear park, the adoption of a greening plan for the town, and much more.
“I think all the ideas and all the intentions from our citizens are in this document, and we’re going to fight hard. We’re going to try and do most of these initiatives, budget permitting,” said Brunette, while noting that several projects were already in place or in progress.
“There are a lot of grants out there, and we are definitely going to try and get funding for each project,” Brunette added, while reassuring citizens that the town intends to develop within its means.
The MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent launched its first strategic development plan in over 40 years during a presentation at the Salle Culturelle Alfred-Langevin in Huntingdon on November 7.
A revised version of the Plan d’action pour l’économie et l’emploi (PAÉE) was also unveiled during the event, which highlighted the MRC’s strategic orientations and ambitious objectives in terms of the region’s economic, cultural, and social development over the next four years.
Around 50 invited guests attended the event, including several mayors, representatives from community organizations and businesses, and employees of the MRC, as well as Salaberry-Suroît MP Claude DeBellefeuille, and a representative for Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette.
In a rousing speech, Sainte-Barbe mayor and prefect Louise Lebrun jubilantly introduced what she referred to as a bold vision for the years ahead. “We are entering an era where the status quo is no longer an option, where leadership must be inspired and inspiring, and where development must be active, sustainable and intentional – an era in which regions capitalize on the characteristics and strengths that make them unique,” she enthused, while calling on those present to become involved and to work together.
Work began on the strategic development plan and the action plan for the economy and employment in the spring of 2023. Both documents were approved during the regular meeting of the regional council on September 18.
MRC director general Pierre Caza explained while presenting the main points of the plan that the end goal of the planning process was to strengthen the local economy, promote rural tourism, and encourage cultural vitality and inter-municipal collaboration. The document includes the MRC’s vision, strategic objectives, and different courses of action to be implemented between now and 2028.
Members of the regional council worked with seven partner organizations to realize the plan, which features 93 actions aimed at improving access to services and housing; economic diversification and support for entrepreneurs; planning for dynamic, attractive living environments; the promotion of the MRC’s natural, cultural, heritage and tourist attractions; and prioritizing sustainable development while taking climate change into account.
Caza maintained that the MRC worked to ensure regional planning efforts would be adapted to the area’s rural or agricultural heritage and current reality. “This is important because the reality of the Haut-Saint-Laurent is what it is. We don’t want to denature ourselves,” he said. “We love our rural environment. And we’re not going to change it,” he explained, while pointing out that this conviction should not stop the MRC from innovating and inspiring other MRCs.
The PAÉE, which was developed in parallel with the strategic plan, aims to stimulate economic growth, support local entrepreneurship, diversify the economic fabric of the area and improve the region’s attractiveness as a tourist destination.
The most recent iteration of the PAÉE was completed in 2013. In revising the document, the MRC’s regional development team partnered with around 26 different organizations, businesses, and groups for the elaboration of the plan, which includes a dozen objectives and 37 strategic actions, several of which are already in place.
Caza noted that while there were different teams working on the strategic development plan and the PAÉE, the two documents are complementary. “This is very gratifying, because it means that on both sides we were really on the right track, and we succeeded in producing tools that will be useful.”
Combined, the two plans include 130 actions the MRC hopes to achieve before the end of 2028.
Caza said the MRC employees will be working with both documents. “We are not going to create two silos. Everyone will work together and build bridges,” he explained, noting the MRC is hoping to encourage the public’s participation. “There are citizens who like to get involved in their communities. We need to be using this energy to boost the region’s development.”
More information on the MRC’s strategic development plan and PAÉE, including the complete documents, can be found online at mrchsl.com/plans.
The municipality of Havelock and its supporters are elated, following a big decision in their fight to protect the local environment and farm community.
The Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec (CPTAQ) has officially rejected an application by Groupe Chenail Inc. to operate an asphalt factory in the Carrières Ducharme stone quarry located on Covey Hill. This could end the three-year saga that began in 2021 when the municipality first opposed the factory.
The Quebec Superior Court ruled in favour of the project in 2023. Havelock attempted to contest the decision, but the Quebec Court of Appeal upheld the ruling and refused to hear arguments. Following this, the municipality turned its attention to the CPTAQ to stop the installation. An ad-hoc committee was created to compile research and prepare facts in defense of the municipality’s position that an asphalt factory does not belong in an agricultural community.
The final decision, which was issued on November 7, follows a surprise reversal by the commission, which had previously suggested it would conditionally allow for the installation of the factory for a period of five years. A notice was issued in July that modified its assessment after a meeting took place with over 20 individuals, groups, and organizations who argued against the preliminary orientation, including the municipality of Havelock, the Fédération de l’UPA de la Montérégie, the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent, Ambioterra, and several concerned producers and citizens.
The final decision upholds many of the observations made in the notice of modification, which cited articles 12 and Section 62 of the Act respecting the preservation of agricultural land and agricultural activities. These provisions allow for the consideration of regional characteristics in the preservation and promotion of agricultural enterprises and activities, which the CPTAQ concedes could be at risk if the asphalt factory was allowed.
It explains that the commission chose to give priority to agricultural activities in the area, despite the presence of a quarry. The CPTAQ argued it would not be advisable to aggravate the situation with the installation of an asphalt factory, which would constitute a new use of the site.
The decision, which is signed by CPTAQ vice presidents Hélène Lupien and Gilles P. Bonneau, confirms that “The participants at the meeting raised concrete consequences of the project on farming activities,” while pointing out that those in favour of the project were given an opportunity to present their views. The CPTAQ concludes that “Groupe Chenail Inc. did not convince the commission that the project will have no impact on farming activities.”
Sharon deGaspé Power, who serves as the spokesperson for the ad-hoc committee, says she is overjoyed with the decision. “I’m just so happy that a major organization like the CPTAQ did listen to us!” she exclaims. “It means that our community is going to maintain its character and the essence of its economic activity, its agritourism, which would have suffered horrifically.”
The ad-hoc committee, which was largely made up of citizens with one municipal councillor, met on a weekly basis for over a year. DeGaspé Power says she is grateful to those who supported their cause. “It was a great collaborative effort from Elgin right up to Sherrington!” she exclaims, noting volunteers went door-to-door in several communities with their petition, which garnered over 600 signatures.
Groupe Chenail Inc. will now have 30 days to decide whether to contest the CPTAQ’s decision before the Tribunal Administratif du Québec.
