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Lennoxville Borough Councillor Guillaume Lirette-Gélinas leads a discussion at the Feb. 12 Citizen Assembly, where residents gathered to address local issues, including traffic safety, public transportation, and participatory budgeting
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
Lennoxville Borough Councillor Guillaume Lirette-Gélinas says progress is steady on key citizen concerns following the latest Citizen Assembly held on Feb. 12. The meeting, attended by seven residents in person, covered transportation, traffic safety, and participatory budgeting, with discussions centring on both ongoing initiatives and new proposals. While three individuals registered to attend via Zoom, none ultimately joined the session.
Among the key follow-ups, Lirette-Gélinas reported in a Feb. 15 interview that efforts to reduce speed limits in residential areas are moving forward. “I brought the file to the commission of security at town hall,” he said. The city is now working on a proposal to lobby the provincial government for more authority to lower speed limits to 30 km/h in residential areas. Meanwhile, a city-supported citizen campaign encouraging drivers to observe a 40 km/h limit is showing promising results. “The average reduction so far is five kilometres per hour,” Lirette-Gélinas noted. He also confirmed that Mitchell Street traffic remains a concern, with the assembly requesting a new evaluation and potential speed bump installations. While some residents are advocating for this measure, others, including a community member who attended the meeting, pointed out that speed bumps could complicate snow removal.
Public transportation was another major topic, with Lirette-Gélinas detailing a pilot project in collaboration with local Councillor Laure Letarte-Lavoie, adapting a model from Saint-Élie for Lennoxville. If approved, the 2026 project would introduce on-demand transit with small buses operating during peak hours. “This would serve isolated areas like Huntingville and Viewpoint, but also Oxford Crescent, where seniors lost a key bus stop,” he said. The assembly is still debating whether the service should operate with fixed stops or direct-to-door pickup. While some participants expressed support for the latter, others raised concerns about its feasibility and potential cost.
In a move aimed at easing public transit access, attendees also raised concerns about difficulties reloading transport cards. A past service allowing card reloads at the Oxford depanneur was discontinued, leaving many elderly residents struggling with online alternatives. Suggestions included collaborating with local businesses or community organizations to facilitate in-person reload options. “We need to find ways to help those who aren’t comfortable with online reloading,” Lirette-Gélinas said, adding that he would look into incentives for businesses such as Maxi or local pharmacies to offer the service. There was also discussion about whether organizations such as Mon Shack could play a role in assisting seniors with online reloads at community events like bingo nights.
New ideas emerged during the participatory budget discussion, its deadline now extended until mid-March. “We received five last-minute project submissions, which is great,” Lirette-Gélinas said. Among them, a proposal to introduce bike-sharing stations and another to improve community mobility through recharge stations for electric bicycles. “Even if a project isn’t selected, it gets visibility and could still be picked up by community partners,” he added. He pointed to past participatory budget projects, such as a bicycle-sharing initiative, that were ultimately funded by non-profits rather than the city. “Even ideas that don’t win official funding can lead to real community improvements,” he said.
Beyond policy discussions, Lirette-Gélinas emphasized the assembly’s proactive approach to citizen engagement. “We actively reach out to residents near meeting locations,” he said, noting that upcoming meetings will continue rotating between Grace Village, the Lennoxville Vocational Training Centre, and Mon Shack to ensure broader participation. “For example, before this meeting, we called residents in Oxford Crescent and surrounding streets… to personally invite them.” This grassroots outreach is a key part of the assembly’s approach to inclusion, particularly for seniors and those who may not be active on social media.
The meeting, according to the minutes provided to The Record by Lirette-Gélinas, also addressed ongoing concerns about train blockages, particularly in the evenings. Some residents reported waiting up to 30 minutes at rail crossings. Lirette-Gélinas acknowledged that complaints had been made to CP and CN in the past about lengthy stoppages and excessive train whistles but said the issue remains unresolved. He encouraged residents to continue reporting incidents to the appropriate authorities.
Other community concerns were also discussed, including garbage bin placements, an awareness campaign targeting cyclists ignoring traffic signals, and gunfire reports in the area. The latter issue led to a reminder from the assembly that suspicious activity should be reported either to the police or SOS Braconnage, a provincial tip line.
A final point of discussion was the future of the assembly itself. With 2025 being an election year, some residents questioned whether the initiative would continue beyond the current mandate. While no formal decisions have been made, there was broad support for ensuring that future elected officials keep the assembly going. “The idea of writing to the next borough councillor, whoever they may be, to advocate for the continuation of the assembly was raised and well-received,” Lirette-Gélinas said.
The next assembly is set for May 21 at Grace Village at 6:30 p.m. Residents can register online or contact Lirette-Gélinas directly for details. “I’m also looking for volunteers to help build a website for the assembly,” he added, inviting citizens to contribute to the ongoing effort of improving local governance.