Wentworth-Nord 

Ordre du jour       Version vidéo

*Le lecteur devra se référer à la version vidéo et au procès-verbal pour plus d’exactitude et de détails.

Tous les membres du conseil sont présents (les conseillers placés sur la tribune, de droite à gauche, selon l’ordre des numéros de districts) : Lenka Martinek (district 1), Suzie Cormier (district 2), Lyne Chapados (district 3), Régent Gosselin (district 4), Céline Bouchard (district 5) et Alex De Zordo (district 6), ainsi que La mairesse, Mme Karine Dostie, qui préside l'assemblée, assistée de M. Ron Kelley, le directeur général et de M. Pierre-Luc Nadeau, directeur adjoint.
Le compteur Zoom dénombrera une vingtaine de participants (incluant des membres du conseil de la tribune), tandis que six ou sept personnes assistent dans la salle du Centre communautaire de Laurel, dont notre ex-conseillère, Colleen Horan. La séance se déroulera rondement, laissant une bonne part à la période de question. Elle durera près d’une heure et demie.

1 Adoption de l’ordre du jour
Les points 2.8 et 4.4 sont ajoutés.

2 Déclarations des élus

• Le dépôt du budget 2026 aura lieu mercredi, le 28 janvier; ce qui permettra l’émission des comptes de taxes municipales pour 2026.
• Les demandes de subvention pour la réfection des chemins des Montfortains et du Lac-Farmer ont été rejetées par le ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable. Seulement 20% des projets soumis par les municipalités de la MRC ont été acceptés, dans l’enveloppe fortement réduite du Programme d'aide à la voirie locale (PPA-CE). Accès   - Il semble que le projet pour le chemin des Montfortains ait cependant de bonnes chances d’être accepté en 2027. En attendant, la municipalité y procédera aux travaux correctifs urgents.   - Concernant la réfection du chemin du Lac-Farmer, nos services de voirie amorceront malgré tout les réfections qui ne peuvent être repoussées.
• Sur l’effondrement d’un ponceau et d’une section de la rue du Domaine, au Grand lac Noir, l’enquête du ministère de l’Environnement est terminée, mais nous n’en avons pas encore les résultats. Malgré la demande d’accès à l’information par la municipalité, et l’échéance de 30 jours donnée au Ministère pour livrer cette information dépassée, nous n’avons toujours pas eu de réponse. (Cf. point 4.4)
• La Coopérative de santé et de solidarité de Wentworth-Nord. Des articles et des reportages ont mis en manchettes la recherche d’un médecin et d’une infirmière pour lancer les opérations de la coopérative, dont les locaux n’attendent que ces professionnels pour accueillir ses premiers patients. La mairesse invite tous les intéressés à appuyer la visibilité de cette réalisation.
• Demande de soutien au gouvernement fédéral pour l'amélioration du réseau de téléphonie cellulaire. Wentworth-Nord, comme plusieurs municipalités de la MRC, a toujours des problèmes de couverture de réseau. Le soutien vise d’abord à une consultation pancanadienne pour identifier ces zones. Hier, au conseil de la MRC, Mme Dostie a proposé une résolution qui engage cette dernière à participer à la consultation. Les Amis…
• Sondage Plan climat. Mme Dostie invite les citoyens à participer à ce sondage, pour faire valoir, auprès du gouvernement fédéral, les particularités propres à la municipalité.
• Stationnement sur les routes de Wentworth-Nord. La réglementation de la municipalité interdit tout stationnement sur ses routes, en raison des contraintes imposées pour leur entretien. La municipalité reste permissive dans l’application de ce règlement; mais elle veut sensibiliser les résidents et visiteurs à la nécessité de ne pas gêner les opérations d’entretien, et particulièrement pour le déneigement.
• Collaboration municipalité – citoyens. Le conseil et l’administration souhaitent recevoir votre avis, vos informations, vos suggestions, vos revendications, etc., sur tout sujet qui la concerne, pour l’aider à ajuster et à prioriser ses interventions, s’il y a lieu.

Sous toutes réserves; par Carl Chapdelaine

Institut de la statistique du Québec

Held at the Laurel Community Center on December 11, 2025, by MRC/W-N/Évimbec.

Power Point presentation       Video version      Your property assessment

Several members of the MRC, including Prefect Catherine Hamé and Executive Director Mylène Perrier, as well as Karine Dostie, Mayor of Wentworth-Nord, Régent Gosselin, and Céline Bouchard, along with Ron Kelley, Executive Director, were in attendance. The property and real estate appraisal firm Évimbec had delegated several of its members for the MRC, including the facilitator of the information session, Mr. David Vincent, who is responsible for balancing, introduced by Mr. Robert Mc Cann, Director of Operations.

The projected documentation, along with the explanations on each PowerPoint slide, could have constituted a master class on the entire property assessment operation as applied to Wentworth-Nord. Thanks to the use of modern technological resources such as geomatics, Évimbec was able to present us with a collection of unprecedented data on the evolution of construction as well as the municipality's property assessment. Mr. Vincent also provided us with explanations and interpretations related to these developments.

Unfortunately, the undersigned was unable to grasp all of these explanations, given the sustained nature of the speech and the fact that the audio reproduction via videoconference, to some forty listeners, was perhaps not up to par. Of the dozen or so people present at the Center, some had just as much difficulty following. The number of virtual participants dropped to 28 at 8:20 p.m., a few minutes before we logged off. The session continued for another hour during the question period.