The Association pour la défense des droits sociaux (ADDS) Huntingdon has updated its branding to reach as many people as possible, as living conditions within the Haut-Saint-Laurent deteriorate.
ADDS director Valérie Taillefer says the organization has been working for almost two years to rebrand its services, so the community better understands its focus on defending social rights and its important role within the Haut-Saint-Laurent community.
PHOTO Sarah Rennie Valérie Taillefer and Karine Brunet of the Association pour la défense des droits sociaux (ADDS) Huntingdon unveiled the organization’s new logo earlier in October.
The colourful new logo and slogan were unveiled on October 19 following a campaign on social media, which counted down the days to the big reveal by highlighting different social rights such as mobility, food security, housing, equality and inclusions, and a healthy environment.
Taillefer says the slogan, “For a fair, supportive, and fulfilled community,” highlights how living conditions concern every one of us, while the new logo emphasizes the organization’s solidarity and commitment toward the community while evoking the importance of collective action and respect for the environment.
Taillefer admits that people tend to associate ADDS with separate services, such as its annual tax clinic, which is just one of its activities related to ensuring access to a decent income. “We are not just a small accounting office for part of the year,” she explains. The needs are there, she says, but they are expanding in many other ways across the Haut-Saint-Laurent.
“It’s not normal to pay so much for housing, to pay so much for groceries when our incomes don’t allow it. People are cutting back everywhere, and we can see that our members’ needs are growing,” she says. “We are going to see that the problems are going to become more and more visible.”
As an example, Taillerfer points to the snack bowl sitting on the table in their office. “Before the pandemic, people were embarrassed to take the snacks we were offering, but now people ask for them,” she says, noting they now partner with Moisson Sud-Ouest to be able to provide a variety of options to those in need.
ADDS also partners with the cercle de Fermières de Sainte-Barbe to offer knitted products to help people keep warm over the winter, including hats, scarves, socks, and slippers. At least 86 families were able to benefit from this partnership this year. A new supply of warm accessories is now available at their Huntingdon office.
“For me, this creates a kind of solidarity chain, with everyone helping each other out,” says Taillefer, who suggests this is precisely what is needed to help people weather the current social crisis.
She adds that those looking for ways to help can become involved with their community organizations by donating their time or funds, or by supporting the area’s different organizations at demonstrations. “That’s how we are going to make our concerns heard by the government, be it municipal, provincial or federal, so there are better programs to support households in the Haut-Saint-Laurent.”
More information on the services offered by ADDS Huntingdon is available online or by contacting 450-264-6888.
The Barrie Memorial Hospital Foundation (BMHF) has been covering the costs of providing free internet access to emergency room patients for the past several years. Now, hospitalized patients and their families can also benefit from reliable wireless internet access, thanks to the foundation.
“More and more people bring their computer or tablet when they are hospitalized,” says BMHF vice-president Philippe Besombes. The foundation reached out to the Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest (CISSSMO), which agreed to allow the foundation to install a router on the third floor.
According to Besombes, the Barrie Memorial is not the first of the three hospitals in the Montérégie-Ouest to offer free WiFi services to all its patients. “For us it is a big plus, and it was one of the things we really wanted to do for the well-being of patients at the hospital,” he explained, noting that while many now have data plans included with their phones, many do not have unlimited access to the internet through their devices.
Besombes says the next big project for the foundation revolves around the hospital’s current CT scanner, which was installed in 2010 and is due to be replaced. The CT scanner and necessary renovations to the medical imaging department at that time cost $1,94 million, to which the BMHF contributed $1,44 million.
“When we bought this scanner for the hospital, it was the most powerful scanner in the region,” Besombes says, “but now it is at the end of its life.” This time around, the foundation will not finance the equipment but will finance the necessary renovations to the department. “We are planning to spend around $250,000,” he reveals, suggesting the foundation will soon begin fundraising for the project.
The Gleaner reached out to the CISSSMO to confirm the regional health authority was planning to replace the CT scanner, but did not receive a response by press time.
“We think it is at least two years away,” says Besombes, noting the authorization and procurement process with the CISSSMO will no doubt take some time.
PHOTO Sarah Rennie
The president of the Barrie Memorial Hospital Foundation, Robert Greig, and vice-president Philippe Besombes tested the Wi-Fi signal on the third floor of the hospital last week. Hospitalized patients and their families can now benefit from free wireless internet access throughout the hospital.
The Association pour la défense des droits sociaux (ADDS) Huntingdon is partnering with Centraide Sud-Ouest du Québec to ensure that citizens facing vulnerable situations in the Haut-Saint-Laurent continue to receive support.
ADDS director Valérie Taillefer says the partnership with Centraide, which includes a $15,000 donation, will provide ADDS with the solid funding base it needs to pursue its mission.
Centraide Sud-Ouest du Québec is recognized for its commitment to providing solidarity and support to community organizations. It supports at least nine organizations in both the Beauharnois-Salaberry and Vaudreuil-Soulanges regions, as well as five regional organizations, while ADDS is currently the only partner organization in the Haut-Saint-Laurent.
Taillefer says there is a clear alignment between ADDS’s values and those at Centraide, and that this synergy made it possible to establish a partnership. “This support will strengthen our ability to help our 638 members in a context where community needs are growing,” she explains, noting the investment will allow for some breathing room when it comes to developing more services and expanding the organization.
Taillefer explains that Centraide’s approach to centralizing donations enables organizations like ADDS to rely on stable, predictable financial resources. This approach ensures that every dollar donated will be used to make a significant impact in the Haut-Saint-Laurent community.
Up to 36 new family doctors could set up practice in the region in the next year as part of the provincial government’s Plan regionaux d’effectifs médicaux (PREM).
The plan, which was recently released by the Ministère de la Santé, allocates the distribution of 458 new family doctors geographically and equitably across the province for 2025.
Up to 91 new doctors could become established in the Montérégie region, including six in the Haut-Saint-Laurent local service network (RLS), seven to the Suroît RLS, 11 to the Vaudreuil-Soulanges RLS, and 12 in the Jardins-Roussillon RLS. At least seven of these positions have already been filled by practising physicians.
The PREM authorizes an annual recruitment target for each administrative region or service network while considering the mobility of existing doctors, anticipated retirements, and the expected number of new physicians.
The number of positions allocated to the region in 2025 is significantly higher than those established for 2024, which allowed for the recruitment of just ten new positions between the four local service networks.
