Wentworth-Nord 

The answer to our question reminds us of the reality, in Quebec and elsewhere, of the omnipotence of the municipal council in its jurisdiction, once in power.

Ordinary citizens can only ask brief questions at council meetings, without expressing an opinion. They only have the right to speak once every four years. Fortunately, videoconferencing and e-mail chains have brought a certain openness of information to the citizens of Wentworth-Nord.

On the other hand, municipal advisory committees are creatures of this same council and totally subject to its directives, with the exception of the CCU, whose decisions can lead to a referendum process. Candidates' professions of transparency and openness during election campaigns should be taken with a grain of salt. ...

One wonders whether the cottager is not also, here, considered a second-class citizen or a foreigner. Thus, the participation, in person, of a Montreal cottager in a meeting that may concern him, or even in a referendum (chemin du Lac-Thurson), during the winter cottage closure period, seems to us unjustifiable in a municipality where cottagers make up the majority of residents, pay the same taxes as permanent residents, even if they don't use the services as much, and contribute, in this way and in other ways, to the development of Wentworth-Nord. The example of the consultation on the protection of and access to bodies of water in Saint-Michel, last January and on a road made hazardous, is striking.

By Carl Chapdelaine

Question to Wentworth-Nord Council for its meeting of Sept. 20, 2023

Subject: Montfort Pavilion Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee (for the Montfort Pavilion) is a non-decision-making committee whose mandate is to give advice, formulate opinions or make recommendations on issues under study (in the realization of this collective project) * [and on the use of the building (renovation, transformation, etc.)]** "... The members of this committee will meet on a regular, monthly basis, and will be responsible for the development of the project.
If you are interested, you (should) submit a letter of interest and a curriculum vitae... "*.

The question: What is the composition of the Committee and how will it operate?
The implications :

1. Its composition: Who are the members?
2. A collective project: Can all residents (permanent and vacationers) have their say, and how?
3. Regular meetings: What about seasonal vacationers? Participation by videoconference?
4. Will there be a public communication of information and follow-up after each Committee meeting?
5. Who will study the issues? Who will evaluate the advice or recommendations, and how?
6. Ambassadors: Who will tell them what to say or do?

Submitted for your attention by Carl Chapdelaine, Sept. 17, 2023

*W-N’s Communiqué
**Stated at the Special Council Meeting of August 30, 2023 (LSFX’s Friends' Report)

Ordre du jour        Video version

All councillors are present: Colleen Horan, Lyne Chapados, Karine Dostie, Catherine Léger, Eric Johnston, and Réjean Gosselin. Danielle Desjardins, Mayor, will chair the meeting, assisted by Ron Kelley, General Manager. Three or four people can be distinguished in the room, while the videoconference counter will indicate two dozen participants. The session starts at 6 p.m. and will last about half an hour.

The meeting concerns the final offer to purchase the Montfort pavilion from the MRC; the call for candidates for the creation of an advisory committee; and the authorization of payment of the first instalment for the road repairs on Route Principale.

2. Final offer to purchase Montfort Pavilion. Lots 5 588 463, 5 588 471(?). Resolved to accept the purchase... Carried unanimously.

3. Call for candidates for the creation of the Comité aviseur in the Montfort Pavilion file. The mayor explains the role of the committee: to make recommendations on
- its future community service;
- the use of the building (renovation, conversion, etc.).

5. Authorization to pay first instalment of road repairs on Route Principale. Équipe Laurence, as site supervisor, recommended conclusion of the $400,000 contract with Claude Rodrigue.

Question period

Mr. Raymond Noël (Pres. ALSFX): What are the conditions attached to the sale of the Pavilion? D.D.: Mainly the guarantee of public access to Lake Saint-François-Xavier.
R.N.: What about parking? D.D.: The municipality will have complete control over parking lots.

Ms Diane Jegou: When can we resume our Café meetings? D.D.: There are 45 days to sign the documents.

Mr. Wilma Wiemer: Will there be only Wentworth-Nord citizens on the advisory committee? D.D.: Yes.

X: How do I apply? D.D. Send an e-mail to the secretary's office.

Mr. Rick Leckner: What are the financial implications of this purchase? D.D. We've estimated them roughly, but it will be up to the advisory committee to work out the details. Mostly, there will be subsidies; the municipality can obtain up to 80% from the government (on such purchases). The remainder will be covered by a 25-year borrowing by-law.

R.L.: Are the subsidies guaranteed? If we don't, it's going to cost us a lot of money. Shouldn't priority be given to road maintenance, for such sums? D.D. How often do you go to the Pavilion? R.L. About ten times in my 35 years at the lake.

E. Johnston: The scope of the project has not yet been determined (it will have to be adapted to our needs and resources). This is just a first step.

R.L.: What about repairing the building?

The undersigned: What about the dike? D.D.: The municipality will own 100% of it. But, if it's another buyer, we'll remain co-owners (as we are now). The MRC and Wentworth-Nord will pay 60-40% of the upgrades already required.

D.D. This purchase will satisfy all but a few of us; that's to be expected.

Without prejudice; by Carl Chapdelaine

Ordre du jour        Version vidéo

All councillors are present: Colleen Horan, Lyne Chapados, Karine Dostie, Catherine Léger, Eric Johnston and Réjean Gosselin. Danielle Desjardins, Mayor, will chair the meeting, assisted by Ron Kelley, General Manager. Seven people are present in the room, while the videoconference counter will indicate up to thirty participants. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. and will last two hours.

1. Adoption of the agenda : Item 8.19 is deferred to the next meeting.

Note: On the event of a technical incident, the mayor reminds everyone that meetings can be attended by videoconference and are broadcast. She emphasizes the Council's concern for transparency.

4. Administration and correspondence

4.1 Acceptance of reports on salaries, purchases, disbursements and capital purchases for July 2023. 620,000 vs. $385,000 in 2022. The increase is due in part to legal fees related to a lawsuit by citizens against the MRC, which they accuse of wanting to enclave them. The municipality is not being sued, but it is being challenged. For all parties, these expenses approach a quarter of a million dollars, while no solution is yet in sight.

4.2 Addition of an authorized representative to clicSÉQUR: Mr. Martin Larose.

4.3 Notice of motion and tabling of the draft by-law concerning the Code of ethics and professional conduct for elected officials of the Municipality of Wentworth-Nord. To (ensure the independence) of advisory committees, we wish to add that no elected official may communicate with an employee to discuss his or her mandate, except through the committee chairman, the general manager or the mayor. Committee recommendations are submitted to Council members, who generally discuss them at the caucus preceding the Council meeting...

4.5 Termination of employee #61-47. The employee, hired in January 2023, has not met the requirements of the position.

4.6 Repair of Chemin Notre-Dame-Sud (Costing over $200,000?) Resolution presented by District Councillor E. Johnston. D.D.: This order has been completed; however, the work, carried out in 2021, would have to be resumed.
At this point, Councillor Johnston asks to speak, saying he has presented the resolution and has comments to make. The mayor tells him to let her continue reading whereas. Confrontation ensues. Ms. Desjardins tells the councillor that the elections (for the position of mayor) are in two years' time and that he seems bored with Mr. Ghali's era.

Among the whereas, it is said that the then mayor and administration dictated the choice of materials other than those set out in the resolution; ... that a new call for tenders had to be submitted; that the wrong type of gravel was chosen, of which the employees warned the Director General and Councillor Johnston, (The Councillor shows his indignation at this last clarification.) Whereas the Director ignored this warning and this gravel was used. Whereas the errors have been acknowledged by the current Mayor and General Manager. Whereas Council received a verbal report from Équipe Laurence on the (situation) on August 1, 2023; whereas a written report will be submitted on the 20th of this month.
The mayor summarizes and comments by recalling that the Director of Public Works is an engineer specializing in roads, and that the General Manager was himself a Director of Public Works in Gore. The administration believes that the situation of the (planed surface) of the road will improve with the addition of sand in winter and time and that, given the estimated cost of the (complete) repair work is substantial, we can dispense with it.
The vote is taken. Roger Gosselin votes against. At this point, Mr. Johnston asks to speak, after the others have made their comments, if any. Mrs Chapados then says she will vote against. Ms. Horan believes that Public Works should be trusted. Mr. Johnston acknowledges that, as Gore's director(?) told him, sand spreading seems to be improving the situation. But two winters have passed (and the problem still exists). He doesn't want to say how it should be done, but simply whether we're going to respect what the council said.