The PowerPoint presentation is available on the municipality's website via the link above, and the recording of the session should also be available there eventually. For those who were unable to attend, you will have to make do with the slides from the presentation for the time being. The questions received by Évimbec were listed on the last of the forty or so slides, but not the answers, and we were unable to hear them.

A few highlights:
• The evolution of the tax account is not an accurate reflection of the property assessment. Various variables come into play here.
• The assessment roll is used to distribute the tax burden more fairly and equitably.
• The reference date for the property assessment roll, including market conditions, the physical condition of the building, population estimates, etc., is July 1, 2024 (18 months before the roll takes effect). It takes effect on January 1, 2026.
• All requests for review must be received before May 1, 2026, and include all supporting documentation (appraiser's report, photos, analyses, etc.). "Please note: Administrative review does not always result in a reduction. "
• There is a fee for the request: $89 for a property valued at less than $500,000, and $380 for properties valued at more than that.
• Equalization consists of... eliminating as much as possible the differences between... the actual value (market value on a free market; generally, the sale price) and the value listed on the roll.
• The three methods of assessment:
o Comparison method:
 location,
 type of building,
 physical characteristics,
 land area,
 etc.
o Income method: the most probable price of a property based on its ability to generate income.
o Cost method: replacement cost.
• “Cost, income, and expense surveys = Confidential”

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

Subject to change; by Carl Chapdelaine

Ordre du jour        Video version         Minutes

*Readers should refer to the video recording and the minutes for greater accuracy and detail.

All members of the new council are present (councillors seated on the podium, from right to left, in order of district numbers): Lenka Martinek (District 1), Suzie Cormier (District 2), Lyne Chapados (District 3), Régent Gosselin (District 4), Céline Bouchard (District 5), and Alex De Zordo (District 6), as well as Mayor Karine Dostie, who is chairing the meeting, assisted by Ron Kelley, Chief Administrative Officer, and Pierre-Luc Nadeau, Assistant Director.
The board members have been sworn in, but their respective responsibilities for services have not yet been determined.
The Zoom counter will count two dozen participants (including some councillors on the podium), while five or six people attend in the Laurel Community Center Hall. The meeting will proceed smoothly, as Ms. Dostie, in full control of the situation and her files, will point out; it will last nearly an hour and a half.

1. Adoption of the agenda
Several items are added, in 2, 5, and 8. In 8.11, it concerns a building at 3250 12th Street and not 22.

2. Statements by elected officials
2.1 Ms. Dostie thanks all voters, with a remarkable turnout of 57%, for placing their trust in her. She is enthusiastic about embarking on her new term of office, surrounded by councilors whom she describes as competent, complementary, and upholders of fine values. She is followed by all the councilors, who thank the voters, express their appreciation for the opportunity to meet them, and also speak of collaboration and enthusiasm. Mr. De Zordo, elected by acclamation, indicates that he wishes to take over from Mr. Eric Johnston. The mayor indicates that the council will first work on defining priorities.
2.2 The consultation on navigation restrictions on Laurel Lake, in conjunction with Lac-des-Seize-Îles, brought these issues to the table. It also showed that there is no unanimity among participants on the direction to take. We will analyze the results and issues and return to consultation. In the meantime, progress on this issue is on hold and the request will not be submitted to Transport Canada until there is more consensus.
2.3 Rebalancing of the property roll, following the notice that has just been filed on the new roll. The current roll, established with the constraints of COVID-19, did not reflect a normal situation. The council therefore proceeded with a rebalancing (submitted to Évimbec), which you can now view on GéoCentralis (via the MRC website). There is no urgency, as you have until May 1 to contest your assessment. We will get back to you before Christmas with more information.
2.4 The MRC's work on Chemin-de-fer Street has been completed, including the installation of new culverts. However, due to early snowfall, it was not possible to level the surface with gravel, so this has been postponed until spring.
2.5 The Montée Sainte-Marie project in Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard would have an impact on traffic at the Aerobic Corridor, but especially at Lake Saint-François-Xavier. Both municipalities are aware of this, and due to opposition, Saint-Adolphe has postponed adoption of the project.
This year, we have developed a proactive management plan for traffic at Lake St-François-Xavier; it will have to be adapted to the new situation if the project goes ahead.
2.6 Regarding the collapse of a culvert and a section of Rue du Domaine at Grand Lac Noir, the Ministry of the Environment's investigation has been completed, but we do not yet have the results. We are closely monitoring this issue to adopt the recommended preventive measures for such eventualities.
2.7 The Wentworth-Nord Health and Solidarity Cooperative is looking for a director for its board of directors, as well as a part-time doctor. The premises are ready. Contact Mr. Richard Daoust if interested.
2.8 La Voix citoyenne. This new municipal tool will allow citizens to stay in touch with us beyond council meetings. We want to hear from you now to choose the topics for these meetings. A survey will be sent to you for this purpose.

