William Crooks
Stanstead Mayor Jody Stone presides over the July 14 council meeting alongside members of council and administrative staff at town hall
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
The July 14 meeting of Stanstead’s town council, presided over by Mayor Jody Stone, lasted about an hour and ten minutes and featured a lengthy and candid question period, despite only two residents attending in person. The discussion focused largely on two pressing issues: the ongoing problems with neglected properties along the border and a surprise seven-figure deficit related to the town’s shared landfill site.
A local resident initiated the conversation by asking if the owners of two rundown properties—one on Main Street and one adjacent to customs—had received any formal notices about the state of their buildings and the accumulation of trash around them. Mayor Stone replied that the town’s new building inspector would be visiting the properties soon and confirmed that “yes, they will be notified.” He noted that building maintenance violations have become increasingly difficult to manage, especially in cases involving absentee landlords and cross-border jurisdictions.
The properties in question lie at the intersection of Canadian and American territory, creating unique enforcement challenges. “We had a hard time finding an owner, but three weeks ago we managed to get some contact,” said one councillor. The mayor added that the town had received an email from the owner in early July, seeking clarification about water service and other municipal issues.
The conversation intensified when a representative from Derby Line, Vermont, stood to speak. He explained that his village council had also been trying to reach the property owner and had succeeded in doing so through the efforts of their clerk. “Our maintenance chief confirmed the building is condemned,” he said, citing raw sewage in the basement as one reason why the Vermont Department of Health had declared the building unfit for habitation.
Mayor Stone confirmed the information, saying that the town had heard similar reports and was collaborating with Derby officials to determine what steps could be taken on the Canadian side. “We’re looking at how we can stop taxing them for garbage pickup,” he said, emphasizing that the town no longer provides that service for the site. “It’s not up to our citizens to be paying for it.”
Residents had also raised concerns about a broader surge in illegal garbage dumping around moving day on July 1. Stone explained that Stanstead stopped curbside pickup of large items years ago, but a drop-off service remains available at the town garage once a month. “We actually planned a Saturday just after the first of July so that people could bring their stuff,” he said. “But some people just didn’t get the memo—or keep trying.”
He pointed to similar issues in larger cities. “If you go to Sherbrooke on the first of July, oh my God, it looks like hell,” he said. “Here, it seems like some people missed the message.”
It was suggested that if property owners continue to ignore the rules, the town might need to intervene more directly—by cleaning the sites and billing the owners. However, Stone clarified that doing so would require a court judgment. “It’s like anything—if you do a demolition and want to send the bill, you need a judgment,” he said. A new building maintenance regulation currently in development could eventually give the town more authority in such cases.
Later in the meeting, a councillor gave a detailed explanation of the town’s unexpected $57,008.73 share of a $1,055,735 deficit related to the intermunicipal landfill site managed with neighbouring municipalities. The councillor said the scale of the deficit came as a shock. “Nobody saw it coming,” he said. “We’re fighting with a contractor about one of the new treatment plants. They wanted over a million, but we settled for around $287,000 with tax.”
The deficit also included $125,000 in operational overruns, $73,000 in composting and drainage costs, and a $72,000 shortfall in expected revenue. The councillor explained that reduced garbage tonnage had a direct impact on budgeting. “We go with tonnage—so much garbage, so much compost. People are producing less garbage, and that’s where we used to make our money,” he said. Rather than pass the debt on to a future council after the election, the current council decided to cover it immediately.
Among other resolutions, council voted to allocate $40,000 for the November 2025 municipal election and extended a training contract to continue supporting the Director General and administrative staff. A new auditor contract was also approved.
Council confirmed that the town has joined the Fédération québécoise des municipalités’ “Eco-Energy 360” program. The initiative aims to improve municipal infrastructure energy efficiency with no upfront cost to municipalities. “It’s an amazing program,” said Stone. “If we can reduce our energy bills by $20,000 a year, they take that money to cover the cost of the improvements. It’s a win-win.”
The Director General reported on infrastructure and development work, including major park upgrades. New climbing structures, picnic tables, bike racks, and a pedestrian bridge were installed, particularly at the Generations Park and another local park. Pothole repair work is also set to begin.
Council also approved new signage for the Haskell Free Library, which has had to redirect visitors due to border restrictions. The new signs will be visible from Church Street and help guide patrons to the Canadian-side entrance.
Architectural renovation approvals included exterior improvements to two properties on Rue Dufferin, including one now serving as the future home of Phelps Helps. In one case, council overruled a CCU (comité consultatif d’urbanisme) recommendation to delay a decision due to missing visuals, citing timing constraints and the owner’s willingness to proceed.
On the community side, council heard updates about the town’s participation in a shared sports equipment trailer program with neighbouring municipalities. The trailer, originally obtained through a grant, will be sold to Ayer’s Cliff, Ogden, Stanstead Township, and Stanstead itself for $2,000, allowing all four to continue using the gear for summer and winter events.
Mayor Stone also shared that the Federation of Quebec Municipalities will visit Stanstead in the fall as part of a board meeting in Orford. Around 100 elected officials from across the province will stop in Stanstead for a two-hour visit, during which they will tour the Haskell Free Library and other local landmarks. “They’ve been reading about our story,” said Stone. “This is our chance to show them everything we’ve been working on.”
The next regular town council meeting is scheduled for the second Monday of August.