The mayor calls for the vote. Here, Mr. Johnston says he finds the way she addresses him insulting. The resolution is rejected. Ms. Desjardins points out that she lives on Notre-Dame-Sud, but that she must first and foremost look after the interests of the municipality. Hundreds of thousands of dollars will be saved here.

5. Public safety

5.1 Report from the Chairman of the Public Safety Committee. No report from Mrs. Desjardins.

6. Public Works and Municipal Asset Management

6.1 Report from the Chairman of the Roads Committee. Mr. Gosselin reports that he travelled the roads of the municipality to report on the situation to committee members. Among other things, he drove quietly on Notre-Dame-Sud. He believes that, in order to bring the road up to standard, as provided for in the 2019 resolution, certain sections of its foundation would have to be reworked, as they are ill-suited to the supporting soil. You can't rebuild a road by starting with the surface.

And other roads in the municipality are in far worse condition than Chemin Notre-Dame-Sud. We're prioritizing and aiming for a three-year application, because we can't do and spend everything in a single year. The roads budget is close to 30% of the municipality's total budget. The problem of defective culverts, which cause spring flooding (water hammering?), neglected in the past, will be prioritized. Citizens can address their questions to me at the appropriate time. Mr. Johnston thanks Mr. Gosselin for his involvement in analyzing the situation, particularly at Lac Gustave.

6.2 Adoption of a by-law governing the construction and municipalization of roads and the construction of accesses to a property. The purpose is to standardize the way these roads and accesses must be designed... and to improve the documentation to be submitted for applications. Certain comments received during the August 2 consultation in Laurel were taken into account.
Mr. Johnston commented that this by-law is very important, as it concerns many developers as well as the administration. He says, however, that he has not had every opportunity to study it and would like more time to evaluate changes to this by-law in the future.

7. Environment

7.1 Report from the Chairman of the Environment Committee. Mrs. Horan reminds us of the municipality's financial contribution to RSVL expenses ($200 to $300). (Comments not taken.)

8. Urban planning and economic development

8.1 Report from the President (acting) of the Comité consultatif d'urbanisme (CCU). R. Gosselin says that he has already presented the essentials; that all went well with the Advisory Committee.

8.2 List of permits issued from July 1 to July 31, 2023. 55 permits were issued, for a work value of $?M compared with 49 permits in 2022, for a value of $?M. Year-to-date, the total value was $13M versus $10.5M in 2022; demand is therefore sustained.

8.6 Notice of motion and filing of first draft by-law 2017-498-21 amending zoning by-law 2017-498 to reduce the minimum lot area in zone H-60 (Lac à la Croix) ...

8.7 DM 2023-0134 - Creation of an irregular-shaped lot, lot 5 708 186, route Principale. The CCU considers that the purpose of this request is to authorize the developer to convert an access lane into a private road that would allow him to subdivide lots (with a view to building lodging units), we understand in summary. Such a process, at this time, could also bypass the current interim control. Such a derogation would also have a major impact, concerning the distance between the entrance to said street and an intersection. The CCU recommends refusing the request.
The angry promoter takes the floor to say that his request could have allowed the construction of ten homes, each costing $1 million and bringing in large revenues for the municipality. He would have built a paved street that he would have turned over to the municipality. Etc. The mayor thanks him and ends his presentation. The derogation is refused.

8.9 PIIA 2023-0258 - Land development Domaine de la Musarde. The CCU's recommendations refer to the reforestation of a property where trees have been felled by mistake, and to landscaping that respects nature, etc. But Councillor Johnston, contrary to his colleagues K. Dostie and R. Gosselin, does not believe that the project is sufficiently respectful of the conservation of the natural environment, and will vote against it. The application will nevertheless be accepted.

All PIIAs will have been accepted.

8.20 Offer to purchase lots, rue des Érables, by Mrs. and Mr. Young, at a cost of just over $1,000. This purchase will give the applicant direct access to Lake Saint-François-Xavier. But, in the spirit of restricting access to this lake, a clause will prevent any third party from taking advantage of a servitude to do so. Mr. Johnston, expressing his feeling that the municipality is not asking fair value, at least $5,000, from the owners for these lots, will vote against this resolution. The mayor will justify the decision by pointing out that the value of their property (and their taxes) will increase sufficiently at the next property assessment, and that surrounding properties (lots) of similar size were valued at only a few hundred dollars. Carried.

8.21 Land exchange with Lac-Saint-Victor Estates. A public information meeting was held on this subject on July 26. The agreement between the Estates and Wentworth-Nord is now complete. It includes the exchange of lands and the acquisition of others by the municipality, for a total of around one hundred thousand dollars(?). It will enable the latter to become the owner of the land on which the Orphans' Trail was built and which belonged to the Domaine. 9, 500 in tax reimbursements will also be disbursed by the municipality.

A small lot, which could have provided a connection between the Lac à la Croix and Lac Saint-François-Xavier habitats, will be municipalized. A servitude will oblige the Estates (or any owner) to let a trail pass through... A clause in the resolution stipulates that certain lots will be offered for permanent greening. For the benefit of Mrs. Linda Proulx, Ms. Desjardins adds that the tennis court will become municipal and that a trail will link it to the Orphans' Trail. She concludes by affirming that the municipality has made gains in this transaction and that land will therefore also be protected in perpetuity.
Mr. Johnston expresses his appreciation of this approach.

9. Recreation, culture and community life

9.1. Report from the Chairman of the Recreation, Culture and Community Life Committee. (Ms. Chapados reminds us that community life falls under her mandate, while recreation and culture are now Ms. Léger's domain).
Ms. Léger underlines the colossal work done by the Table de concertation des arts et de la culture de Wentworth-Nord in producing the Festival Ciel d'août, which was a resounding success. Workshops, exhibition, public market, show. On Saturday, there will be three literary authors at the Montfort pavilion...
On Saturday, August 26, at 8 p.m., there will be an open-air cinema in Laurel, with a film for the general public.
The mayor wishes to highlight the work of the Table, the financial contribution of the MRC and the growing involvement of the population, following the impact of the pandemic.

9.2 Appointment of the person responsible for Réseau BIBLIO. Jamie Lee Paquette, the municipality's coordinator of leisure, culture, community life and communications.

11. Subject of public interest

Ms. Desjardins reminds the meeting that the Montfort Pavilion purchase was the subject of consultation. The purchase offer was turned down by the MRC, but a new proposal was studied. But the mayors now want to replace the agreed condition of allowing MRC residents access to the lake for ten years, with a perpetual permission. The Wentworth-Nord council is due to discuss the matter. The mayor is open to receiving communications from residents on this subject.

Councillor Johnston now shares with his colleagues the concerns of Lac Gustave residents, regarding ownership of the road (Lac Gustave?) which was perceived as municipal (but which would be partly the responsibility of the Ministère des Transports). M. Gosselin replied that the Comité voirie would look into the matter at its next meeting, in early September. The mayor adds that the general manager is in constant contact with the MTQ (to remind them that a portion of the road belongs to them, and that they are responsible for it). In the meantime, the municipality's Public Works department provides good service to Lac Gustave residents on this road.

Councillor Gosselin, for his part, recalls the workings of the Consultative Committee on land planning (CCU). Under the chairmanship of Councillor Johnston, this committee ensures that applications comply with regulations. Given the importance of urban planning (construction, roads, etc.) to the municipality's operations and budget, its role is very important.