4. Administration and correspondence
4.1. Acceptance of reports on salaries, purchases, disbursements, and capital expenditures for the month of October 2025. Comparable to those for October 2024 and in line with budgeted amounts. Total disbursements: $770k
4.2. Request for financial assistance for Bricolage à St-Michel, a volunteer initiative. This is for 4- to 12-year-olds, which “two of my children have benefited from,” according to the mayor. The request for $300 is granted.
4.3. Mandate for maintaining pay equity 2021-2026. This is an exercise required by the government every five years. The municipality is outsourcing this complex file and has selected the lowest bidder at $2,100.
4.5. (At this point, Councillor Bouchard leaves the room to avoid a conflict of interest in this matter.) Remove the lots between Sunny Side Street and Hunter Street from the public domain. (Are these lots on the route of the planned junction between these two streets, a project that has been abandoned?) The municipality states that it has no interest in retaining these lots, hence the resolution.
4.6. Adoption of Bylaw No. 2025-628 decreeing capital expenditures and a loan of $1,500,000 repayable over a period not exceeding 25 years, for urgent and important road works. This is an umbrella bylaw that would apply in the event of a road emergency (flooding, etc.) so that the municipality is not caught off guard.
4.7. Increase in the operating line of credit to $3 million, up from the current $2 million, on a budget of over $8 million. This is another preventive measure to avoid being caught off guard and running out of cash, especially at the beginning of the year.
4.9. Mandate to a law firm to represent the Municipality in the Municipal Court of Sainte-Adèle. To negotiate statements of offense, among other things.

5. Public safety
5.1. No report, as the councilor responsible has not yet been appointed.
5.2. Agreement with Santé Québec to receive annual financial compensation for the intervention of our first responders.

6. Public works and municipal asset management
6.1. No report, as the councilor responsible has not yet been appointed. However, Councilor Gosselin, who was responsible during the previous term, thanks the blue-collar workers, some of whom are on leave until the resumption of certain road operations in the spring.

7. Environment
7.1. No report, as the councilor responsible has not yet been appointed.
7.2. Revision of lease rents for occupancy of Chemin de la Baie Noire. These concern municipal land used by citizens. The rent will increase from $250 to $500, with an annual review.

8. Urban planning and economic development
8.1. No report, as the councilor responsible has not yet been appointed.
8.2. Submission of the list of permits from October 1 to 31, 2025. One new dwelling.
8.3. 8.4, etc. (Followed by a series of minor exemptions and accepted PIIAs.)
8.15. Renewal of the term of office of a member of the Urban Planning Advisory Committee. This is Ms. Danielle Bourassa, for the Montfort sector. Terms are for two years.
8.16. Hiring of a planning and environment inspector. Mr. Marc-André Bédard, who had been hired for two months, is now a permanent employee (or on probation?).

9. Recreation, culture, and community life
9.1. No report, as the councilor responsible has not yet been appointed.
9.2. Councilor Suzie Cormier reminds everyone that the film club will be back on January 17. The Christmas Market is growing, with a children's play, a craft market, and Mother Christmas taking down the tree, accompanied by entertainment and the distribution of gifts (selected books). First, on Saturday, November 29, in Saint-Michel, then again in Montfort on (January 2?).

Question period

Ms. Denyse Pinsonneault.
• Congratulations to the elected and re-elected council members.
• Why have land prices increased so much according to the new property assessment, while house prices have decreased? On Chemin-de-fer, the building ban should not allow for an increase in land values. Rep. from K.D.: Yes, there has been an average increase of 30% for land and 20% for houses, unlike your house. We will have a public presentation with Évimbec on this subject. You can contest the assessment until May 1.
D.P.: Under the Genest administration, the municipality sold us land before the ban on additional construction was declared.

The undersigned: "Following the consultation by the municipality of Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard on the Montée Sainte-Marie project, a stone's throw from Lake Saint-François-Xavier, with 43 micro-cottages, a spa, a reception pavilion, and an employee building, as well as the completion of integrated projects on Chemin du Lac-Thurson, what measures will be taken to protect the lake from overcrowding, given that public access is guaranteed for residents of the MRC?"
The parking sticker system is no longer in effect. Will there be an attendant at the reception desk of the Pavilion to keep an eye on things? Etc.? We should ask Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard to open public access to Lac Chevreuils... Rep. from K.D.: The project has been postponed by St-Adolphe. It remains under review. A plan to manage traffic at Lac Saint-François-Xavier has been developed; it includes the introduction of surveillance. If this project is carried out, it will have to take the new data into consideration.

Mr. Pierre Aubé: Requests that snow be removed at the intersection of Montée Sainte-Marie and Route Principale. K.D.'s response: Your request will be forwarded to the appropriate department.

Ms. Maryse Perron. Regarding maintenance (of the shared way) of the Aerobic Corridor, (what does the future hold?)? Rep. K.D.: We have already begun working more closely with the MRC. We will discuss this further at the December meeting.

Ms. ?: Regarding the date of Magie de Noël: not November 30, but rather January 2(?).

Mr. X: The Health Cooperative
• (inaudible) Rep. S. Cormier: ? … K.D: For the Cooperative to be recognized by the public network, its services must be overseen by a physician. L.C. But it can still offer services.
• Regarding the agenda (inaudible)

Subject to change; by Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

The municipalities of Wentworth-Nord and Lac-des-Seize-Îles, in collaboration with the Association du Lac Laurel.

Held on November 10, 2025, at the Laurel Community Center and via videoconference.
A detailed presentation is available, including zoning maps and scientific explanations.

The consultation was moderated by Mr. Sébastien Poncelet, Assistant Director of Planning and Environment for Wentworth-Nord, and Ms. Claudia Valois, Director of Technical Services for Lac-des-Seize-Îles. Unfortunately, there was no camera to broadcast a video of the forum with its moderator(s). Only the presentation slides, the scrolling text of the Zoom chat, and the participant gallery were visible to participants. However, they could hear the verbal exchanges. The application allowed the entire chat content to be recorded.