“Our goal is to better meet the needs of each region by making the practice of family medicine more attractive to future family physicians,” said health minister Christian Dubé. “These changes are important and will have tangible benefits for both health-care staff and patients in the various regions of Quebec. We’re adapting, for patients and staff alike,” he said, noting it was the right thing to do.
Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette is especially appreciative of the potential increase in the number of doctors. “This is excellent news, because the number of patients without a family doctor is considerable, especially in the Jardins-de-Napierville region,” she explained.
“Since doctors are self-employed and choose where they practice, we’re very keen to see them choose our region. Our recruitment experts, Fabienne Djandji and Félix Le-Phat-Ho, have our full confidence in not only attracting these doctors, but also convincing them to stay and invest in our community,” added Mallette.
Over 200 representatives from the agricultural and agrifood industry demonstrated on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on October 10, to demand that the senate immediately adopt Bill C-282 which protects supply management.
Protesters were joined by elected representatives from all five major political parties, including Salaberry-Suroît MP Claude DeBellefeuille and several senators, as they rallied in support of the private members’ bill that has now been stalled for over a year.
Martin Caron, the general president of the Union des Producteurs Agricoles (UPA), called on the members of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade to support the bill, which was adopted by a majority of MPs in the House of Commons in June 2023.
Canada has conceded nearly 8.4 per cent of its dairy production and processing during the last three international free-trade agreements it has signed, including the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union, the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, and the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.
Caron argues that supply management is just as important for dairy and poultry producers as the government’s risk-management programs are for other production sectors.
“Supply management in Salaberry-Suroît represents over 350 family farms that generate more than 3,100 jobs,” said DeBellefeuille. Across Quebec, around 6,500 supply-managed farms create 116,000 jobs and are responsible for $8.7 billion in GDP and $2.1 billion in tax revenues.
“Supply management brings vitality to our villages,” added DeBellefeuille, who noted the quality products and expertise of the agrifood industry as well as the high environmental standards that ensure the quality of agricultural products. “The fact that two unelected senators are preventing C-282 from being adopted is not only unacceptable, but contrary to democracy!” she exclaimed.
Caron pointed out that Canada will no doubt continue to negotiate trade agreements, suggesting it was important to send a clear signal to trading partners who are similarly protecting their own sensitive sectors, such as sugar and cotton in the United States or rice in Japan.
A development buzz continues to resonate across the town of Huntingdon, where housing starts and construction sites seem to be cropping up on nearly every vacant lot. There is one piece of land, however, where the signs of development have remained conspicuously absent.
The field earmarked as the future site of a new Maxi supermarket has remained untouched since the project’s promoters installed a sign and ceremoniously broke ground on the commercial development project in April 2023. Work was expected to begin right away on the proposed 28,000-square-foot grocery store located off François-Cleyn Street, near the corner with Ridge Road.
“The Maxi is still going ahead,” insists Huntingdon mayor André Brunette, while noting that some of the plans for the property have changed. The municipality has also decided to allow for the addition of housing on the lot.
Brunette says that difficulties acquiring permits from the Ministère de Transport to access Route 202 (François-Cleyn Street) are among the issues stalling the project.
Samuel D’Avignon, who is the director of operations for Sphere société immobilière, the real estate developers behind the project, notes the MTQ received the request for permanent access to Route 202 almost two years ago. “The request complies with their regulations, and we have provided them with all the additional documentation requested to answer their questions,” he explains.
The holdup caused by the MTQ is not the only complication resulting in unexpected delays. D’Avignon says that just before the projected start of construction in mid-2023, they discovered the water pressure available at the site did not correspond with simulations and failed to meet building code fire safety requirements for the sprinkler system. “Despite several checks and efforts by the municipality to increase the pressure, it was not enough,” he says.
For the project to go through, the developers commissioned engineers to design an underground 80,000-gallon water basin and system complete with a 1,200 gallon-per-minute pump. D’Avignon confirms that the process, which involved studying and modifying their plans, extended over a year.
D’Avignon says they are currently reworking the budget for the project to ensure all is in line to begin construction. As of now, no start date has been set.
Registered voters in the Valleyfield, Beauharnois, and Saint-Étienne-de-Beauharnois electoral division will be called to the polls on November 3 to elect a representative to join the New Frontiers School Board council of commissioners.
Ten of the eleven available positions, including that of chair, were declared filled by acclamation when the period for submitting nomination papers closed on September 29.
The two candidates running for election in district number 6 are Corrine Kane and Anne-Marie Yelle. Those whose candidacy went uncontested include Raymond Ledoux, Karin Van Droffelaar, Lina Chouinard, Kenneth Crockett, Cristian Espinosa-Fuentes, Dianne Eastwood, Peter Stuckey, Barbara Ednie, Connor Stacey, and John Ryan, who will sit for a second term as chair.
Now that an election has been declared, NFSB director general Mike Helm says it is very important that those on the electoral list take the time to vote. “We really need people to come out,” says Helm, noting that a high voter turnout would benefit the English population.
“The concept of elections is probably more important now than ever, because we are under threat of losing that right to represent our community in the same way we have over many, many years,” says Ryan.
The provincial government attempted to abolish English school boards when it passed Bill 40 in 2020 which converted all French boards to school service centres. A 2023 ruling by the Quebec Superior Court determined that several of the provisions in Bill 40 relating to English school boards are unconstitutional. The government is appealing this decision.
“It is extremely important to vote, because if we don’t stand up and defend what we have, we are going to lose it,” says Ryan. “We have to protect it now, and keep it,” he says of the English-speaking community’s right to maintain elected councils. “Otherwise, there is no going back.”
Huntingdon wants control over the section of Route 202 that runs through the town, which is known locally as François-Cleyn Street.
The busy road is currently maintained by the Ministère du Transport (MTQ), but the town alleges the provincial transport authority is slowing development along the road and refusing the installation of sidewalks.
Huntingdon mayor André Brunette says the town has been in talks with the MTQ for the past several months to acquire the right to manage the one-kilometre strip of highway running from Chateauguay Street to Ridge Road. During the October 7 regular municipal meeting, the council unanimously passed a resolution formally requesting authority over François-Cleyn Street.
Brunette says that along with holding back permits or permissions for future businesses to access the road, the transport ministry has also refused to allow the municipality to add safety features for pedestrians.
