Financial Statements: Still Pending
To date, the Municipality’s audited financial statements have still not been submitted to the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation (MAMH).
Yet, Quebec’s Municipal Code requires that the financial report and the external auditor’s report be submitted to the Minister no later than June 30 of each year.
We are now at the end of September.
Nearly three months after the deadline, residents are still waiting to be able to review their municipality’s audited financial results.
Mill Street Containers
At the September 8 municipal council meeting, it was announced that the containers on Mill Street would be moved the following week.
Two weeks later, they are still in the same place.
Fortunately, a specialized firm has been hired to work on the layout of the four containers. It remains to be seen when the situation will actually be resolved.
Welcome Signs
There is still no announcement or information regarding the new welcome signs at the entrances to the village.
Yet, enhancing the village entrances as “identity gateways” is one of the important objectives outlined in Section 4.2.6 of the Master Plan.
Since the contract has already been authorized, one question remains: where does the project stand?
Pleasant View: A $4.08 Million Project
The contract for the construction of the new Pleasant View building was awarded for $4.08 million, despite concerns expressed by several residents.
In the municipal newsletter, this investment is described as a “long-awaited” community project.
However, several questions remain unanswered:
- the exact amount of the grant is still unknown;
- the new building is expected to be completed by summer 2027;
- no financial contribution or agreement with the Canton de Hatley has been announced to date.
Refrigerated Skating Rink
As they say: things seem to be frozen!
Approximately $235,000 has already been spent on the project. We’ll continue to follow the file to learn more about the timeline for the next steps and the final cost.
Portable Toilets
More than $10,000 appears to have been spent on renting portable toilets that, apparently, have experienced their fair share of operational problems.
As they say: things just won’t get unstuck!
Construction on Mill Street
Work is moving along well. And there’s some good news: trees are expected to be planted in the area at the developer’s expense.
Perhaps those trees will also help hide the containers!
Drinking Fountain at Parc de la Rivière
According to Ms. Gerrish, the drinking fountain at Parc de la Rivière is very well marked.
Granted, it is difficult to miss the many signs for the market… but when it comes to signage showing people where to find the drinking fountains, let’s just say there is still room for improvement.
Try finding them yourself!
Urban Planning Department
One inspector is currently away for an indefinite period.
During the absence, two inspectors from EXP are providing replacement services.
Sales Permit at Parc de la Rivière
It appears that a man have been authorized to sell slush drinks and candy at Parc de la Rivière.
This raises questions, as this type of commercial activity would reportedly be prohibited during the Fête nationale in order to comply with the conditions associated with the Dreamland property bequest.
A request for information regarding the authorization granted was submitted to the Municipality, but no response has yet been received.
Three Municipal Commercial Kitchens
North Hatley could soon have three commercial kitchens located in municipally owned buildings:
- Pleasant View;
- Town Hall;
- and soon, the Farmers’ Market.
It would be interesting to know the objectives, costs and intended uses of each of these facilities.
Legal Services
The Municipality has also purchased a block of hours from the Cain Lamarre law firm in order to obtain, in the words used, “good advice.”
It remains to be seen how many hours will be used, for which matters, and at what cost to taxpayers.
And Finally… Door-to-Door Solicitation
North Hatley has also looked into prohibiting door-to-door solicitation within the municipality.
Another issue to follow.
Conclusion
Several projects are moving forward, while others appear to be progressing more slowly — or not at all. But one thing is certain: there is no shortage of issues to keep an eye on in North Hatley.
Beyond the projects themselves, the same questions continue to come up: costs, timelines, decisions being made and, above all, the information being provided to residents.
In my view, there is a clear lack of transparency and a lack of willingness on the part of our elected officials to listen to the residents they represent.