Mayoral candidate. Before the question period, and to return to what the mayor had said, Mr. Johnston apparently stated that if he announced his candidacy for mayor in two years' time, his wife would not let him come home, so he would not be a candidate.

Question period

Ms Linda Proulx (Association du Lac St-Victor) asked whether the reduction in the minimum lot size at Lac à la Croix (see 8.6) meant that more houses would be built than expected. The mayor explains that the number of houses remains the same, but that the municipality needed the land taken over from the developer.

Mrs. D. Pinsonneault expresses the opinion that, with regard to the MRC's condition to allow perpetual (and free?) access to Lac Saint-François-Xavier for its residents, this could one day lead to the lake being the most frequented in the region; that this would therefore be catastrophic.

A resident of 12 Rue: ? Rep. from D.D.: The plans were made by an engineer.

Mr. Jean Paquin, Association du lac Gustave:
1. Wants municipality to maintain road from Morin-Heights’s boundary. D.D. We maintain roads under municipal jurisdiction. R. Kelly: That's up to MTQ...
2. The culvert needs replacing. R.G. It will be done.

Without prejudice; by Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) & Linguee

In 2017, Wentworth-Nord's urban planning department, under the direction of Mr. Emmanuel Farmer, provided the municipality with an urban plan of which it can be proud, and which still dictates several objectives to be respected. Since then, the evolution of many activities and of the socio-economic structure seems to us, by and large, to have followed the avenues identified. Thus, the eastern sector of the municipality, centered on the village of Montfort and stimulated by the dynamism of private developers such as Lac St-Victor Estates, has confirmed itself as a very active pole of residential development.

But if Laurel, as the municipality's chief town, retains the preponderance of the municipal administration based there, "making the Town Hall sector the municipality's recreational and tourism spearhead..." remains an unfinished task. The same applies to "consolidating the Saint-Michel church pole".

Not everything went according to plan in 2017. While questions were raised at the time about the impact of real estate development, particularly on the village of Montfort and on Lake Saint-François-Xavier, whose accommodation or support capacities were already being questioned and residents worried, the current situation shows that these fears were well-founded.

Various initiatives have been taken to counter the invasion of visitors at certain times of the summer season, to respond to residents' complaints about the difficult cohabitation with other users of the Aerobic Corridor and Lake Saint-François-Xavier, or to prevent the introduction of Eurasian water milfoil into the latter. Today, however, the situation remains anarchic, with two levels of power clashing. The sector's recreational tourism vocation, among others, has borne the brunt of these disagreements. On the other hand, despite the environmental intrusion of the Lac-à-la-Croix and Chemin du Lac-Thurson projects, the green belt designed to prevent real estate development at the head of the lake has come to fruition.

It must be said, however, that the divergent orientations, changes of course and even political rivalries of our elected officials, both at Town Hall and at the MRC, and more particularly the changing of the guard midway in Laurel, have also been able to take the place of the guidelines that a non-partisan socio-economic development plan should dictate.

Aware that the 2017 urban plan and related bylaws no longer address certain current concerns, such as the impact of real estate development for tourism purposes on existing infrastructure or the environment, and on the quality of life or aspirations of residents, the council decreed a moratorium on said development. While this approach, using the tools available to a municipality, may seem justified, it is not, in our opinion, the best way to direct the guidelines that should attempt to steer this development.

In a more global vision of land use planning than that limited to real estate development, and insofar as the municipality can appropriate this primary responsibility of the MRC des Pays-d'en-Haut, the process must not be limited to an internal review, in which Planning Services and Council draw up the portrait that will be submitted for public consultation. The referendum process to which draft urban planning bylaws are subject, and where, strangely enough, they are adopted before being submitted to the public for approval, is not appropriate here in terms of planning and development. We shouldn’t put the cart before the horse.

Shouldn't the approach be just the opposite? Shouldn't we first consult all the stakeholders who concretely build the municipality's socio-economic fabric: real estate developers, accommodation providers, various service suppliers, building contractors, spokespersons for the cultural milieu, lake associations, district or other committees representing residents, etc.? This information, combined with the expertise of the planning department, other municipal services, and consulting firms, could then enable the said administration and council to draw up a development plan most likely to suit Wentworth-Nord. It is this latter plan that would be presented for public consultation.

In an exceptional situation of interim control, at the very least, no final decision should be taken on development orientations, which would be better served by the process we have indicated.

A land-use plan, like an urban development plan, has many more prerequisites than those discussed here. But it's not certain that the municipality has the power, the means, or the time to go through the various steps it should entail. Factual data, statistics describing demographics and their evolution, the situation of households, real estate, infrastructure, the carrying capacity of our lakes, etc., are essential instruments on which the administration should be able to rely. The analysis of these data using increasingly powerful computerized methods would shed new light on the whole picture. It can, for example, discern variables that are interrelated, such as age, active workforce, household wealth, type of housing and ownership, etc.; and draw relevant conclusions for predicting the socio-economic evolution of the territory.

But, as we have already pointed out, many sectors do not benefit from data collection on a sub-municipal scale, or even on that of the municipality as a whole. Just as we must do to assess the evolution of lake characteristics and balance, by ensuring historical statistical knowledge, we must set up data collection on our territory, on the scale of the six districts for example. We'll take advantage of tax statements or questionnaires to do this. The physical visualization of the state of our lakes and habitat, through global aerial photography or even more targeted, thanks to the use of drones, now underway, will also be invaluable for the eventual preparation of appropriate management plans. So, shouldn't we be thinking in terms of the longer term?

In a development planning process in which the environment and citizens' quality of life are taking on a new dimension, municipalities can now count on very up-to-date theory and practice in the field. For example, the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation (MAMH) recently published an impressive Guide de bonnes pratiques sur la planification territoriale et le développement durable.

Urban planners, regional planners, and landscape architects from across Quebec, as well as professionals from the public and private sectors and elected municipal officials, were all involved in its production. Living environment and sustainable development are at the heart of the project's concerns, which can be applied at the scale of the regional county municipality (MRC/RCM), the municipality or at a finer scale.

"By considering these various types of environments, the guide successively addresses planning and public participation issues; the planning framework; examples of best practices; and major projects."

In Wentworth-Nord, issues common to all Quebec municipalities will be added to those that are unique to the area, such as the disproportionate importance of roads, housing development closely linked to the presence of its many lakes, aging and the impact of gentrification on a significant portion of its population, isolation and a lack of services of all kinds, etc.; all aspects that require special attention and whose evolution is best foreseen. Left to the sole dictates of free enterprise, and even if framed by urban planning rules, this evolution may not correspond to the desired development.

The choice of development avenues for Wentworth-Nord might not, moreover, follow that of the MRC, with its more urbanized sectors, strongly focused on tourism development and enjoying a better economic base.

But theory and practice alone do not guarantee the success of the approach; the main players involved, indeed the entire population, must above all be able to sit down at the same table and dispense with partisanship.

By identifying municipalities as true local governments, hasn't Quebec required them to engage in land-use planning? But will it give them the means to do so?

By Carl Chapdelaine

Note: Following the broadcast of the recording, we have added to our summary notes of June 23 the list of whereas clauses accompanying the resolution of item 4.6, on the submission of the offer to purchase Montfort Pavilion.

All councillors present: Colleen Horan, Lyne Chapados, Karine Dostie, Catherine Léger, Eric Johnston and Réjean Gosselin. Mayor Danielle Desjardins presides over the meeting, assisted by General Manager Ron Kelley. Some ten people are in attendance in the room, while the videoconference counter indicates some thirty participants. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. and will last 1 h 45 min.

3. Follow-up and adoption of minutes
Councillor E. Johnston asks that we add what he had stated concerning his sick leave.

4. Administration and correspondence
4.2 Adoption of By-law SQ-2023 concerning traffic, parking, peace and good order. This is to comply with Sûreté du Québec standards.