Lake Laurel and Lake Saint-François-Xavier are similar in size. The average depth of the former is 16.6 m, while the latter is only about 6 m. However, Laurel Lake has two sections of very different sizes and depths, one shallow and the other much deeper. In fact, the depth of Lake Saint-François-Xavier is like the shallow part of Laurel Lake. The proposed regulations for the latter are therefore more restrictive and somewhat disproportionate compared to the former.

Questions and comments were to be reserved for the period set aside for them after the presentation. We will not repeat the presentation here, as it is available at the link above.

Question and comment period
There were numerous interventions, which lasted a good two hours; these were mainly comments. Almost all of them either questioned the validity of the technical studies put forward to justify the criteria of the proposal, opposed any regulatory project, or called for a relaxation of the proposed restrictions.

Comments from some of the participants (in the room or via videoconference, with chat):
• It's too restrictive.
• The focus should instead be on enforcing municipal regulations on boat washing, shoreline revegetation, etc. (From Alexandre to Everyone: "Before imposing new restrictions, it would be more appropriate to focus efforts on rigorously enforcing existing regulations, particularly those related to mandatory boat washing. A significant number of paddleboards and small boats from outside the area are used on the lake without being washed, which increases the risk of introducing invasive aquatic species. Better monitoring and increased control in this area would directly contribute to the protection of the lake's ecosystem."
• For Mr. David Dadoun, this was a game changer for the existing situation, which local residents had often chosen when settling by the lake. The aim was to favor a small group at the expense of the majority. Protecting the lake was fine, but it had to be done reasonably. Another resident pointed out, “They want to change the purpose of the lake.”
• From Jp H to Everyone: "When boats are towing, the docks move so much that my children have to get off the dock. If we do this further away, it helps everyone. (Dock, people, wildlife, vegetation) Don't forget that the consultation is not about stopping towing, it's about protecting the lake, the shores, and people in a civilized manner. " Kim, Claude Chouinard, CH:👍
• The undersigned indicated that at Lake Saint-François-Xavier, where such a regulation was obtained from Transport Canada, the standard chosen was 10 km/h, 30 m from the shore, and not 5 km/h, 100 m from the shore, as proposed here. And yet, many people do not comply with it. 10/30 is a standard that governs navigation on lakes in five Canadian provinces, added one participant. Several participants echoed this suggestion.
• Ricky: I am against any regulation. “I have a 13-month-old daughter whom I often take paddle boarding on the lake, and I have no concerns about her safety.”
• Corey Darbyson: 169 people surveyed, when there are only 130 residents on Laurel Lake! Who was eligible to participate in the survey? Mr. Poncelet's response: Users in the sector were also entitled to it.
• Corey Darbyson:   - "The studies they cite (such as Mercier-Blais & Prairie 2014, or Bilkovic 2017) refer to warm bodies of water that are open year-round with constant traffic—nothing like a Laurentian lake that is frozen five months of the year.   - Lake Laurel is deep, clean, and oligotrophic—so the risk of erosion and sediment disturbance is minimal when boats stay in deep water.   - Twelve weeks of family activity is not “commercial traffic.” This is not a marina in the southern United States.   - And finally, the association did not conduct a transparent local study: there is no data on the number of respondents, their residence, or methodology. It's hearsay dressed up as pseudo-science.
• From CH to Everyone: “A little respect, please. I am shocked by the reactions. This is the purpose of a consultation. A first step towards a set of measures to protect our shores. Let's express ourselves with respect.” "Good evening, I won't have time to speak given the time. I have been enjoying the lake for over 15 years now, with my children and friends. I've been scuba diving, motorboating, paddleboarding, swimming, participating in activities, volunteering... and if the code of ethics were respected with common sense and mutual respect between neighbors, we wouldn't have to propose and vote for restrictions. I am really disappointed with what I saw during this meeting, both in the audio and especially in the chat. I am in favor of the six proposed restrictions. We need to establish a framework. It's a starting point. Clearly, discussion is necessary. Let's make it constructive. Jp H:❤️
• From Alexandre to Everyone:   - "I would like to see studies conducted on our lake that rigorously and beyond any reasonable doubt demonstrate that there has been a measurable increase in shoreline erosion and a significant deterioration in water quality over the past few years.   - These studies should also clearly establish a direct causal link between these phenomena and the traffic, waves, and wake generated by motorized boats and water sports. Finally, they should explain in detail how the proposed restrictions would effectively reduce shoreline erosion and sustainably preserve the lake's water quality.   - Without this type of in-depth and objective study, the proposed restrictions lack scientific basis. It is therefore essential that any decision be based on evidence and credible analysis to ensure fair and effective management of our waterways.
• The undersigned reiterated that regulations were necessary to legally enforce the rules submitted, as already stated in the presentation. However, the Sûreté du Québec would not often be seen at Laurel Lake, and if it did come to patrol, it would enforce all existing regulations (availability of life jackets and all required safety equipment, supervisor on board for water skiing, etc., with heavy fines). To do so, it would need to be able to assess the speed of boats and know the exact boundaries of the regulated areas using signs and buoys.
• Josiane Montpetit (chat): Safety in question? Yet there has never been an accident on the lake in the 42 years I have been here.

At the end, after more than two hours, the mayor of Wentworth-Nord, Ms. Karine Dostie, indicated that she and the mayor of Lac-des-Seize-Îles, Ms. Louise Trottier, would talk to each other to follow up on this consultation. She reminded everyone that such a request to Transport Canada had to be submitted by the municipalities. Further information and consultations would follow.

Subject to change; by Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

Held at the Montfort Pavilion on October 18, 2025, in front of an audience of at least 80 people.

