William Crooks
The 2025 participatory budget winners posed with Lennoxville councillors following the April 29 borough meeting, where their community projects were officially announced

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

At the Lennoxville borough council meeting on April 29, residents raised pressing concerns over road safety near Centennial Park while the borough also celebrated local community projects through its participatory budget program. Borough President Claude Charron presided over the session, which drew around ten residents to the Borough Hall.

The evening opened with routine business, including the adoption of minutes and updates on deferred items. Two planning files—one regarding 281 Queen Street and another concerning residential window and door replacements on William-Page Street—were approved without objection.

However, the question period brought urgency to the proceedings. A resident voiced serious concern about speeding on Speid Street, particularly between the tennis courts and Centennial Park, an area frequented by children and families. He explained that although speed bumps were installed last year, drivers tend to accelerate immediately afterward, reaching 60–70 km/h.

“Every neighbour I went to see had the same opinion,” he said, noting widespread agreement about the issue. He suggested further interventions like stop signs or an additional speed bump near the area. He also submitted a detailed PowerPoint and referenced an earlier, unsuccessful request made by a former neighbour.

Charron confirmed that the request would follow the standard evaluation process, which includes a professional review by city services. “You made the right move,” he said, adding that the request would now go through official channels for study and recommendation.

He also encouraged residents to contact the police directly if they observe dangerous patterns. “If you can tell them, ‘from this hour to this hour there’s a problem,’ they will be able to react effectively,” he said.

The issue led to broader discussion of street use in Lennoxville, with the resident further pointing out that Speid Street sees heavy traffic from those trying to bypass Queen Street or visiting nearby institutions such as the curling club, Maxi, the two elementary schools, and the Uplands Museum.

Council members noted that the city-wide Commission on Road Safety had just completed a public consultation phase and is developing a broader policy on reducing speeds to 30 km/h in more residential areas. Although the consultation survey closed on April 27, borough officials said a public presentation of the draft policy would take place this summer.

A second resident raised concerns about delays in spring branch collection, reporting that some piles had been sitting for weeks despite being placed by the roadside. He had contacted city services and was told to cut the branches and bag them, which he said was unfeasible.

Council acknowledged the issue, attributing the delay to poor performance by the borough’s contracted service provider. “There was a big dissatisfaction with the service,” a council member explained, promising that a new contractor would be in place next year.

In other business, the council approved a $500 non-recurring grant to the Lennoxville Curling Club to support a provincial bonspiel for youth 15 and under held in March. The club had submitted its request too late to receive support before the event.

The highlight of the meeting came with the announcement of the 2025 participatory budget winners. This year marked the second edition of the initiative, which invites residents to submit and vote on community projects.

Taking first place was the Lennoxville Farmer’s Market, which will host a Western Festival in June. The Eastern Townships Resource Centre (ETRC) earned second place for its “Lennoxville Makes History” project, and third place went to the Women’s Centre for its intergenerational walking program, “Rollers and Strollers.”

Although both Charron and Councillor Jennifer Garfat disclosed personal connections to two of the winning organizations, they clarified that the selection process was carried out independently by a citizen committee and through public voting. Voting took place both in person at the Amédée-Beaudoin Centre on March 31 and online until April 11.

Winners will be contacted shortly to sign agreements with the borough, and event details will be shared publicly in the coming months.

As the meeting drew to a close, councillors extended thanks to local volunteers in honour of National Volunteer Week and promoted several upcoming events, including:

• The unveiling of the Lennoxville Firefighters Monument on Saturday, May 3 at 10 a.m.
• Bike festival events on May 24 along Samuel-Gratham Street.
• Free bike tune-ups and other activities at Bishop’s University as part of Bike Month.
• The Festival de texte courts (May 22–26) and the Festibière (May 22–24) in Sherbrooke.

Other notices included the Garage 529 bike registry on May 6 at the Massawippi Hall, a Mother’s Day brunch at the ANAF Unit #318 on May 11, and a vernissage at the Uplands Museum on May 4.

The meeting ended with a reminder to consult the City of Sherbrooke website for upcoming public consultations and borough events. The next meeting is scheduled for the last Tuesday of May at 5 p.m.