“Since 2021, the Ministry of Transport has not accepted out requests to build a sidewalk,” explains Brunette, who suggests other municipalities have faced similar issues when it comes to collaborating with the provincial government. He says in some cases, the MTQ has agreed to relinquish control over sections of numbered highways.
There is a sidewalk along one side of François-Cleyn Street off of Chateauguay Street, but it ends about halfway up the road. Significant commercial and residential buildings have now been built along this stretch, and the absence of a sidewalk is becoming a safety concern.
“We know that the medical centre is very important. We’re happy that it went up. We’re happy about the daycare, but we must have a sidewalk that goes there,” says Brunette, who insists the town is prepared to manage the roadway.
“This will enable us to proceed faster with giving out permits to future businesses that are going to establish on François-Cleyn Street. It will also give us the right to build a sidewalk that will go all the way to the Tim Horton’s,” says the mayor.
“It’s the best way to go, if we want to continue advancing what we have and what we want for the town.”
Brunette says he is hoping to receive a response from the MTQ in the next 60 days.
A wet August followed by a warmer-than-usual September has become a perfect combination for an extended mosquito season.
Besides being a nuisance, mosquitos can transmit dangerous diseases such as West Nile Virus (WNV) and the California serogroup virus, as well as eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), which has surfaced locally this summer in horses despite generally being considered quite rare.
Chantal Vallée, a senior advisor with the communications and public affairs department at the Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de la Montérégie-Centre, confirms there have been no human cases of EEE reported in the Montérégie to date. She notes, however, that an increase in WNV infections has been detected in the region.
WNV has been endemic or regularly occurring in Quebec since 2002. It is a mandatory reportable disease in Quebec, and the number of cases identified each year are recorded by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux. The number of WNV infections tends to increase cyclically every four to five years, and the province is anticipating cases may continue to rise this fall.
As of September 26, there have been 61 cases confirmed across the province, and of those, 26 were diagnosed in the Montérégie. Only 20 cases of WNV were reported in Quebec in 2023, including six in the Montérégie.
Vallée says the Direction de Santé Publique de la Montérégie (DSPM) issued a call for vigilance in August to alert health-care professionals throughout the region to the potential risks posed by these infections.
“In the presence of symptoms affecting the nervous system, health-care professionals are being encouraged to look for these infections by performing the appropriate tests,” says Vallée.
The DSPM also encourages the adoption of preventive measures, especially for people at greater risk of serious illness, including individuals over 50-years-old, and those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer.
Vallée confirms it is important people protect themselves against mosquito bites as long as mosquitos are active this fall.
The Montérégie-West Community Network (MWCN) hosted the region’s first employment roundtable focused exclusively on the five MRCs that make up the Montérégie on September 26 at the wellness centre in Huntingdon.
Around 25 representatives from local employment-oriented organizations as well as regional development groups participated in the meeting, which included a presentation by the Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT) on employment statistics in the region.
“We want to talk about the issues and try to find solutions to employability issues within the region,” said Joanne Basilières, the MWCN’s employability and mental health coordinator. She invited PERT to present the findings of its recently released employment profile of English speakers in the Montérégie, and to start a dialogue amongst the group on meeting the challenges facing this community.
Chad Walcott, the director of engagement and communications for PERT, opened his presentation by acknowledging English speakers are facing growing challenges in the labour market, with higher unemployment rates, lower incomes, and persistent barriers to accessing essential French language training. These are the main findings of the report, which also notes a widening gap in the unemployment rate between English and French speakers in Montérégie.
Since the 2016 Census, the unemployment rate for English speakers has increased from 7.5 per cent to 9.1 per cent, while the rate for French speakers has remained steady at 5.8 per cent. The stats are showing a consistent trend, says Walcott. “The gaps are there, and they are persisting,” he said, noting that while some of the data from the 2021 census may have been influenced by the pandemic, the gaps have been present since 2011 and even earlier.
In the Montérégie region, the English-speaking population accounts for 13.3 per cent of the total population, while in the Haut-Saint-Laurent, English speakers make up 30.4 per cent of the population. This is the second highest percentage after Vaudreuil-Soulanges, where 34 per cent of the population identify as English-speaking.
The unemployment rate among French speakers in the Haut-Saint-Laurent sits at 6.8 per cent, while 8.2 per cent of English speakers are unemployed. In Beauharnois-Salaberry, 5.9 per cent of French speakers are unemployed, while 9.1 per cent of those who speak English do not have jobs.
In the Haut-Saint-Laurent, English-speaking visible minorities are at the greatest disadvantage, where 25.8 per cent are unemployed. This figure is twice as high as in every other MRC in the Montérégie. Across the region, the unemployment rate for visible minorities is 10.9 per cent.
Walcott noted that along with a higher unemployment rate, English speakers were also earning less. In the Haut-Saint-Laurent, for example, English speakers earn roughly $3,800 less per year than their French-speaking neighbours, while visible minorities who speak English earn $9,000 less per year.
Walcott explained that even though English speakers are participating in the job market, there is a blockage. “The fit is not there for the job market,” he said, noting that this holds true despite the fact English speakers are generally more educated and are more likely to identify as bilingual.
For example, 80 per cent of English speakers in the Haut-Saint-Laurent have at least a secondary school diploma or equivalency certificate, while 72 per cent of French speakers have attained this level of education. The bilingualism rate for English speakers is 66.7 percent, while 50.9 per cent of French speakers identify as bilingual.
During the discussion that followed Walcott’s presentation, one participant noted that many want to work with the English-speaking population, but the resources are simply not there. “It is easier to hire someone who is handicapped than it is to hire someone who is unilingually English,” she pointed out.
Many suggested more funding for work-integrated learning programs would help English speakers gain professional skills while improving their French-Language skills on the job. Others pointed to a lack of funding for industry-specific language training as an issue, as well as the integration challenges facing English speakers working in French environments.
The Quebec government has decided to allow municipalities with fewer than 2,000 residents to reduce the number of seats on municipal councils.
The province cites difficulties in recruiting willing candidates during elections as motivation behind the decision, which will allow less-populated municipalities to run councils with as few as four elected members.
Municipalities are currently required to have six representatives on council.
The change was introduced as part of Bill 57, a wide-reaching law aimed at protecting elected municipal officials while promoting the unimpeded exercise of their functions. The bill also amends various legislative provisions respecting municipal affairs. The bill, which was adopted in the National Assembly on June 6, will allow municipalities to reduce the composition of their council as of the next general election, scheduled for November 2, 2025.