K. Dostie, candidate for mayor: She introduced the members of her team, several of whom were present at the Pavilion:
• Lenka Martinek, District #1 (Saint-Michel)
• Suzie Cormier, District #2 (Saint-Michel)
• Line Chapados, District #3 (Laurel)
• Régent Gosselin, District #4 (Laurel)
• Céline Bouchard, District #5 (Montfort)
• Alexandre De Zordo (elected as an independent), District #6 (Montfort)
She outlines each person's area of focus or their experience as council members, such as Ms. Chapados and Mr. Gosselin. Mr. De Zordo is seen as eager to continue the work of outgoing councillor Eric Johnston.

Ties to Wentworth-Nord. Ms. Dostie gives an overview of her qualifications, experience, and her family's ties to Wentworth-Nord, first as vacationers (in Montfort?) and then as permanent residents in the Saint-Michel area.
Her qualifications. She highlighted her 20 years of management experience, her MBA in management (honours), her involvement in school boards, and her quick learning curve as mayor, replacing the late Ms. Danielle Desjardins.
Her vision: To see Wentworth-Nord flourish as a community of choice, where natural beauty, civic culture, and respect for the environment attract and integrate new residents.

Among her priorities:
• Roads. Adopt a 10-year investment plan to improve municipal infrastructure. In this regard, we must manage the equivalent of a city of 25,000 inhabitants.
• Civic culture.
o The council must be exemplary.
o We need to know your expectations of the administration.
o Improve communication (coffee meetings, video clips, information at the start of council meetings, newsletters). Consult. There are many human resources to be tapped into in Wentworth-Nord.
• Urban planning.
o A great deal of review work has already been accomplished during the current term. One example is the Architectural Integration and Implementation Plan (PIIA).
o Perhaps more flexibility is needed in applying regulations, and the administrative procedures imposed on applicants should be simplified.
o Consult citizens and entrepreneurs before proposing regulations, rather than after.
• Support for community and development projects.
o Establishment of the Coop de santé.
o Support for the Café Group or the presentation on introductory stargazing.
o Etc.

Céline Bouchard, candidate for District 5 councillor. A resident of Montfort for 22 years, she is committed to working for the well-being of the community.

Her qualifications:
• Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with over 35 years of experience, including 21 years at National Bank.
• Fluent in both French and English.
• Experienced, thorough, and organized manager.
• Known for her leadership, integrity, and team spirit.
• Her listening skills, commitment, and desire to get things done will make her a strong and accessible representative for our community.

Her volunteer experience includes:
• Secretary-treasurer of the Lake Association (2023-2025).
• Leader of the Lake Health Committee
• Pays-d'en-Haut Food Bank
• Lake St-François-Xavier monitoring.

Her program:
• Citizen contacts
o Prioritize promising actions.
o Establish communication mechanisms (emails, newspaper, meetings).
o Share and follow up on priorities, provide progress updates. Transparency.
o Collaborate in setting up activities that bring us together.
• Priorities
o Effective representation.
o Master priority issues to defend them before the council. Ex: Chemin de fer and Newaygo bridge, lake protection (status quo for Lake S-F-X, monitoring plan), Montfort pavilion (equipment, activities, e.g., BBQ, presentations).
o Collaborate with the council to influence the authorities necessary to achieve our priorities (MRC, government).
• Active participant with the municipality
o Get involved in projects that have an impact on our sector (investment plan for our roads and buildings, urban planning rules).
o Continue our efforts to protect our environment (Health Plan, Protection Plan).

Before the question period, Ms. Dostie would like to offer her greetings to our outgoing councilor, Ms. Colleen Horan, and highlight her many achievements, both as a councilor and as a volunteer at Lake Saint-François-Xavier. A round of applause for Ms. Horan followed her remarks.

Question period

Mr. X: (In an accusatory tone?) Disastrous road conditions. He focuses here on the collapse of a culvert and a section of road at Grand Lac Noir, claiming that there has been no acceptable follow-up to this event. Ms. Dostie replied that he had received a response from the council and that follow-up in this case was the responsibility of the MTDD and the Ministry of the Environment. The municipality had put pressure on the ministries. In addition, Wentworth-Nord services had responded very quickly. The road had been reopened within four hours.

Ms. Line Bédard: The development will affect our environment. K D: There is still plenty of room in Wentworth-Nord.

Ms. Y: Jackson Road has been repaved with gravel; passing vehicles kick up a mountain of dust. K D: The grant would not have covered paving the road. I was not aware of the drawbacks.

Mr. Y Phil Marchessault: Isolation... Taxes for residents of Lac-Thurson Road have skyrocketed. K D: There were some mistakes...

Mr. Z: Why is the road at Lake Notre-Dame in such poor condition? K D: Given its budget and the need to obtain grants for its roads, the municipality has no choice but to start with the priorities it has set, in this case Chemin des Montfortains and Chemin du Lac-Farmer, for which it has obtained a $5 million grant. However, the repair of Chemin du Lac-Notre-Dame is in the works.

Mr. Jean-Pierre Corbeil (asks Ms. Bouchard for details about her candidacy?). The latter reiterates some of the points mentioned above.

Mr. Pierre Faucher: Why are the Montfortaines trails neglected? K D: Actually, repair work, which is the responsibility of the MRC, will begin this fall and will be completed by the start of the winter season.

Ms. Louise Lapointe: What is your vision for culture in Wentworth-Nord? K D: Our services and the Arts and Culture Committee have already done a lot during the current term. More needs to be done, even though the current budget has risen to $100,000.