4.3 Authorization to bid - Sale of immovables for non-payment of municipal taxes. The Accounting Assistant, Ms. Chrystel Durivage, will represent the municipality in bidding on properties of interest to the latter.

4.6 Final offer to purchase Montfort Pavilion. After the following whereas:

1. Need for a multifunctional building for community, recreational and cultural purposes.
2. Need for a place of refuge in the event of a threat to civil security.
3. That the Montfort Pavilion is best managed by the municipality.
4. That the municipality has notified the MRC of its intention to purchase the Pavilion.
5. That negotiations are underway between the two entities.
6. That both entities recognize that the Pavilion is in a significant state of deterioration.
7. That, according to an estimate obtained by the MRC, urgent repairs are required.
8. That the Pavilion comes with a high-capacity dike which, according to the engineering firm Équipe Laurence, requires minor but important work to secure the dam.
9. That, according to the MRC, the Pavilion is an inventoried heritage building, but does not have the status of a classified or cited building under Quebec's Cultural Heritage Act.
10. That its construction dates to after 1940, and that it is therefore not subject to the inventory and transitional measure that the MRC must adopt...
11. That the municipality wishes to associate a regional vocation with the Pavilion, via an administrative agreement with the MRC.
12. That the municipality wishes to have an agreement with the Fabrique, following the cessation of its activities on the premises in July 2023.
13. That exchanges between the MRC and the municipality now enable the latter to submit a final agreement.

The resolution to offer $1, to be accepted no later than August 15, the date of the next MRC council meeting, and to form an advisory committee on the future of the Pavilion, chaired by the mayor, is adopted. Councillor E. Johnston will call for the vote and will be the only one to vote against (to be verified).
[9.3 Council votes to refuse interim management of Montfort Pavilion. Carried]

(Our comment: Municipalities have long complained that higher levels of government transfer responsibilities to them without providing the necessary resources to assume them. Here, it is the municipality that is asking for the exclusive, uncompensated care of a patient on artificial respiration and potentially more dangerous contaminated accessories. Yet their basic treatment will already require a disproportionate share of the meagre municipal budget. All this is currently the property of the government and in the care of the MRC, which is considered to be negligent.
No referendum procedure is proposed; and only one of the two councillors elected as official representatives of the residents of the Montfort sector, dares to light a red light that his colleagues and the mayor are ignoring. We can't blame him tomorrow for what's bound to happen, the extent of which has yet to be determined. At the next municipal elections, will he be the Messiah we'll have to call upon? Or will we beg Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard to co-own this future white elephant for its residents? Truly, in Wentworth-Nord, we sometimes still wear the Covid mask, but far too high up on our faces...)

5. Public safety
5.2 Intermunicipal agreement establishing the provision of automatic and mutual aid services for fire protection. Wentworth-Nord joins forces with Harrington.

6. Public works and municipal asset management
6.2 Adoption of by-law 2023-587 decreeing the terms and conditions for the assumption of responsibility for partial maintenance of chemin du Lac-Gustave by the municipality of Wentworth-Nord for the 2023 summer season.
6.3 Authorization to purchase an F-150 truck for the Roads Department.
6.4 Awarding of mandate - Site supervision service - RIRL 2020-1085 route Principale project. One bid, for $69k, from Équipe Laurence. The mandate is granted.
6.5 Authorization to spend money on a shredder (See question).
6.6 Adoption of By-law 2022-485-1 amending By-law 2022-485 decreeing the terms and conditions for the assumption of responsibility for the maintenance of private roads on the territory of the Municipality of Wentworth-Nord for the summer and winter periods. New method of apportioning costs among users.
6.7 Tender for snow removal. A two-year contract is awarded to David Riddell. Mr. Johnston, while underlining the contractor's qualities, expresses his preference for a (3-year?) contract. The cost would already have doubled here, and the uncertainty of the trend leads him to vote against the resolution, as worded. Carried.

7. Environment
7.1 Mrs. C. Horan presents her report:
- Report on meeting with lake associations on May 28, 2023.
- At this meeting, volunteers were asked to look after the trails (Montfort...).
- Successful Journée DécouVerte.
- Happy Fête nationale.

8. Urban planning and economic development
8.3 Adoption of a by-law amending Interim Control By-law 2022-608 to modify the prohibitions applicable to new cadastral operation requests for lots and tourist accommodation businesses.
There will be eight PIIAs, including six for the construction of a main building. The CCU's recommendations, all of which are positive, will be adopted following modifications made by the applicants.
8.15 Disposal for parks, playgrounds and natural areas - Subdivision permit application 2023-9001. Here, the proposal is to prefer to take the land rather than the $4,730 it represents. Against, the councillor (Karine Dostie?) calls for a vote. Réjean Gosselin is also against. In the end, it's three to three. The mayor, pointing out that the land will give access to crown land, and judging that there's not much money to lose here, will tip the balance in favor of adopting the proposal.

9. Leisure, culture and community life
9.3 (See item 4)

Question period
Ms. Suzanne Delisle (association ...):
- How are road maintenance charges distributed...? D.D.: Winter charges are billed to property owners, who generally have access to them (to be verified).
- Congratulations to Mr. ...

Mr. X in the audience: The shredder you want to buy (6.5); it's no good for anything.... Rent one instead, and you'll see... Réjean Gosselin: It's not for this kind of work...

Ms Myriam Rioux: There's no chemical toilet on...

Mr. Y in the audience: Regarding short-term rentals... D.D.: I can't tell you; we're in the Interim Control period. Mr. Y: But we're entitled to information! D.D. We'll consult you when the time comes.

Mr. Y or Z: Are we going to have 5 years of this Control? Do you work for the people?

Ms. Suzanne Delisle: No response to my e-mail about .... D.D.: Contact Ms. Bissonnette.

Mr. W in the audience: We're seven families in the mountains, and we don't have a waste container...

Mme Chantal Prévost: Where's the land you're going to take? (Cf. 8.15?) D.D.: It's lot 5939877, on the Windish Lake side.

Mr. XYZ in the audience: The ditches on Route Principale here are filled with all kinds of stuff, and we get flooded when the water overflows. Same thing on Montfort Road. R. Kelly: Some sections are under the Ministère's responsibility; others under ours... R. Gosselin: We'll proceed according to...

Mme Suzanne Delisle :
- Thank you for ...
- When will the Lac Gustave road be repaired?
- When will the Lac Gustave bridge be repaired? D.D.: You'll have to harass the Department of Public Works. R. K.: It's the MTQ's responsibility. S.D.: But I pay taxes to the municipality... D.D.: The municipality isn't going to repair things that don't belong to it.
E. Johnston: ... R.K.: We have to go there in a hurry, because the MTQ isn't doing anything. XXX: Appeal to the MP? Legal action? D.D. We're discussing a personal case here; this is not the right place to do it.

Mrs. ? in the audience: ...? D.D.: Dial 511.

???: R. Kelly: The repairs to Route Principale will take some time.

Mrs. ??, in the room: Groundwater location... D.D. It's up to the owner to take care of that. W-N is favored in this respect. Mrs. ??: Quebec has produced maps of it. D.D.: Send us a copy if you can.

M. ds la salle: 60 m width for ...; it doesn't make sense. E. Johnston: It's to facilitate access. I'd like to go and have a look at it.
It's a beaver lake.

Mr. Georges Désilets (Lac Notre-Dame): Congratulations to Public Works for having repaired everything after the flood, due to the rupture of a beaver dam. ... D.D. We follow all the dams listed to make sure they're solid. But some are rather unknown to us. Contact Mr. Plourde.

Mme ds salle: Does Interim Control concern ...? D.D.: We're not talking about your principal residence here, so you're not affected by the regulations. ... Wait until it's passed... Mrs. in the audience: It's zoned commercial... E. Johnston: There's interim control.
Mme Patricia: Beavers are eating the trees. D.D.: Call Mr. Plourde.

