I’m having a hard time understanding the long-term vision for the village of North Hatley. Right now, the village is disarmingly quiet: you can’t even go for a coffee in the center anymore, and the temporary or permanent closure of several businesses only reinforces this impression of an empty, lifeless town.
Do we truly want to stimulate commercial and tourist activity, or do we prefer to maintain this level of tranquility? I genuinely feel there’s a significant gap between what residents want, the action plan of our elected officials, and the daily actions of the municipal administration.
Please don’t tell me the administration is making major efforts to support our local businesses: the list of merchants has been outdated for years, both on the website and on the sign at River Park. We’re way past a simple oversight!
Meanwhile, our elected officials have supported the creation of a microbrewery, the installation of a sauna business, and the construction of 22 condos with a medical clinic and a pharmacy on the ground floor. Great! All of this clearly suggests that the municipality aims to increase the village’s commercial and tourist offer.
Of course, I’d like to point out that building and launching projects is great — but the hardest part is operating and maintaining them…
This economic development comes at the cost of a certain loss of tranquility for residents. So, are we ready to sacrifice part of our peace and quiet to promote economic growth in North Hatley, 365 days a year?
As for me, I’m an entrepreneur, and I believe the village should be vibrant year-round. To get there, we need a clear vision, a concrete action plan, and above all, bold entrepreneurs who are genuinely supported by the municipality. Currently, the prospect of growth and the tranquility sought are, in my opinion, contradictory.
As a resident of North Hatley, if you had to choose between tranquility and economic development, which would you choose?
Please note, I would also say there is a good balance between the two… however, if I have to choose a position, I would choose economic development over tranquility.
