The owner of the Inter-Foi North Hatley spiritual church has been approached by a religious group interested in acquiring the site. According to this group, the location is perfectly positioned. The religious group is very interested in acquiring the church to house their congregation. In fact, I can understand their interest, since the site offers a perfect location, ample parking and a majestic view of Lake Massawippi.
The arrival of a new religious group is a good thing, since religious communities usually bring calm and peace to communities. However, this magnificent site in the heart of the village of North Hatley would lose its chance to become commercial and serve the citizens of North Hatley and the surrounding area. No doubt this was the wish of our elected officials, who refused the owner’s request for a zoning change.
Yet North Hatley’s mayor has made every effort to encourage the construction of housing and commercial space in flood-prone areas. In fact, I quote Ms. Guerrish in Le reflet du lac on February 13, 2025:
In fact, construction of this new residential and commercial building in a flood zone is scheduled for July 2026.
The strangest thing about this church is that, according to the owner, the municipality of North Hatley wanted to acquire the building in 2022. The general manager, in a meeting with the current owner of the church, indicated that he needed to plan his budget and carry out the zoning change before he could acquire the church. The municipality wanted to change the zoning, but refused to allow the current owner to do so.
In this case, what’s good for the municipality doesn’t seem to be good for the citizen-owner, since the municipality of North Hatley can use its power to change the zoning, while the citizen is told no by the same people who were about to change the zoning for themselves.
I’m confident that a new religious group will come in and enhance the diversity of the North Hatley community and maintain the village’s community aspect. Which is also a good thing.
On that note, would you prefer to keep it all religious or make it commercial?