Radio-Canada reports that the municipal affairs minister, Andrée Laforest, spoke with several people closely involved with municipal politics before enacting this law, including mayors and prefects as well as representatives of the Fédération québécoise des municipalités (FQM) and the Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ).
According to 2023 population estimates by the Institut de la statistique du Québec, eligible Valley municipalities include Dundee, Elgin, Franklin, Godmanchester, Havelock, Howick, Sainte-Barbe, Très-Saint-Sacrement, and Hemmingford Village.
Municipalities that are considering making this change must act fast to adopt a bylaw before the end of this year, and there is a process that must be followed.
According to the law, a draft bylaw must be presented to the population during a public consultation meeting chaired by the mayor and attended by a majority of council members, as well as the clerk or clerk-treasurer. A bylaw, which would make permanent changes to the composition of the municipal council, may then be adopted at a meeting following the consultation.
Dundee mayor Linda Gagnon says she intends to bring this up with members of the municipal council during a work session in October. “If we want to move in this direction, we have to move fast,” she acknowledges, while noting there are some pros and cons, and she does not want to rush things.
Gagnon says the municipality is not having trouble recruiting councillors. “Reducing the council to four members might help with the budget, but democracy wants the opinion of as many people as possible to be heard,” she explains. “Going in this direction just to cut expenses requires careful consideration.”
If a bylaw is passed, the elected officials currently in office would be able to complete their mandate. The four councillor positions and that of the mayor will then be opened to candidates during the 2025 general election period.
Area farmers are still recovering from the torrential rain and subsequent flooding brought on by the remnants of hurricane Debby in early August.
During the annual fall consultation held by the Haut-Saint-Laurent syndicate of the Union des Producteurs Agricoles (UPA) on September 13, regional federation president Jérémie Letellier confirmed the storm resulted in material damages and financial losses for producers impacted by flooding. He also spoke about the important role played by the different MRCs when it comes to waterway management, and the impact that poorly maintained ditches and waterways can have during extreme weather events.
One of the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent’s many responsibilities is to ensure the free flow of water through the various waterways that course through the region. The MRC confirms that a “communications and collaboration” channel exists between citizens, the municipalities, and waterway manager David Rousseau. This allows the MRC to identify the nature, location, and delimitation of the problem reported by citizens so their requests can be processed as quickly as possible. Following this, mandates are given to engineers to determine the necessary maintenance work, which is then carried out in accordance with the laws and regulations in place.
According to the MRC, five requests were received and processed from agricultural producers following the flooding in August. The MRC notes that this work did not impact any of the work already scheduled, except for the removal of a tree that had fallen into the water, and the prioritization of a tree branch in an area that was already identified for inspection.
The UPA says that despite this, there is much more work waiting to be done.
Éric Leboeuf, the president of the local syndicate, said that waterway maintenance remains one of the most significant issues facing area farmers. So much so, that a resolution proposed by Saint-Anicet farmer Marius Trépanier calling for better management of the region’s waterways was passed unanimously during the fall consultation.
The resolution calls for better collaboration with the MRC, the municipalities, and Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette, to ensure work to clear waterways is carried out according to a schedule that is reasonable for all concerned.
The local syndicate is also requesting a complete overview of pending requests, so the UPA can better understand the progress being made or delays to specific files.
The management at the MRC has previously confirmed they are ready to participate in a strategic approach aimed at improving procedures in line with ministerial guidelines and current legislation.
For local farmers already concerned about the next weather event, this collaboration cannot come soon enough.
The MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent is taking action on climate change. With support from the provincial government, the regional municipal organization is in the early stages of developing its first climate plan.
The “Accélérer la transition climatique locale” program was launched by Quebec in February, to support initiatives at the municipal level that are focused on climate change adaptation and mitigation. The MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent responded positively to the program, and Megan Heath was brought on board in May as the project manager responsible for the creation of the climate plan.
This type of plan traditionally presents the risks and opportunities associated with climate change, while identifying priority projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation, and different actions to support the local climate transition. The MRC is already well on its way.
The first meeting of the newly established climate plan committee took place on September 12. Heath says the committee was formed to ensure citizens and experts were equally consulted on various topics relevant to the plan’s development. “The committee provides a communication channel for citizens, agricultural producers, and environmental groups in the Haut-Saint-Laurent region who wish to make comments or recommendations, or ask questions,” says Heath. Invitations were sent to the 13 municipal mayors and directors general, as well as to representatives of groups such as the SCABRIC and Ambioterra, as well as the CLSC and the local syndicate of the Union des producteurs Agricoles (UPA).
Heath says the climate plan will play an important role in the MRC’s overall planning in the years ahead. “The relationship between citizens and the territory is fundamental in the Haut-Saint-Laurent,” she explains. “By considering the effects of climate change and the territory’s GHG inventory, the MRC and municipalities can work together to better prepare for the future and develop, implement, and optimize protective measures for citizens.”
The committee will address topics such as extreme weather events and the quality and quantity of the region’s water supply, as well as the impact of climate change on disaster preparedness for events such as flooding, forest or brush fires, and power outages. Other topics include the growing risk of Lyme disease and heat stroke, the prevalence of pests and diseases affecting crops, and methods for preserving the health of all types of living environments, natural environments, and ecosystems in the Haut-Saint-Laurent.
Heath says that along with the formation of the committee, the MRC will be “coordinating its efforts in urban planning, waste management, economic development, public transport, and public safety to find solutions for adapting to climate change and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.”
Much of the work to complete the plan will be done at the MRC; however, the regional council passed a resolution on August 21 to outsource the production of a greenhouse gas inventory to the CIMA+ consulting and engineering firm.
Once approved by the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP), the MRC will begin planning and implementing various projects that stem from the plan.
Debbie Purdy was devastated last month when one of her two elderly horses suddenly became very ill. She says her mare, Paige, who was born 28 years ago on her farm in Aubrey, died soon after from eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), a rare but serious and often fatal mosquito-borne illness.
To date, there have been two disease alerts issued by the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) for confirmed EEE cases in the Haut-Saint-Laurent that have been registered on the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System. In speaking with different horse owners and people within the community, there are reports of upwards of 15 animals across the Valley that have now perished from EEE.
“It is a pretty small radius,” says Purdy of the local cases; while pointing out she knows at least three others personally who have lost their animals to the disease. She posted a candid message on social media after Paige died, to help raise awareness locally about the virus and its deadly consequences.