Without prejudice; by Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) & Linguee

Ordre du jour    Video version

All members of council are present: Mrs. Colleen Horan, Mrs. Lyne Chapados, Mrs. Karine Dostie and Mrs. Catherine Léger, Mr. Réjean Gosselin and Mr. Eric Johnston, as well as Mrs. Danielle Desjardins, mayor, who will preside over the meeting, assisted by Mr. Ron Kelley, the general manager More than a dozen people were in attendance in the room, while the video conference counter indicated nearly three dozen participants. The session lasted two hours.
The mayor reminded everyone that the public should not intervene during council discussions. During question period, hands are raised (from the Zoom application) to request the floor.

2. Statement from elected officials: No interventions; councillors will be able to take advantage of their presentation as committee chairs.

4. Administration and correspondence
4.1 Salaries, disbursements and capital purchases for the month of March 2023: $527,156, compared to $352,683 in 2022.
4.3 Update of committees and creation of a committee in charge of the protection of the built heritage, which Quebec has named the Demolition Committee, and which will be chaired by the mayor. She also chairs, among others, the temporary committees for the Saint-Michel church and the Montfort pavilion.

6. Public works and management of municipal assets
6.1 Councillor Gosselin, President of the Roads Committee, announces the hiring of a Public Works Director, Mr. Pierre Aubé, who has been on the job for two weeks, and lists the accomplishments of the month, including the filling of holes and the preparation of equipment, among others.
6.3 Call back of the seasonal employees. They are usually on duty from May to October.
6.4 Request to the Ministry of Transportation and Sustainable Mobility regarding work on the Newaygo Bridge. The Mayor explained that, while vehicles can no longer travel on it, including ambulances and fire trucks, the bridge is not scheduled to be repaired until 2025. We will ask the Department to do this as a matter of urgency.
6.5 Purchase of a dumpster, better adapted to the needs of the municipality, at a cost of 33 837$.
6.9 Authorization given to the mayor to negotiate with the MRC on the Aerobic Corridor file. The latter belongs to the Ministry of Transport and is managed by the MRC.
6.10 Creation of the position of Assistant Director of Public Works. The Director General will have to do the necessary for this hiring.
6.11 Contract with the firm JMV for the rental of a grader for the summer period. Mr. Johnston asks for the vote, indicating that he does not have enough information on the case or on the possibility of using municipal equipment to make an evaluation of the proposal. Mrs. Desjardins clarifies that it is only for the sake of transparency that this case is on the agenda, since the General Manager could, on his own, give this contract. The other councilors will vote for the adoption.

7. Environment
7.1 Ms. Horan: (Practically inaudible, due in part to noises near the microphone)
- Follow-up on the claim issue.
- Meeting in April ...
- Electric car (?)
- Maintenance of tertiary UV disinfection treatment systems for the Municipality of Wentworth-Nord.
- Company for the digging of a septic tank (?) ... Impossibility of a sealed tank on land...
7.2 Adoption of by-law 2023-526 concerning the protection of and access to water bodies. It is to replace the existing by-law, by specifying certain obligations concerning protection, access, washing certificate, etc.
7.3 and 7.4 Notice of motion, filing and adoption of draft by-law 2023-611 concerning the maintenance of the tertiary ultraviolet disinfection treatment systems of the Municipality of Wentworth-Nord.

8. Planning and Economic Development

8.2 Tabling of the list of permits for March 1 to 31, 2023: $2.7M compared to $1.7M in 2022. Growth continues.

8.3 Temporary hiring of a planning and environment inspector, Mr. Jean-Philippe Dupuis, who returns to us. He will also be a "designated official" of the municipality, with the right to intervene...

8.4 Adoption of separate bylaws in connection with the draft bylaw 2017-498-19 amending the zoning bylaw 2017-498 in order to prohibit the complementary use to a residential use (tourist accommodation of the principal residence type) in all zones of the territory. This is the famous bylaw that has raised questions from developers, most often not directly affected by the said bylaw. Its actual adoption, by zone, is subsequently subject to the outcome of the referendum process required by law and triggered by obtaining the specified number of signatures in the register. On April 21, a press release announced that the register would be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 28, 2023, at the City Hall office.

8.7 Notice of motion and tabling of draft by-law 2022-608-1 amending Interim Control By-law 2022-608 in order to add certain exemptions to prohibitions related to streets. The moratorium was not relevant in these cases. Since it is only a change in terminology, the project is not subject to referendum approval.
The mayor took the opportunity to recall that there is currently an interim control, therefore a freeze on all activities, to allow the revision of certain aspects of the urban plan. (She does not mention anything about the progress of this process or its schedule).

8.9 and 8.10 Notice of motion (by Ms. Chapados?), tabling and adoption of draft by-law 2023-610 regarding the demolition of buildings. The mayor underlines that the councillor has acquired a lot of experience in the heritage file.

8.17 PIIA 2023-0019 - Construction of a two-storey main building on Domaine-du-Mont Street. This is part of the integrated project (of the same name). The Consultative Committee on Urbanism (CCU) recognizes the conformity of the project to the requirements of the PIIA; however, it is disappointed that the applicant proceeded with the deforestation before the approval of its request. The mayor suggested that the developers believe that in Wentworth-Nord, "you do what you want to do and then you apply for a permit". The opposite should be the rule, and Council will eventually deny approval for projects where the developer has done so. Planning departments must be informed of what is happening on the property.

8.23 Transfer for Parks, Playgrounds and Natural Areas - Application for Subdivision Permit. The municipality is taking the 7% cash contribution of $2,870 as it has no interest in owning land on this property. Here, the owner and the Viking Club, which has a trail on the property, have made an agreement to ensure the sustainability of the trail.
Mr. Johnston, Councillor for the district concerned, asked for a vote, claiming that it is the municipality's responsibility to ensure that this important trail system belongs to the citizens.
Mrs. Desjardins wishes to point out that the Viking Club built this trail without the owner's authorization and that they wanted the municipality to acquire it. She objected, stating that the Viking Club provides access to its trails for a fee, and that the municipality will not purchase trails that will be accessible to its citizens for a fee. She said she met with the owner and representatives of the club.
Mr. Johnston disagrees with the mayor's interpretation of the contribution supposedly required. Everyone argues on this point; the councillor taking as an example what is done for the section in Morin-Heights of this pathway. (?) Mrs. Desjardins tells Mr. Johnston that he is out of order and asks to vote. He will vote against the proposal, which will be adopted anyway.

8.25 Resolution amending a resolution presented in 2020, regarding a land exchange between (the municipality?) and the Lac St-Victor Estate. Mr. Johnston asks for a vote, stating that the negotiations are not finished, that the resolution is dated, that it should be cancelled and reconsidered so that it reflects the current situation and that everyone can see it clearly. It was passed anyway, 4 in favor and 2 against.

9. Recreation, culture and community life
9.1. Report of the president of the Recreation, Culture and Community Life Committee, Mrs. Léger.
- The committee has met several times in the last few months.
- A cultural calendar will be published soon.
- The Journée DécouVerte will be held on May 27. Details will be announced soon.
- The Table de concertation des arts et de la culture de Wentworth-Nord held its AGM. It obtained a grant from the MRC, which will allow it to hold, (four days in August), the Festival de la culture announced for the sectors of Laurel, Saint-Michel and Montfort.

Question period
The mayor reminds the procedure: It is a question period and not a comment period. One question at a time, and one approaches to be heard...

A gentleman in the room asks how it is that a designated official, in charge of washing boats, will be able to visit your property? "To see if you have made your bed", the mayor jokingly replied. In fact, she explains, this prerogative is contained in the definition of designated officer; but the boat wash attendant will certainly not go into your home.

