Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any official provincial statistics on average attendance at municipal council meetings in Quebec. However, pan-American surveys (LAPOP) estimate that, on average, ~10.5% of adults have attended at least one municipal meeting in the last 12 months (this is not specific to Quebec, but it gives an order of magnitude).
Applied to North Hatley, with a population of 690 (Statscan), if we subtract approximately 107 young people under the age of 18, that leaves 585 adults. Applying 10.5%, we get approximately 61 people who would have attended at least one session during the year. Is this realistic? Perhaps—but it says nothing about the average number of people per meeting, nor the recurrence of the same participants.
In several municipalities, it is unfortunately not possible to attend meetings virtually. This would, however, allow for greater citizen participation. For now, if you cannot be present in the room, you can listen to the audio recordings (when they are published) or read the minutes (when they are published).
That’s where the problem lies: I have already pointed out that the North Hatley minutes have not been updated for more than six months, and that the audio recording and minutes from October were still not online at the time of writing. Without being present in the chamber and without the documents being published promptly, how can we find out about the decisions that have been made?
On what basis should we vote?
Areas for improvement
- Systematic and rapid publication of minutes and audio recordings (target deadline: a few days).
- Minimum indication of municipal council attendance (e.g., attendance range).
- Provision of virtual access where possible.
In the meantime, I invite you to attend in person whenever you can—it’s the best way to stay up to date on municipal issues.