Mr. C. Chapdelaine: Specifically, what is the future of the Montfort Pavilion, after its purchase four years ago, the formation of an advisory committee, etc.? K D: We have made a lot of progress and developed scenarios; we will now hold a public consultation, with all the necessary information, to find out what taxpayers want.

Ms. Z: Still no contract with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals? K D: We have a more interesting agreement under consideration with a firm.

Ms. XY: How do you plan to help revitalize the villages, bring in local businesses, attract families, and establish daycare centers? K D: The Urban Plan contains guidelines to promote development. We will continue to follow them, improve our roads to attract businesses, etc., but it is up to the businesses to invest. The government does not provide subsidies for the establishment of (private?) daycare centers. However, we have been granted permission to continue sending our children from Saint-Michel to the nearest services, rather than to Saint-Sauveur, even if they are not under our sector's jurisdiction.

Mr. Brock Wadey:
• Could the municipal budget be broken down by geographic sector? K D: We already have some details, but we will go further.
• We would like to be able to compare our taxation with that of other municipalities. K D: It is difficult to compare with municipalities that do not have the same characteristics as Wentworth-Nord.
• What do you plan to put in place to allow for evacuation, necessary accommodation, etc., in the event of a disaster, such as a forest fire? K D: There was one in Saint-Michel on Thanksgiving Day. An evacuation plan will have to be adopted, and the MRC has already put someone in charge of all these issues, which will benefit the constituent municipalities. We have also invested in safety by purchasing three specialized trucks, which even much larger municipalities do not have. We now have firefighters on standby, i.e., always in the station rather than on call. Unfortunately, we only have the Route Principale for evacuation.
Patrick Wilhelmy: We have patrols every day; we are monitoring the situation.
Lyne Chapados: Everyone must think about their neighbors who may need help.

Subject to change; by Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

Here is a summary of the main points of the Wentworth-Nord Economic Development Plan (Horizon 2030) proposed by François Ghali's team:

🌿 General context

• Territory: 171 km², approximately 1,500 residents and as many vacationers.
• Natural assets: 105 lakes, mixed forests, water and air quality.
• Strategic proximity: 90 km from Montreal and 140 km from Ottawa.

⚠️ Identified problems

• Roads in poor condition, insufficient snow removal.
• Poor municipal services and weak communication.
• Moratorium on residential development.
• Social isolation, aging population, lack of shops.

🎯 Vision

Create a resilient, attractive, connected, and inclusive community with:

• Efficient municipal services.
• Sustainable residential development.
• Economic recovery through institutions, businesses, tourism, and innovation.
• Strengthening the social safety net for vulnerable citizens.

🧭 Strategic priorities

A — Municipal services and infrastructure

• Repair of priority roads.

• Reconstruction of the Newaygo and Lanthier bridges.
• Policy on the transfer of private roads.

B — Residential development and taxation

• Lifting of the moratorium.

• 15% reduction in the tax burden.

• Targeted renovation program.

• Strategy to attract teleworkers and families.

C — Social inclusion and citizen services

• Inter-village community activities.
• Support for aid organizations.
• Creation of a school and daycare center.
• Computer classes for seniors.
• Farmers' market, organic greenhouses, community kitchen.
• Welcome policy for new residents.

D — Economic recovery and sustainable tourism

• Support for the Chamber of Commerce.

• Tourist kiosk near the Aerobic Corridor.
• Maintained trails and exercise stations.
• Institute for sustainable forestry.
• Local incubator for green SMEs.
• Reopening of beaches.

E — Governance and mobilization

• Strategic financial plan.
• Reorganization of municipal administration.
• Overhaul of urban planning regulations.
• Return of the municipal gazette.
  ---This plan aims to reconcile economic development, social inclusion, and respect for the environment

By Alexane Taillon-Thiffeault (Local Journalism Initiative) Accès

Sophie Larose, founder of Ressources communautaires Sophie and long-time resident, has officially announced her candidacy for mayor of Wentworth-Nord.

Involved in local life for nearly two decades, Ms. Larose says she is motivated by the desire to put her experience to work for the entire municipality. "I wanted to take early retirement because community work is extremely demanding. I realized at that point that we now have a wealth of expertise, both in terms of providing services to young children, school-aged children, and older children aged 18-25, as well as home support for seniors. I think it's worth seeing if we can adapt all this community expertise to a municipal governance approach," she explains.
A former securities broker and political attaché at the National Assembly, she asserts that her financial management and planning skills will be assets for the municipality. Her motto: rigorous budget management, guided by the real needs of citizens and accompanied by clear communication to encourage their participation.