Ms. Diane Turcotte: Concerning point 8.25 (above), is the land to be exchanged included in phase 2 of the Domaine du Mont project? D.D.: Yes. D.T.: This means that the promoter will be able to go ahead with this phase 2. D.D.: No; your interpretation is wrong; and no request for the realization of phase 2 has yet been filed. D.T.: The petition presented against this project shows the interest of the citizens to be informed of the next steps. The mayor reassures the petitioner that the council is transparent in this regard.

Another gentleman in the room asked how it works for the recommendations of the CCU to the council and what recourse the promoter has if he does not agree. The mayor re-explained that the CCU studies the projects according to a certain number of criteria. Then it makes its recommendations to the council, with the relevant explanations. Council generally follows the advice of the CCU. The applicant asks if one can address directly the council if one believes the CCU to be in error or even in bad faith. He said he brings investors to the municipality and expects them to be treated with respect. The Mayor stated that developers are treated with respect and that the timelines are no different than in other municipalities. The fact that many come several times to represent their project takes up a lot of time. The members of the CCU are rigorous and the council studies each project that they present to it.

Mr. Vincent Djerfi (12th Street, W-N):
- A question from the citizens regarding item 7.2 (above): If you have a Laurel Lake sticker and you take your boat out for the winter, do you have to have it washed and pay again to put it back in the water. D.D.: No, not to put it back in the same lake; it's a permanent sticker.
- Did you vote to put gates on private property along Laurel Lake to prevent visitors from passing through to launch their boats? D.D.: The municipality will not put gates on private property, but the owners are responsible for preventing it from being used to put unwashed boats in the lake.
- What if we are in the part of the lake included in the municipality of Lac-des-Seize-Îles? D.D. and R. G.: It is more or less the same regulation.

A lady in the room: (Almost inaudible)
- I agree with the gentleman who complained about the difficulty of contacting the urban planning services to discuss his file. (?) There is no opportunity to express oneself. D.D. (joking) : Everyone who gets denied by the CCU agrees with you... The CCU follows government rules. Lady: I sent a letter to Services and did not receive a response. E. Johnston: All applicants can make a presentation, in writing or by video conference, with the CCU; there are examples.
- Regarding item 8.4 (above), on short-term rental in a principal residence, how could the by-law have been adopted, when the register could not be signed? The Mayor explained that no register is signed at this municipal meeting. The operation of the register comes after the adoption of the by-law (conditional to its non-rejection by the concerned residents).

Mr. Frederic ...: On item 8.4 as well; when will we be able to start our projects? D.D.: We are still under interim control. We are in an internal consultation process and we want (like you) to finish as soon as possible. Frédéric: We don't know when... D.D.: I would like to know that too...

Mr. Morneau (in English and difficult for us to follow): Talks about his discussions with the urban planning department. (?) Says he bought a house in W-N in 2021; put his savings in it and is losing money because he can't rent it, asks who will compensate him (?) Money coming out every month... D.D.: What is your question, please? Morneau: I have been waiting for an answer to my last request for 22 days. When will I know? Where is your honnor? You are blocking me from everything, unilaterally. D.D.: It's not against you. There is an interim control to allow us to make changes to our urban plan. Mr. Morneau: I am losing money every day; I can't afford it! Who is going to pay me back? I'm going to lose my house. (?) D.D. and R. G.: The municipality is not responsible for this. Morneau: Who is responsible? You imposed the moratorium. Here, Mr. Johnston calms down Mr. Morneau by indicating that he will be able to find the explanations on the imposition of the interim control in the minutes of the concerned council meetings.

Mr. Denis Simard (?): In order to present our project to the CCU, we have to prepare documents, which causes us costs. Then we wait in the dark. We do not know the criteria; with the imprecisions that delay the process. In order to speed things up and so that we know where we are going, couldn't we participate in the process? E.J.: All the objectives and criteria are published on our website, along with the regulations. The PIIA expectations presented with the resolutions, and available at the urban planning department, would also allow you to familiarize yourself with the CCU process. D.S.: In our case, with the purchase of a lot, we have to present a construction plan. It's an investment before you even know if the project is eligible. D.D.: All too often, the developer gives us plans that do not match the intended construction.

One lady asked about the timeline for interim control. "You can't play with people like that! D.D.: We don't know when it will be completed. There will be a presentation of the selected avenues to the population at that time and consequent adjustments. Lady: If it goes on like this, all this land will be for sale, in Wentworth-Nord.

Gentleman in the audience:
- A client's lawyer called the planning department and was hung up on on his second question.
- An investor, for $11M (?) says $5M is frozen because of this moratorium in Wentworth-Nord. This is important...
- We have to reimburse people who have made promises to purchase because we cannot respect the clause in the notarized contract because of this moratorium.

Mr. Morneau returned to make some suggestions.

A gentleman in the room doesn't understand why we are trying to ban short term rentals here when the government is allowing the opposite. The door is completely closed. (These visitors can help.) I've been coming here for three months trying to figure it out. There's not much sense here... (He is applauded by the other occupants of the room.)

With all reservations; by Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

While the statistics from the Census of Canada and the Institut de la statistique du Québec allow us to quantify, and therefore paint an objective overall picture of the demographic and socio-economic situation of Wentworth-Nord as well as its evolution, they present us with a very imperfect portrait of these realities. [Cf. Nord-Wentwortois, According To The 2021 Census Of Canada (Summary)] 

The resort industry, which represents a good half of this reality, is not included in these statistics. The Institut de la statistique du Québec, for example, does not take it into account in the elaboration of its Indice de vitalité économique. The municipality and the MRC have and collect data on all properties on their territory, whether they are permanent or secondary residences. But how do they process this data to obtain the numerical picture needed for planning activities and sub-municipal orientations?

Aren't there more cottagers in Districts 5 and 6? And if so, shouldn't planning take this into account? How do the characteristics, such as age, of all residents compare to the permanent population, as measured by statistics? What is the significance of the average or employment income of the population of the municipality or MRC, if more than half of their residents are not part of the equation?

Furthermore, the statistics are not published for sub-municipal presentation. Thus, the amalgamation of data for the three villages, the six municipal districts, the dozens of habitats around lakes or other spatial realities of the municipality, masks the local situation. However, urban planning must also rely on sub-municipal data to best address the issues assigned to it.

Statistics Canada gives us the demographic pyramid of the municipal population, its average, median or employment income; the education, qualifications or field of activity of its citizens, and their evolution. But this probably does not correspond to the reality of any of its three villages. Is the level of wealth the same in the different districts?

How can we predict the socio-economic development of Montfort, Laurel or Saint-Michel, without statistics, other than the issuance of permits, to take into account the trends that are emerging on the ground over time? Doesn't the current moratorium or interim control of real estate development, via integrated projects, short or longer term rentals, etc., and the decisions that will be dictated by the clauses of the resulting regulations, risk being more suitable for some sectors than others? How to proceed to an adequate zoning in their application, without having a more objective picture of the local reality? The Farmer's plan already noted some of the incongruities of this zoning.

The socio-economic development of Wentworth-Nord seems to us to be focused on the eastern sector, the one that is closest to the urbanized areas; whether it is the neighbouring towns and villages of our Laurentians or the metropolitan area. It is already under pressure. "Some of Canada’s fastest growing small towns outside of urban centres from 2016 to 2021 were located within a two-hour drive of Toronto, Montréal or Vancouver. Many of these small towns were found in cottage country or near a ski resort, with all the amenities that go with it including nearby nature, boating, golfing, skiing, and “après-skiing.”¹ Yet the misalignment of demographic and economic weight that this development is expected to bring to the municipality will be a major concern for our authorities. However, the current statistical portrait cannot reflect this reality; nor will it do so for its evolution.

Laurel, which the urban plan said was far from everything, will have to try to compensate by maintaining its status as the hub, through the development of social and administrative services, among others. Although Mr. Farmer saw "the establishment of an area designed to accommodate heavy industry and commerce," nothing of the sort, despite the will of the former administration, is yet to be seen.
Other variables will be affected, including the environment, with pressure on the most reachable lakes, for example; housing density, accessibility, the built environment, property values, the retirement of the ubiquitous single-family home in urbanized areas, the profitability of investments in road and related infrastructure, which are mostly tied to vacationing² and short-term rentals, language, and so on.

