Clearly, in Quebec, our elected officials and municipal administration have a responsibility to promote, support, and guide citizen initiatives, within the limits of their legal powers.
Here is how this translates in practice.
1. The role of municipal elected officials (mayor and councillors)
Elected officials are the democratic representatives of citizens. Their role is not limited to managing infrastructure or adopting by-laws.
According to the Cities and Towns Act and the Municipal Code of Quebec, they must notably:
- represent citizens
- promote public participation
- support social, cultural, and community development
- encourage community vitality
In practice, this means:
- listening to and welcoming citizen initiatives;
- facilitating collective projects (events, activities, community projects);
- creating a climate open to collaboration;
- avoiding discouraging volunteer engagement when it complies with the rules.
A municipality is not just an administrative structure — it is a local government.
2. The role of the municipal administration
The administration (general management, employees, departments) has a different but complementary role.
It must:
- implement council decisions
- support citizens in their processes
- clearly communicate rules and safety requirements
- facilitate compliant projects
In other words: the administration’s mission is not to block initiatives, but to make them possible in a safe and compliant manner.
Examples:
- helping organize a citizen event;
- explaining required permits;
- coordinating fire safety or public works;
- proposing solutions rather than simply refusing.
3. Why encouraging citizen initiatives is essential
Quebec government orientations in local development recognize that:
- citizen engagement reduces social isolation;
- stimulates the local economy;
- improves quality of life;
- strengthens a sense of belonging.
In small municipalities — like those in Estrie that you know well — citizen initiatives are often the main driver of community life.
4. The important limit: safety and fairness
Encouraging does not mean accepting everything without a framework — and that is perfectly normal.
The municipality must also:
- ensure public safety;
- apply regulations fairly;
- manage legal risks and insurance.
So the right balance is: yes to citizen initiatives, but supported and properly framed.
Summary
- Yes, encouraging citizen initiatives is part of the political role of elected officials.
- The administration must facilitate and support, not discourage.
- The legal framework exists to support — not hinder — citizen participation.
Are our elected officials encouraging citizen participation?
In North Hatley, over the past few months, I have noticed that I am not the only one with the impression that certain citizen projects are becoming particularly complex to set up and difficult to move forward. Many share the feeling that citizen initiatives are being managed in a restrictive way rather than truly supported or facilitated.
I have owned the property located at 135 Main Street for over ten years. During that time, with the exception of Mr. Guy Veillette — with whom I have had the opportunity to speak on several occasions about citizen projects, and who has always been available, attentive, and open — opportunities for dialogue with other elected officials have been very limited, if not nonexistent. Yet, criticism has been plentiful.
On that note, food for thought!