Between 75 and 95 per cent of infected horses will die within two or three days after the onset of symptoms. Clinical signs of EEE, which is sometimes referred to as sleeping sickness, come on abruptly, and can include lethargy or drowsiness, behavior changes, impaired vision, muscle twitches, or paralysis.
“It is devastatingly fast,” Purdy confirms.
The Quebec government warns that officials are seeing elevated viral activity across the province, and several cases of EEE have been detected in horses in the Lanaudière, Montérégie, and Laurentides regions. Ontario, Vermont and New York State are also reporting an increased number of cases.
The Vermont Department of health reports that over 70 groups of mosquitos have tested positive for EEE across more than 15 towns. Last year, only 14 groups across three towns tested positive, which suggests a significant increase in the circulation of infected mosquitos.
Across the border in Vermont, the towns of Alburgh, Burlington, Colchester, and Swanton are considered high-risk. Health officials have recommended people there avoid being outdoors after 6 p.m. to avoid mosquitos.
The virus is especially dangerous for horses, but humans can contract the disease as well from the bite of an infected mosquito. Most people show no clinical signs of illness, but some may experience flu-like symptoms. Generally, those infected fully recover within one to two weeks.
There have been no human cases confirmed to date in Quebec; however, an Ottawa resident who passed away in August tested positive for EEE. Human cases have also been identified in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, where one person has died.
There is no vaccine for humans against this illness, and the best way to protect against diseases that are spread by mosquito bites is to avoid being bitten.
There is a vaccine approved for horses, though Purdy points out that not all horse owners are aware of the potentially lifesaving inoculation, as the disease is considered so rare.
“It pulls at my heartstrings, because I felt blindsided,” she says.
According to the government, there is still time for horse owners to vaccinate their animals, though vaccination normally would take place before peak mosquito season in the spring.
Elections are set to take place this November at the nine English school boards across Quebec.
Notice was officially given on August 22 by the New Frontiers School Board that all eleven positions, including the chairperson and ten commissioners, will be up for election. Nomination papers for those interested in representing an electoral ward must be filed in person at the board office in Chateauguay by 5 p.m. on September 29. Should two or more candidates present themselves for one position, an election will take place on November 3.
“This is about making sure that the voices from the community are being heard, and this comes through the electoral process,” says NFSB director general Mike Helm. He says this public representation is especially important because it allows the board “to respond to the different needs in terms of ensuring the teaching and learning that is going on within our buildings.”
John Ryan, the current chair of the NFSB council of commissioners, says these elections are “probably more important now than ever, because we are under threat to lose this right to represent our community in the way we have over many, many years.”
Ryan has already announced his candidacy for re-election. He says it will be extremely important for eligible residents to vote if an election takes place. “We are the only elected voice for the English community at the provincial level,” he adds. “If we don’t stand up and defend what we have, we are going to lose it.”
All parents of students who were or are currently enrolled in an NFSB school should automatically be eligible to vote. Returning officer Louisa Benvenuti says it is important for recent graduates to check their status. She says several 18-year-olds recently noted that although they graduated from an English school, they had been automatically excluded from the list.
Those who do not have children or whose children do not attend an NFSB school are by default not included on the electoral list. Those in this situation who would like to vote in school board elections must complete a notice of change form, which is available on the NFSB’s elections page on their website (nfsb.qc.ca/elections)
Students at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School (CVR) in Ormstown will be shelving their cellphones as part of a new policy banning the use of such personal devices throughout the day.
“We are disconnecting to reconnect with our learning,” says principal Lynn Harkness, of the decision to extend the Ministère de l’Éducation directive banning the use of cellphones in classrooms to the entire school.
“We are moving forward with no cellphones in the school, from when you walk in until you leave the building at the end of the day,” Harkness explains, noting students may bring their devices to the school but must leave them in their lockers, even during breaks and lunch hour.
“We are looking at what is in the best interests of our students as social reflective learners,” says Harkness, who strongly feels that limiting cellphone use and exposure to screens will allow students “to be more socially connected without being digitally connected.”
The policy will also help teachers in the classroom, where Harkness says cellphones have taken priority. “It has become a bone of contention. And the time that we spend navigating this is taking away from learning,” she explains. The hope is that by removing these distractions, students will be able to focus and reconnect with what is going on in class.
Increasing participation
Jessica Barrette, a leadership advisor and senior-school teacher, says student cellphone use skyrocketed during the pandemic. “When we came back to school and kids were alternating between days, we had a real honest chat about how much screen time they were clocking during those days at home,” she explains. Students were often shocked to see their daily screen time, which sometimes amounted to over 13 hours per day. “They had no idea,” she adds.
Barrette points to research attributing increasing anxiety levels among students to cellphone use and says this is directly impacting student interactions as they are less likely to take risks or participate in school activities. She confirms participation rates have dipped in leadership activities such as theme days, which are designed to encourage more community within the school.
Providing support
Teacher and parent Erika Rosenbaum says removing cellphones from the school is a powerful move. “I am almost sure that our children will look back at this time and say, I can’t believe you put a device in the hands of every child that gave them access to the entire world without supervision,” she explains. “I think that is a dangerous thing,” she continues. “And we are providing a safe space for our kids by shutting that down for a few hours a day.”
Harkness agrees, but she admits that there is an addictive factor to student cellphone use and acknowledges this transition may be more difficult for some. “Our intention is not to stress kids out,” she says, while noting they are ready to support students who may be more affected by the policy.
Harkness says she also understands parents use cellphones to communicate with their children during the day and suggests students will be able to use phones in the office to communicate with their families during school hours. Students may use their phones after school hours to coordinate transport, or to communicate with their families in case of schedule changes or late bus cancellations.
“We are up for the challenge,” Harkness says. “And we hope the community is on board to allow us to prioritize learning and community building.”
With over 12,000 students across its population, the Centre de services scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands (CSSVT) is growing too quickly for its available space.
CSSVT director general Suzie Vranderick has confirmed that the $57.6-million expansion project to accomodate up to 700 new students at École Baie-Saint-François is ongoing, while the government has announced the construction of two new elementary schools within the service centre’s territory.
The groundbreaking ceremony to start construction on a new school in the Grande-Île sector in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield took place on August 23. The future facility will accommodate 576 students and will feature 24 classrooms, including six preschool classes and 18 regular classes. The school will also contain a double gymnasium, a multipurpose room with a pedagogical kitchen, as well as a learning hub, collaborative spaces, and an art and music room.