Citizen-centered priorities: Access to public services and support for families are at the heart of her platform.
Uniting the community:
• Uniting the three communities of Wentworth-Nord, namely Montfort, Saint-Michel, and Laurel, around common projects.
• A unifying leader... able to bring together different voices and work constructively for citizens.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

1. Wentworth-Nord is a low-income municipality. How do you see its development, particularly in terms of its economy? What about the arrival of private businesses? The Montfort sector has become its development hub; what is in store for Laurel and Saint-Michel?
2. There is a wide disparity in the family income of the municipality's residents. How do you intend to help the most disadvantaged (housing, taxes, etc.)?
3. The current municipal council has chosen to use lake associations as intermediaries in the application of some of its regulations and communications; well done. However, it seems clear to us that this chain of communication does not reach all residents. Wouldn't it be desirable for the municipality to also create district advisory councils, or similar bodies, chaired by the municipal councillor and open to all residents? This form of communication, consultation, and even collaboration would give everyone a chance to stay informed and get involved in municipal affairs. These councils would not operate behind closed doors, a practice for which municipal committees of all kinds currently in operation can be criticized. They would therefore be required to publish a newsletter or other form of communication to keep all residents informed of their deliberations and recommendations.
4. English speakers make up a significant proportion of the population of Wentworth-Nord. Their lack of knowledge of French and of the media that inform Francophones about regional news, which is partly excusable in our opinion, hinders their integration into municipal life and even into the community. The film club, for example, is not really for them. It seems to us that Francophones and Anglophones in Morin-Heights or the municipality of Wentworth Township enjoy better integration. What measures do you plan to take to improve the situation?
5. Residents, at least those in Montfort, now have fewer opportunities to participate in community, cultural, sporting, and other events. Are you considering promoting the development of such activities?
6. Distances are long in Wentworth-Nord, and the constant back-and-forth of gas-powered cars has an environmental impact. What measures are you considering to improve the situation?
7. Moratoriums are exceptional measures that cause inconvenience and, in the case of the one we have experienced, harm real estate investment and the development of the municipality. Will you be able to plan your development interventions so that you no longer have to use moratoriums?
8. Those without road access, such as myself, face particular problems; they are often at the mercy of the weather and are deprived of many services. Without a barge, rebuilding collapsed cottages can become impossible, etc. Other residents, such as those who use private roads or those who are isolated on Chemin-de-fer Street, may also be disadvantaged. Will you pay special attention to these residents?
9. The municipality acquired the Monfort Pavilion to take better care of it than the MRC. After four years, residents still don't know what will happen to it. What will you actually do with the Pavilion if you regain power?
10. What will you do about the broken Newaygo barrier? And when will the marina be landscaped, as it was when there were trees hiding the view?
11. Shouldn't we increase the use of the Sentier des Orphelins? And what will happen to its Refuge?
12. Climate change is causing an increase in forest fires and expanding the areas affected in Canada. On October 4, water bombers had to be called in to extinguish a fire at Lake Theodore in Morin-Heights. What preventive measures will you take to reduce the risk they pose?

By Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

Ordre du jour         Version vidéo

*Readers should refer to the video recording and minutes for greater accuracy and detail.

All council members are present: Colleen Horan, Lyne Chapados, Catherine Léger, Régent Gosselin, and Eric Johnston, as well as Mayor Karine Dostie, who chairs the meeting, assisted by Ron Kelley, Chief Administrative Officer, and Pierre-Luc Nadeau, Assistant Director.
The Zoom counter counted two dozen participants (including members of the forum council), while a small number of people attended in person at the Laurel Community Center. The meeting lasted an hour and a half. It should be noted that this was the last meeting of the current term; the next meeting will be held by the council elected in November. Three councillors are not running for re-election: Eric Johnston, Colleen Horan, and Catherine Léger.

2. Statements by elected officials
• Regarding the construction of a temporary footbridge at the Newaygo Bridge. The MRC has had to suspend its service offer because the matter is before the courts.
• Regarding the Montfortaine trail network. $30,000 has been set aside for its rehabilitation from October to December of this year, in collaboration with SOPAIR. Everything should therefore be ready for the winter season. Half of the cost will be covered by the MRC and the other half by the Programme d’aide à la mise en valeur du territoire public.

• We would like to thank the resident of Chemin Spotz for the congratulations he recently sent us for the excellent repair work carried out.
• The new DIY activity for young people in Saint Michel, run by volunteers, has been a great success. Fourteen young people took part. It is a wonderful opportunity for families to get together and for three generations to mingle every two weeks.
• Statement by Councillor Eric Johnston. The councillor reminded everyone that this was his last council meeting, but he hopes that the candidate from his team (elected by acclamation) will replace him. He would like to thank the residents of District 6 for the two terms they gave him, as well as his colleagues and the members of the administration (and the CCU). He learned a great deal about municipal issues.
• Colleen Horan. She thanked the residents of District 5 for their support. There have been many issues that we would like to see resolved more quickly. Learning her role as councillor has been difficult, but it has taught her how the administration works. She also thanks Mr. Poncelet, in charge of the environment, and Mr. Cadieux, the director of urban planning and this department, who helped her understand the regulations.
• It is now the turn of Councillor Catherine Léger, who is not standing for re-election for the next term. She says that it has been a real pleasure to participate in the council's activities and, together with her team, to serve citizens in recreation and culture that has been assigned to her.
• The mayor says she plans to offer her thanks at the end of this session. (This will also be an opportunity for her to review the actions of the council and the administration during the term that is coming to an end. It will obviously be very positive...)

• "We made turning around the financial situation a priority. ... We inherited an opaque financial presentation. " As a result, the spending procedure (for the construction of a bypass, etc.) following the 2019 floods did not follow government rules, so we were unable to obtain the available grant. We hired a competent and experienced general manager and a qualified finance manager.
• Taxes increased because of the rising cost of living, but we did not follow the sharp rise in inflation. There was an increase in interest rates, an explosion in snow removal costs, etc. We still invested in the environment by hiring a manager for this department and installing essential equipment. The financial auditor's report indicates that the financial statements accurately reflect the municipality's financial situation. Regarding the remuneration of elected officials, the mayor's salary was $44,000 in 2024, plus $18,000 for her representation at the MRC.

