Criticism of municipal operations—the decisions made by our elected officials and the work of our employees—irritates some people. However, it is actions and professional ethics that are at issue, not individuals. Rest assured: I start from the premise that our elected officials and employees are respectable people—parents, colleagues, neighbors. For months, I have been examining […]

When reading certain posts on Facebook, I get the impression that people are confusing “fact,” “statement,” and “opinion.” What is presented as a fact is actually just a statement—or even a judgment. Obviously, these terms can cause a lot of confusion for everyone, including me. So here are the main differences: In my articles, I […]

Mr. Claude Aubry withdrew from the race in the final hours, allowing another candidate to be elected by acclamation. Ms. Astrid Dangoisse was elected without a vote. To date, four of the six council seats in North Hatley have been filled by acclamation, for a total of 67%.List of remaining candidates. On that note, happy […]

To shed light on the issue, I first checked the official remuneration of North Hatley’s elected officials as set out in Bylaw 2024-765 (adopted on January 13, 2025, published on January 14, 2025). The mayor receives $33,163.86 in base pay and $17,088.03 in expense allowances; each special meeting adds $50.98 plus a $25.46 allowance. A […]

We often hear that elected officials are “overpaid” or “underpaid.” To get an idea, I compiled the annual salaries of all municipal councilors in Quebec and ranked them from highest to lowest, as well as the salary per capita. The data comes from the MAMH (2023), as used in the December 2023 article in the […]

Citizens told me that it was possible to reduce the number of municipal council seats in a small municipality such as North Hatley. According to my research, municipalities with fewer than 2,000 residents without districts can, by bylaw, reduce the composition of the council to the mayor and four councilors (instead of six). The procedure […]

Many residents have asked me about eligibility for the positions of councillor or mayor. People often confuse domicile and residence. Remember: you can have several residences, but only one domicile. Based on my research, Jean-Paul L’Allier (mayor of Québec City from 1989 to 2005) owned/lived in a house on Île d’Orléans during those years, which […]

Here is the timeline of steps taken in relation to our permit application to install an awning in the backyard of 80 Main Street (former hair salon). Timeline July 10, 2025 — Application submitted for a permit for an awning at 80 Main Street. August 2025 — At the inspector’s request, reduction in the width […]

Allow me to emphasize the importance of publishing the minutes of each meeting the following day in order to encourage citizen participation. Many citizens have told me that it is difficult for them to attend council presentations; several have also questioned the lack of virtual broadcasting, as was done during the pandemic and during the […]

The introduction of paid parking in North Hatley seems imminent. Before making a decision, the objectives and implementation details must be clarified. After listening to a few citizens, opinions differ: some are in favor (“yes, go for it! I can never find a spot at the Saturday market“), others remain cautious (”maybe… do we have […]

Several residents asked me whether the elected officials could have intervened in my situation once they became aware of it. Based on my research, the answer is yes—through specific channels—without interfering in day-to-day administration. What the elected officials could have done, in brief: Context of my situationThe elected officials present at the candidates’ presentation (October […]

Several citizens have asked me what remedies are available to have my name re-entered on the electoral list for the current election. Demand letterOne could be sent as early as today, but its practical effect in this context is very limited, if not useless. Judicial review (judicial control)This is the appropriate remedy, but the timelines […]

To clarify my eligibility for registration on the electoral list, here are the relevant legal provisions and explanations. Legal framework (LERM, s. 47). An elector is any adult person of Canadian citizenship who is not disqualified (s. 53 or by a judgment under art. 288 of the Civil Code of Québec) and who meets one […]

On October 22 at 11:00 a.m., I hand-delivered to the election president (who is also the municipality’s director general) the information requested by the revision commission, following a summons seeking my removal from the electoral list. On October 23, late in the morning, I went back to check with the election president whether any additional […]

This article is published in good faith, in the public interest, and is based on verifiable facts. Its sole purpose is to defend the fundamental right to impartial and fair administrative treatment for all citizens. We hesitated for a long time before making the following facts public. We first tried to obtain answers privately, in […]

PUBLIC NOTICE OF ELECTION (corrected version of the October 23rd version) PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given to voters registered on the municipal electoral roll that an election will be held and that the candidates for this election for the positions mentioned below are: For mayor:Marcella DAVIS GERRISHAaron PATELLA To the positions of councillors in the […]

Residents of North Hatley are invited to the Unitarian Universalist Church to meet candidatesof North Hatley’s municipal elections at an event during which they will present their visionand priorities for the future of our village. 19:00 – Candidates’ presentations (5 minutes each – timed).20:00 to 20:30 – Refreshments. Candidates who have confirmed their presence as […]

Over four years, 4 of the 8 people who held council seats resigned (50%). In the same period, 2 of the 6 city councilor seats (33%) were filled by acclamation due to a lack of candidates—so no election was held. Some may say that I am attacking elected officials. However, the resignations occurred before NorthHatley.info […]

In theory, you can try to do it all. In practice, a tight budget forces choices. A concrete benchmark: a day-to-day example You have a low-rate mortgage (1.89%) maturing in December 2025 and likely renewing around 4%. Your budget barely covers essentials (food, energy, maintenance, taxes, fuel, repairs). You can just manage one trip per […]

In my view, the village’s debt is a priority: it incurs significant financing costs ($346,440 in 2024). Each taxpayer contributes, through their municipal taxes, a portion dedicated to repaying this debt: $0.21 per $100 of assessed value. This represents $1,205.40 for a house valued at $574,000 (average property value in North Hatley in 2025). Reference: […]

This article aims first to define the decommissioning of fixed assets (OMHS) in order to support other texts on related issues. The objective is to clarify what these expenses cover and their impact on the municipality’s future debt. As the debt was highlighted in the September 6 municipal newsletter, mentioned in the formal notice sent […]

Verification with our election chairperson To verify, we first called Elections Quebec, which then referred us to the election chairperson for our municipality. We contacted him. As a precaution, I recorded the call so that I could follow his instructions accurately. I invite you to listen to it to fully understand the voting rights of […]