As you know, I regret that the municipality does not publish the minutes and audio recordings of council meetings on its website within a reasonable time frame. In my opinion, this hinders citizen participation, since citizens simply do not have access to information about the decisions made by their elected officials.
One wonders how many other citizens are questioning this situation. Otherwise, it amounts to saying that only those who attend council meetings in person are truly informed about the decisions made by their municipal elected officials.
Here is a screenshot dated November 25, 2025, from https://www.northhatley.org/fr/municipalite/le-conseil-municipal/seances-du-conseil-municipal/
I would also like to point out that, even during the election period, the minutes and audio recordings had not been updated since March 2025. It was therefore impossible to know what decisions the municipal council had made in recent months, even though it was the middle of an election campaign.
More recently, following the November 10, 2025, council meeting, the Municipality of North Hatley issued a newsletter detailing some of the decisions made by the council. This is a step in the right direction, but it is no substitute for official minutes, which must also be legally adopted at the next meeting.
Reasonable time frame observed in most Quebec municipalities
- 7 days = best practice
- 15 days = usual standard
- 30 days = upper limit still acceptable
According to my research, what is legally required
Requirement #1: Approval of the minutes
- The minutes must be adopted at the next meeting.
- Example: Minutes of October 1 → adopted on November 5.
Requirement #2: Publication of decisions
- Municipalities must publish an extract of decisions (often referred to as resolutions or council decisions).
- This must be done “promptly” (legal term).
- Case law generally considers 10 to 30 days to be “prompt.”
With that said, I feel like the less things change, the more they stay the same!
Reference :
- Quebec Municipal Code (CQLR c C-27.1) — Article 142 et 142.1 : https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/lc/C-27.1 Légis Québec+1
- (You can navigate to« Art. 142 » et « Art. 142.1 » via ce lien.)
- Cities and Towns Act(CQLR c C-19) — Article 474.1 : https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/version/lc/c-19?code=se%3A474_1 Légis Québec+1
- Bill 49 (2022) (An Act to amend the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities, the Act respecting ethics and professional conduct in municipal matters, and various legislative provisions) — Sanctioned text: https://www2.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/dynamicSearch/telecharge.php?file=2021C31F.PDF&type=5 Publications du Québec+1
- Municipal Document Management Guide (document recommended by the Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing): https://bibliotheque.cecile-rouleau.gouv.qc.ca/documents/archives/pgq/A36R44_G48_1980.pdf