Some tourism regions have conducted surveys to get a better idea of the sub-municipal portrait of their territory, particularly of resort tourism. "Tourisme Lanaudière recently unveiled the results of a study conducted in the winter of 2021 that had the objective of identifying the issues specific to rental cottage owners as well as municipalities that must ensure harmonious cohabitation between the tourist clientele, the local population and vacationers."³ These analyses have undoubtedly helped to better establish the issues and directions they must face. Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs published its Guide du bon villégiateur in 2019.⁴

It seems necessary to us that our authorities, municipality and MRC, take advantage of access to sub-municipal census data and introduce, themselves, the collection, processing and publication of statistics necessary to complete them. The interest in publishing the MRC's property assessment map on GeoCentralis is already evident. The mailing of the tax bill, which reaches both permanent residents and vacationers, should contain a questionnaire that allows for the collection of relevant and recurring statistical information, particularly at the time of the Canadian Census.

By Carl Chapdelaine

1. Escaping the big city for idyllic small town life
2. Cars and Cottages
3. Portrait du tourisme de villégiature dans Lanaudière
4. Guide du bon villégiateur

Other : Wentworth-Nord Economic Development (An Approach) 1 et 2

"The Indice de vitalité économique (IVE) is a relative measure that ranks communities in relation to each other in terms of their economic vitality... A negative value generally means that the community lags the majority of Quebec communities in terms of economic vitality."¹

"More specifically, the IVE represents the geometric mean of the standardized variables of three indicators, namely the median total income (pre-tax income) of individuals aged 18 and over, the rate of workers aged 25 to 64 and the average annual growth rate of the population over five years."

The index is used, for example, to allocate the Territorial Development Fund budget envelope. However, this index, based on the permanent population, does not take into account the weight of cottagers.

Among the characteristics that classify the localities in the last quintile according to this index, we note

• Small size and low population density.
• High proportion of people aged 65 and over.
• Negative demographic trends.
• Location away from major urban centers.
• Lower median total personal income and labour force participation rates
• Dependence on government transfers as a source of income
• Lower standardized property wealth.

Wentworth-Nord ranked in the 4th quintile of the index for the latest reporting period (2018-2020). It is the only one in this quintile for the MRC des Pays-d'en-Haut; 9th out of 10 municipalities, ahead of Lac-des-Seize-Îles, which is in the 5th quintile.
Furthermore, the proportion of the population of the Laurentian administrative region living in localities where the economic vitality index belongs to the last quintile had decreased from 2.31% to 2.29% from 2018 to 2020.²

1. Institut de la statistique du Québec : Indice de vitalité économique des territoires – Édition 2023
2. Les indicateurs de l’occupation et de la vitalité des territoires

Par Carl Chapdelaine

• a. For the purpose of determining whether a referendum vote should be held in respect of this by-law, the number of applications required to be met ... is reduced by 50% rounded up to the next whole number. (Mr. Johnston will indicate that this is to make it easier to claim a referendum).
• b. Any provision contained in the second proposed by-law shall be deemed to have been the subject of a valid application from any area from which such application may originate...

• a. The Tourist Accommodation Act procedure provides for half of the signatures required at the registry and referendum stage.
• b. The Tourist Accommodation Act procedure provides that after the second draft of the by-law, it is "deemed" to have received the minimum number of applications required. Thus, Step 1 of the referendum process (application to participate) does not apply.

Amazing news at the last Municipal Council meeting: By the will of committed citizens, the Chambre de commerce et de développement durable Wentworth-Nord has just been born. But who sees businesses in our municipality? (It is true that this is a community project, which is not limited to the traditional fields of activity of these institutions.) There are no more businesses in Montfort, and it is necessary to fight to keep the few that are still open in Laurel, as described in a report by Radio-Canada radio: Sauver des commerces de proximité. The reporter, René Saint-Louis, had the chance to be invited to the public meeting to save the Nouveau resto de la Rivière Perdue, in Laurel, which was taken over by the Maison de Sophie and became the Rendez-vous des 4 pôles, which we heard about several months ago.The reporter, René Saint-Louis, had the chance to be invited to the public meeting to save the Nouveau resto de la Rivière Perdue, in Laurel, which was taken over by the Maison de Sophie and became the Rendez-vous des 4 pôles, which we heard about several months ago.

Indeed, due to financial difficulties or lack of succession, alternatives are rare to keep businesses alive in small municipalities. Due to a lack of succession, the century-old grocery/general store at the eastern entrance to Laurel was taken over by the Coop de solidarité Laurel Station in 2011. The MRC prefect and former mayor of Wentworth-Nord, Mr. André Genest, reminded the reporter that there was once a bakery, a gas station and even a hotel in Laurel. It is known that, at the time of the presence of the Montfort orphanage, there was a hotel and businesses in this village. Mr. Genest added that the cooperative model seemed to him to have been the most successful in such cases. We had to stop looking for goods and services in distant cities when they were available locally.

The result of this cooperative movement was the Coopérative des 4 Pôles, dedicated to the development of tourism in the four villages (Wentworth-Nord - Lac-des-Seize-Îles); involved in the survival of the Lac-des-Seize-Îles General Store, now closed and in the process of being restructured; involved in restaurant services for the latter as well as for the Laurel Station Cooperative; a gasoline supplier (in the Sixteen Islands?); in charge of the Shuttle on the Sixteen Islands Lake; and other. However, it is itself undergoing restructuring. Co-ops are said to have twice the life expectancy of private businesses, the report says, but they face the same challenges as private businesses. In fact, our perception of cooperatives may be tainted by the fact that they are often formed to take over a failing business, with the priority of saving threatened jobs and often local services. If the profitability is not there, the effort will be in vain, and the money invested will often be lost.
As one participant in the report points out, one would have to travel 60 km to get to and back with a “quart” of milk purchased in Saint-Sauveur or Lachute. "Offering frozen meals, at a good price for the elderly clientele (or in the form of) lamb chops in sauce for vacationers who arrive at their cottage on Fridays"; offering the renowned small sandwiches of the 4 Poles Co-op catering service; or being a drop-off point for the SAQ; are among the many adaptations put to the test by the Laurel Station Co-op. Loyal customers of the business feel that residents are not sufficiently aware of the services it offers. There is certainly also an awareness to be developed with this potential clientele. It is at this price that the few existing or to be attracted local businesses could currently flourish in Wentworth-Nord.

Doesn't increasing the clientele, or reaching a threshold of frequentation that will ensure the profitability of businesses, also imply an increase in the number of residents and visitors? The municipality is announcing a 12% increase in its budget; most of the increase in revenue involved will come from various taxes, including property tax. The arrival of new valuable properties or integrated projects, in the Montfort sector or elsewhere, and while making the best use of the municipal infrastructures already in place, would not be sufficient to increase these property revenues enough to absorb the anticipated increase in expenses. So, we need more? And the gentrification of the area and the tax increases may affect less affluent households.

But the current imposition of interim controls is intended, among other things, to better match real estate development with environmental protection. Will this result in a halt to construction or a greater effort to put in place the infrastructures that will allow for "sustainable" development, meaning development that will not harm the environment or the peace of mind of current residents?

There is an outcry against integrated projects, especially those for short-term rentals! With good reason, since the anticipated access to the village, to the parking lots, to the lakes and to our greenway, for these new residents, causes problems. The same outcry against visitors, for the same reasons. The services offered at the Montfort Pavilion are being eliminated; kayak, bicycle and other rentals are being abolished to dissuade visitors from venturing out. The Aerobic Corridor is closed for the winter and is a year-round problem. The Orphan Trail is underutilized, and its refuge abandoned.

