{"id":359,"date":"2025-05-16T10:04:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T14:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northhatley.info\/2025\/05\/16\/le-droit-dacces-a-linformation-un-processus-tres-long\/"},"modified":"2025-05-16T16:22:34","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T20:22:34","slug":"le-droit-dacces-a-linformation-un-processus-tres-long","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northhatley.info\/en\/2025\/05\/16\/le-droit-dacces-a-linformation-un-processus-tres-long\/","title":{"rendered":"Grandfathering claimed in North Hatley, but hard to prove!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Following conversations about the infamous zoning bylaw called \u201cextensive water-related activities\u201d that forced the \u2018Navigo\u2019 shared boat project to vacate the premises following an \u201cin-house\u201d formal notice from the municipality of North Hatley.<\/p>\n\n
Interestingly, during a meeting with North Hatley municipal management, Navigo representatives questioned the fact that the current zoning does not allow any extensive water-related activities for all these businesses: <\/p>\n\n
\n
Pilsen: Boats parked for restaurant meals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Florent H\u00e9bert, fishing guide: B&B customers who bring their boats to the dock.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Club North Hatley: membership and boat marina or multi-slip dock.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
North Hatley Marina: dock rental (yes, zoning doesn’t allow it)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
During the meeting with two Navigo representatives, the municipality’s management clarified that all these businesses were \u201cgrandfathered\u201d to carry out extensive water-related activities. In fact, the only permitted area other than the public beach and the federal wharf is located in a non-waterfront zone of the municipality. It’s hard to do extensive water-related activities if you’re not on the water. <\/p>\n\n
It’s important to know that you can’t just claim an acquired right – you have to prove it!<\/p>\n\n
Here’s an example of an access to information request made in the Township of Stanstead concerning proof of an acquired right. The municipality was able to provide the document very quickly. <\/p>\n\n<\/figure>\n\n
In North Hatley, it’s much more complicated to obtain such a document certifying the acquired rights of businesses specified by the municipality’s own management.<\/p>\n\n
On July 15, 2024, I made my first request for access to information in due form: <\/p>\n\n<\/figure>\n\n
As of May 16, 2025, the Municipality of North Hatley has never provided proof of vested rights for any North Hatley merchant. In fact, I had to file a request with the Commission d’acc\u00e8s \u00e0 l’information du Qu\u00e9bec. <\/p>\n\n
The most impressive part of the story is that the mayor herself, when questioned by the commission, never responded to the e-mails from the president’s office. The Chair’s office has contacted the mayor three times without response. Yet this is a simple access-to-information request that can be answered quickly. <\/p>\n\n
Now I have to go to a mediator with the mayor to obtain a simple document demonstrating the right claimed by the management of the municipality itself! Nearly a year later, I still haven’t had an answer to my request. Am I the only one not to get an answer from the Municipality of North Hatley regarding my right to access information? <\/p>\n\n
On that note, you can expect to wait almost a year for information from the Municipality of North Hatley, and hours of paperwork to assert your simple right!<\/p>\n\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Following conversations about the infamous zoning bylaw called \u201cextensive water-related activities\u201d that forced the \u2018Navigo\u2019 shared boat project to vacate the premises following an \u201cin-house\u201d formal notice from the municipality of North Hatley. Interestingly, during a meeting with North Hatley municipal management, Navigo representatives questioned the fact that the current zoning does not allow any […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":527,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-municipality-en"],"yoast_head":"\n
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