The provincial government will invest $34.3 million to build the school, which should be ready to welcome staff and students for the start of the 2026-2027 school year.
The construction of a second elementary school in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield was confirmed by the Ministère de l’Éducation on August 21. The new 17-classroom elementary school will be built on the grounds of the École Frédéric-Girard school in the city’s La Baie sector.
The school will feature three kindergarten classrooms, 12 regular classrooms, and two special education rooms.
“Thanks to this new building, our school community will have the chance to explore and develop in an innovative educational environment and in stimulating spaces that reflect the trend of new-generation schools,” said Vranderick.
“A magnificent future continues to unfold for our artisans, our youth, and our professional community,” she added.
The 2024-2025 school year marks the seventh consecutive increase in student numbers at the CSSVT, which has grown by 28 per cent in the youth sector over the past five years. As of August 22, at least 396 more new preschool- and elementary-level students were registered compared to last year, as well as an additional 214 students at the secondary level.
Students returned to class at schools associated with the Centre de services scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands (CSSVT) on August 30, and there were a lot of new faces per classroom.
“In Montérégie, all school service centres are experiencing growth, but in relative terms, we’re experiencing the biggest increase,” says director general Suzie Vranderick, who acknowledges the service centre was caught off guard by this rapid expansion.
“In 2018, we drew up our Commitment to Success Plan, which anticipated an increase of 1,000 students between 2018 and 2030. And now, we are already up to over 1,500 students in just three years,” she explains.
The adult sector is also booming, with an increase of 209 students in the general education sector, as well as 105 students in vocational programs.
The CSSVT attributes some of this growth to an increase in immigration to the region, which has led to a need for more Francization courses. More courses are also being added during the day and evening, and even on Saturdays, to meet demand; and a new point of service was launched in the Haut-Saint-Laurent last year, with three evening courses taking place at École Arthur-Pigeon high school in Huntingdon.
In the youth sector, new arrivals who are less familiar with the French language are integrated directly into the classroom. “We are keen to support our schools, and we are working with our teachers and teams to do just that,” says Vranderick, who admits they have no plans to open language classes in the youth sector.
Most positions filled
Student population growth has also translated to challenges in terms of teacher and staff recruitment and hiring. On the first day of school, at least 97 per cent of teaching positions had been filled. Around 96 per cent of support staff positions were filled, and 93 per cent of the positions for educational professionals were staffed.
Assistant director general François Robichaud explains that the CSSVT has had difficulty filling five psychologist positions, which account for much of the remaining professional positions. “Because of this, we decided to integrate other services, such as occupational therapists, who will work as part of a team with the other departments,” he says.
Robichaud adds the CSSVT emphasizes the hiring of qualified employees but admits that like many other service centres and school boards, some positions have been filled by non-legally qualified personnel. “We have teacher mentors to support those who are new to us at the start of their careers. We also have training courses that will be offered throughout the year, so we will be supporting them to ensure quality service is offered to our students,” he explains.
Targeting graduation rates
The CSSVT acknowledges that along with its population growth and need for more space, the service centre is facing another challenge in terms of slumping graduation rates.
Vranderick says the CSSVT has set a target for June 2027 to have 73.2 per cent of its students graduate. The current graduation rate after five years sits at 54.9 per cent, which is considerably lower than the provincial average of 72.5 per cent. After seven years, the figure improves to 67.3 per cent, but still falls short of the provincial average of 84.3 per cent.
The service centre’s Commitment to Success Plan 2023-2027 aims to address this issue by targeting priority areas for intervention, including increasing student success in core subjects such as French literacy and mathematics. “Our focus is on monitoring our cohorts,” says Vranderick. “We are talking about assured competencies, where we want 70 per cent of our students to score at least 70 per cent on elementary school ministerial exams,” she says, noting they had previously used a passing grade of 60 per cent as their marker for success.
Along with the Commitment to Success Plan, each school also has its own plan in place. “When we talk about graduation success in our region, we obviously focus on the school, but it’s the student who succeeds,” says Vranderick. She explains that this represents the work of a team which includes not only school staff and administration, but also each student’s family and their community as well.
The New Frontiers School Board is celebrating a big win.
After ten years of petitioning the government for permanent status for its Health, Assistance and Nursing program, the Ministère de l’Education has finally given the course a green light.
The New Frontiers School Board (NFSB) director general, Mike Helm, confirmed that the board received the official letter granting the program permanent status early last week, with just enough time to ensure those registered at the Chateauguay Valley Career Education Centre in Ormstown could start as planned on August 28.
Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette was on hand the day before to announce the good news. “You never stopped, you never gave up, and that makes all the difference,” she said, during an emotionally charged visit to the vocational school.
Exuberant NFSB administrators, teachers, and staff welcomed the MNA and her attachée Marie-Claude Picard, who were just as excited by the news. “Everyone worked so hard, and we would not have this result today if everyone had not shown how important it is for our region,” said Mallette, while referencing the consistent municipal and community support for the program that has been evident for over a decade.
The NFSB was authorized to run the course in 2006, but on a temporary basis, meaning the board required government permission each year to renew the program. In 2018, Mallette’s predecessor, Claire Isabelle, secured a three-year term for the program, which led to a push for permanency.
“It is many years in the making,” acknowledged Helm, who admitted he was growing concerned that the program would not start on time – or possibly at all, given the government’s delayed response. “We’ve been working so hard to demonstrate and to improve for so many years, and we’ve thought we’ve had very strong cases in the past,” he said.
“It’s quite incredible what everybody has pulled in and has done in order for this to happen,” he added, while suggesting the permanent status will be life-changing.
“Our teachers and staff have had to live that uncertainty every single time that we have gone through this process; [whereas] now, for the first time, moving forward, they won’t have to live this anymore,” said Helm.
“It’s a game-changer for us as well, because it just takes off that stress and that workload,” he added, referring to the countless hours individuals would spend each year preparing the application to continue the program. “It is a lot of time and energy that can now be placed in other areas,” he explained.
John Ryan, the chair of the NFSB council of commissioners, likened the announcement to a classic overnight success story. “It took years to do because people were not okay to give up on it after so much effort,” he said. “There are good people out there at all levels, and I think we lined them up this time,” he added.
“It is going to take a bit to absorb,” Ryan admitted. “It is the type of news we need,” he continued, “And it is going to help us face other challenges in the future. It’s a big win.”