Talking about tourism has become taboo. In terms of visitation, are large lakes, such as Lake St. Francois-Xavier, the only one here with some public access, already saturated? Or shouldn't more appropriate developments be considered: new public beaches here and there, bypass via Chemin Sainte-Marie in Montfort or parking lots on the outskirts, like at the Tremblant Resort, etc.? Will the decisions taken following this interim control put an end to all these contradictions?

This control imitates neighbouring cities that have done the same, but Wentworth-Nord does not have the physiognomy and character of these cities. In Sainte-Adèle, one is an Adélois; in Wentworth-Nord, one is primarily a resident of this or that lake, and one does not know well who lives or what happens at the neighbouring lake; and even less so in the other two villages of the municipality. The sense of place is very different, and fears about growth do not necessarily have the same meaning. In these towns, tourism and real estate development are part of the economy; they support businesses and municipal revenues. Now they need to set a threshold for development and opt for densification, or, as in Saint-Colomban, impose a levy on new construction. Wentworth-Nord is not at that point; quite the contrary. But, in its quest for equitable financing, it is adding an environmental tax and a surcharge on integrated short-term rental projects for garbage and recycling collection.

Yes, a chamber of commerce; but this is just the beginning. We have, by luck and determination of residents, a Lake St. Francois-Xavier Environmental Fund. Wouldn't we need an economic development fund, if we could find the financial backers; administered by a council that would know how to draw up a picture of the situation, advise the administration and promote the realization of admissible projects?

By Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) & Linguee

• Adoption of By-Law 2022-609 decreeing the imposition of a special tax for the protection of the environment. This tax will allow to carry out certain projects in this field, had indicated the mayor at the time of the presentation of this draft by-law. It will be (roughly) $50 per tax account.
• Adoption of By-law 2019-562-1 amending By-law 2019-562 imposing a special tax on vacant lots. 2023 will be the last year that there will be a tax on vacant lots.

• Adoption of By-Law 2023-580 to decree the imposition of taxes, compensations and tariffs for municipal services for the fiscal year 2023. The adoption of this by-law follows the adoption of the budget.

Government housing support    Video version       Power Point

At the podium, Councillors Colleen Horan, Karine Dostie and Eric Johnston. Mrs. Danielle Desjardins, Mayor, will present the budget and the Plan triennal d’investissement (three-year capital expenditure plan) 2023, 24, 25 by means of a Power point. The Director General, Mr. Ron Kelley, assisted the council. 

During this special forty-minute council meeting, the Zoom meter will show up to twenty participants. Due to the weather, the mayor explained, the room at the Laurel Community Centre will be empty.

Budget 2023
In her introduction, the mayor reminded everyone that the property value of homes, including land, has increased significantly; by 50% on average, and even by 100% for some. However, Council has lowered the tax rate to compensate.

The budget is increasing by 12% this year. Like other municipalities, inflation has affected us. We also have to deal with an increase in salaries. There is no budgetary surplus, bequeathed by the previous administration, that could allow us to absorb part of these increases.
In addition, the MRC is giving us an increase that constitutes 3% of our own tax increase. Its tax rate for residual materials is increasing by 25%, which results in a huge increase of 20% in our contribution, or $140,000. This increase does not seem justified to us in this time of tightening finances. "I voted against this budget of the MRC... Smaller municipalities cannot afford to support such increases." In total, our contribution to the MRC budget constitutes 25% of our own.

• The highlights of the budget are $7,240,927 for revenues, as well as for expenses, of which, for the latter, $6,466,079 in the operating fund and $774,848 in financing costs. Here again, inflation has played a role.
• Assessment (taxable values) and roll value for 2023: The assessed value of all properties is $896,502,600. Their average value is $375,000; to which corresponds a tax increase of approximately $264(?).
• Taxes and compensations: The general property tax rate of $0.446 per $100 of assessment in 2022 drops to $0.350 in 2023, to compensate for the increase in assessment. In addition, there is a tax for the improvement of the road network, a tax for the SQ, a new tax for the environment, of $50 per property (we have many projects, for the lakes among others, and they must be financed); the tax for the disposal of household waste and recycling, which increases from $167 to $203 on residences, due to the increase of 25% by the MRC. Finally, there is an additional tax of $1,000 for the latter service aimed at short-term landlords; the number of tenants can rise to 20, 30, or even 50 per establishment, significantly increasing the municipal collection costs (around the semi-founded bins). The basic annual tax as well as the green tax (ecocentre) on residences and vacant lots are also increasing.
• General administration expenses: $30,000 in 2023 for "Clerk's Office and Elections", compared to $5,000 due to the by-election to council that will be held in District 2.
• Property assessment expenses: 2022, being an assessment year, had a more than double amount.
• In Administration - other, it goes from $395,114 in 2022 to $295,413 in 2023, because, by becoming permanent, some staff are simply no longer classified in this line item.
• In transportation, snow removal, for a normal winter, will cost more because of the increase in the price of gasoline mainly.
• In environmental health, we have seen that the collection of residual materials costs more. The focus on the environment for 2023 and the new tax explain the increase from $62,290 in 2022 to $201,019 in 2023.
• In urban planning, the expenses for hiring new staff explain that the cost will be $477,918 in 2023, compared to $381,186 in 2022.

• Capital projects for 2023: We note the $13,275,600 for roads, for the rehabilitation of the Route Principale, Jackson and Millette Roads, which could not start in 2022. Here, Councillor E. Johnston specified that there are grants totaling approximately $12M for this project. Ms. Desjardins added that there are several ways to finance these investments: taxes, loans, leasing, etc.
• Administration (2023): $53,000 will be required to replace our outdated network and computer programs.
• Environment (2023): Note an expense of $2,000 for signage in the Newaygo sector, and $1,000 for the purchase of buoys for Lake Saint-François-Xavier.
• Recreation and culture (2023): There are a new platform and anchors for 20 boats at the Newaygo marina and a generator at St-Michel Church. In addition, $70,000 is provided for the Cap rocheux Lookout in Laurel.
• In the PTI Capital Summary, the $13.8M in 2023 is primarily due to the road restoration project; the figure will drop to $1.6M in 2025. Of the latter amount, $1.5M will be for recreation and culture, while only the relocation of the shelter (Orphans' Belvedere?) and the Montfort Community Centre project are highlights.

"Between July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022, 206,700 Quebecers changed their administrative region of residence, 11% less than in 2020‒2021, a year marked by a considerable increase in migration between regions. Fewer people left Montréal and other large centres over the past year, indicating that the effect of the pandemic on interregional migration may already have faltered."1 Note that we are not dealing with second homes here.
According to the Institut de la statistique du Québec's table of inter-regional migrations, at the MRC level, there were, in the MRC des Pays-d'en-Haut and for the period 2021-22, 4,019 entrants and 3,078 departures, for a population gain of 941 individuals and a net rate of 1.97%, compared to only 1.12% for the entire Laurentian region. For the previous period, the inflows were 5,371, the outflows 3,607, for a gain of almost twice as many individuals (1,763).2

The contrast between the two periods was different for the balance of international (emigrant/immigrant or temporary) and interprovincial migration, which must be added to the interregional migration described above. According to provisional data, adapted from Statistics Canada by the Institut de la statistique du Québec, in the MRC des Pays-d'en-Haut, from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, the balance of these international migrations resulted in an increase of 111 individuals. It was 85 for the same period from 2020 to 2021. Interprovincial migration, for its part, saw 142 people enter the MRC, compared to 74 leaving, for a gain of 68 individuals, compared to 86 for the previous period.3

1.  https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/interregional-migratory-exchanges-in-quebec
2. In-migrants, out-migrants, net internal migration and corresponding rates, Québec RCMs (grouped by administrative region)
3. International and interprovincial migration, census divisions (sorted by administrative region), Québec, 2001-2022

(Please report any errors or discrepancies in interpretation).

By Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)