Sainte-Barbe mayor Louise Lebrun ceremoniously threw the first jack, or “cochonnet,” to officially inaugurate the municipality’s new pétanque courts on August 14.
The popular boules sport, which involves players tossing balls towards a target ball (the jack), is somewhat like lawn bowling or bocce.
The new playing surfaces cost a total investment of $104,520 and were installed by Ormstown-based contractor Construction Jacques Théorêt Inc. They are located on Rue des Moissons, near the Cooperative de solidarité du Parc seniors’ housing development.
Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette was on hand for the inauguration to represent the provincial government, which invested $99,832 in the project through the Programme d’infrastructures municipales pour les aînés (PRIMA) program aimed at providing municipal infrastructure for seniors.
“Seniors in Sainte-Barbe have been eagerly awaiting these new courts, and they are already being put to good use,” said Lebrun, while pointing out that the popularity of the playing surfaces suggests they meet a real need within the community.
“Facilities like these encourage seniors to stay active, while providing new opportunities for socializing,” added the mayor, who acknowledged the provincial government’s support of their creation.
“I’m delighted to see that residents of the Coopérative de Solidarité du Parc are already enjoying the pétanque courts,” said Mallette.
“This demonstrates that the financial assistance granted under PRIMA is fully meeting its objectives to improve seniors’ quality of life, and to promote active aging in the community as part of the Age-Friendly Municipality initiative,” added the MNA.
The Hôpital du Suroît in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield is coping with severe labour shortages, brought on by government legislation clamping down on the use of private health agencies.
After closing 29 beds since June, the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest (CISSSMO) confirmed there is a possibility that an additional 30 beds will be closed before the end of the month.
According to a communications representative for the regional health authority, the closures represent less than five per cent of the total number of available beds across the CISSSMO and are a temporary measure.
“We are currently working to reorganize services and recruit new staff to replace the independent workforce and reopen beds,” said the CISSSMO representative in an email.
“We are also closely monitoring the situation at our other two hospitals,” she confirmed. As of now, the Barrie Memorial Hospital in Ormstown and the Anna Laberge Hospital in Chateauguay remain unaffected by reductions in the use of placement agencies.
As of last week, at least 127 agency staff have been hired. “We are continuing our efforts in this direction,” she explained, while noting that intensive recruitment campaigns are also underway to attract new workers for the future Vaudreuil-Soulanges hospital.
Ambulances being redirected
Along with the closure of more beds, the CISSSMO has confirmed that ambulance routes have been redistributed such that patients from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield will now be taken to the Anna Laberge Hospital.
This follows a previous directive issued in May that temporarily required non-priority calls involving residents of Hemmingford, Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague, Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Sainte-Martine, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Chateauguay, Saint-Urbain-Premier, and Saint-Étienne-de-Beauharnois be redirected to the Barrie Memorial Hospital.
According to the CISSSMO, “The redrawing of ambulance services within the territory will enable the population to maintain access to safe, quality health care services in neighbouring establishments.”
Users requiring immediate care will continue to be transported to their local facility.
Even though the New Frontiers School Board (NFSB) shut down for a two-week break over the summer, work on several renovation projects at various schools was continued to ensure all would be up and running by September.
The board received Education Ministry funding to complete at least ten projects in nine schools as part of ongoing efforts to maintain and improve school buildings. According to the NFSB’s director general, Mike Helm, the funding represents a total investment of approximately $10.6 million across the board.
At Valley schools, projects included interior renovations at Hemmingford Elementary School in the basement, cafeteria, and kitchen. Students at Heritage Elementary School in Huntingdon will notice improvements to the washrooms on the main floor, and their gymnasium floor has been refinished.
Renovations also took place in the basement at Howick Elementary School including work in the cafeteria, kitchen, and a classroom, while at Ormstown Elementary School, renovation work concentrated on the main floor and a stairway.
Finally, all the exterior doors at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School in Ormstown have been replaced, including the principal entrance.
In Chateauguay, work was done to replace windows at Howard S. Billings High School, and the entrance off Maple Street has been asphalted.
All the washrooms were upgraded at Mary Gardiner School, while renovations also took place at Saint-Willibrord Elementary in certain classrooms, the administration offices, and in the main floor washrooms. Work has also been done to improve certain classrooms, the kitchen, staffroom, music room, and daycare at Centennial Park School.
“We are in excellent shape with all of our projects,” says Helm. “All of our projects are going to be completed on time,” he added, noting the board is especially proud of the work done to improve its schools.
With less than a week before the start of the new school year, the New Frontiers School Board (NFSB) has filled all its full-time teaching positions.
“We do have a few part-time teacher replacements that we have to fill, but nothing that will impact the homeroom teacher or a core teacher in a classroom,” says the NFSB director general, Mike Helm, who suggests the NFSB is in “really good shape” for the start of the school year.
This achievement sets the NFSB apart from many other school boards and school service centres across the province.
According to Education Minister Bernard Drainville, Quebec was still missing more than 5,700 teachers as of August 12, including 1,406 permanent or full-time positions. During an August 16 press conference, Drainville insisted that while the number is still high, it represents 2,800 fewer vacancies when compared with the same time last year.
Drainville said the total number of required teachers increased by 3,700 this year, as over 20,000 new students will enter the public education system this fall. The province is also juggling positions left vacant by retiring teachers and those who have left the profession or reduced their contracts to part-time.
The Education Ministry’s dashboard indicates there are 1,510 full-time positions to be filled in the Montérégie region. As of August 12, over 96 per cent of those available at the NFSB were filled, while around 91 per cent of vacancies within the Centre des Services Scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands were filled. Information relating to open positions for support staff and education professionals was not available as of press time.
Helm says the recruitment team at the NFSB will focus on filling aid positions that have been created as well as additional staffing needs into the startup of the school year. “We are confident that we will be able to get all of those positions filled over the next couple of weeks,” he insists, noting all administrative positions are also in place.
Helm suggests there is good reason for optimism looking ahead to the start of the year. There are no pandemic concerns, and the negotiations taking place between the government and different union groups that eventually led to strikes last fall have been settled. “This year we will really be able to focus on teaching and learning and getting back to those key elements that we want to be focused on,” he explains.
Parents can visit the NFSB website (nfsb.qc.ca) over the next week for information on the first days of school for all grade levels, as well as transportation and other details to help ensure the transition back to the classroom is as smooth as possible for NFSB families.