4.11 Submission of the Bilan 2021-2025 du Conseil municipal. Including:

•  Road and infrastructure development.
• Chemin du Lac-Farmer and Chemin des Montfortains.
• Submission of the Plan for Lake Saint-François-Xavier.
• Wentworth-Nord environmental policy.
• Placing land in perpetual conservation.
• Automated car washes.
• Protection of the sky from light pollution.
• Culture and community life: Film club, etc. Acquisition of the Monfort Pavilion and ongoing modernization project (???).
• Trails.
• Renovation of the covered playground.
• Completion of the Cap Rocheux lookout.
• MADA.
• DIY workshop in Saint-Michel.
• Urban planning: - Regulation of short-term rentals. - Revision of the urban plan.
• First responders.
• Sound finances and rigorous management.
• Information and consultations. Full broadcast of council meeting recordings, etc.

5. Public Safety
5.1. Report from the Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Ms. Chapados once again highlighted the team's excellent work. She particularly congratulated the Director of Public Safety, Ms. Martyne Charrette.

6. Public Works and Municipal Asset Management
6.1. Report from the Chair of the Public Works Committee. Mr. Gosselin thanks the directors of administration, who have clearly created a pleasant working environment for employees.
6.2. Adoption of bylaws decreeing the terms and conditions for the maintenance of private roads by the Municipality of Wentworth-Nord in the Montfort sector during the winter period. See notices of motion presented in September.
6.3. (Idem) See notices of motion presented in September.
6.4. (Idem) See notices of motion presented in September.
6.5. Request for the Municipality to acquire a portion of Chemin du Lac-Gustave. This portion belongs to Quebec City. The Municipality will be able to officially take over its maintenance, as requested by residents.
6.6. Request for the Municipality to acquire part of Chemin Rozon and part of Chemin René. (Idem)
6.7. Mandate to the general management regarding the upgrading of the roadway on Chemin Notre-Dame Sud.
6.8. Authorization for the purchase of a snowplough and a sand and salt spreader. Of the two bids received, the bid from Robitaille Équipement Inc., at $37,960 (?), was selected.

7. Environment
7.1. Report from the Chair of the Environmental Advisory Committee.
• After four years as Chair of the Environmental Advisory Committee, Ms. Horan thanked the committee members, Mr. Sébastien Poncelet, Head of Environmental Services, and his predecessor, Mr. Benjamin Plourde, for their excellent service and support.
• She announced plans for an introductory evening to stargazing and light pollution awareness at the Montfort Pavilion on Friday, October 17, at 7 p.m. The presentation will be followed by stargazing through a telescope, weather permitting. This is an initiative of the undersigned, added Mr. Ron Kelly.
7.2. Intention to donate lot 5 588 004 of the Quebec cadastre to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) or, possibly, to another land conservation organization. This is a large municipal lot between Lake Saint-François-Xavier and Lake à la Croix, which will thus be protected from development. (See GéoCentralis file.)
7.3. Mandate to the Laurel Lake Association to request Transport Canada to establish navigation restrictions on the lake (speed and power of boats). As the lake extends into the territory of Lac-des-Seize-Îles, the request will be joint and subject to consultation. The Association will have to establish the conditions that justify the establishment of such restrictions.
7.4. Submission of the proactive management plan related to traffic on Lake St-François-Xavier. Ms. Horan highlighted the efforts of the CCE, the Environmental Fund, and the lake association to draw up a list of conditions related to this issue.

• Heavy traffic.
• Boats often not washed.
• Presence of broadleaf pondweed at the main entry point to the lake.
• Availability of the Lake Management Plan, previously submitted.
• Recommendations drafted:

       o Continue awareness-raising.
       o Continue monitoring public access.
       o Collaborate with the MRC.
       o Ensure enforcement of regulations.
It is therefore recommended that the council and administration follow up and ensure the implementation of the Plan's recommendations for the summer of 2027.

8. Urban planning and economic development
8.1. Mr. Johnston recalled that during his two terms of office, he worked with Mr. Cadieux and the members of the CCU to analyze projects, adjust details, review the Urban Plan, etc. He stated that everyone took their work seriously and was able to express themselves freely, and he thanked them again.
8.2. Submission of the list of permits from September 1 to 30, 2025. Karine Dostie: 1 housing unit planned in August, compared to 2 in August 2024. 20 created since the beginning of the year; and work valued at over $17 million.
8.3. Hiring of an urban planning and environmental inspection officer. In fact, Mr. Marc-André Bédard's mandate has been extended by two months.

9. Recreation, culture, and community life
9.1. Report from the chair of the Outdoor Activities, Trails, and Community Life Committee. Ms. Chapados:
• In June of this year, we celebrated the library's 15th anniversary. Its contribution to cultural and community life is invaluable.
• Increased budget and diversification of our collection; focusing our orders on local purchases.
• We have made a larger financial contribution to community organizations.
• Remember that the municipality reimburses the costs of certain community services that residents cannot obtain in Wentworth-Nord.
• Are seniors the ones who benefit most from the program?
• Regarding the trail policy, Ms. Chapados emphasized the importance of offering physical activity services to the population. The “Lac Théodore trail” project aims to connect the Laurel and Montfort trail networks. A grant of $98,600 has been obtained for its completion, representing two-thirds of the eligible cost. However, perpetual right of way still needs to be obtained in order to complete the project. The project is divided into three phases. The first phase, in the Lake Theodore area, was carried out by volunteers. The second phase will be on the Laurel side, and the third on the Montfort side.

9.2. Report from the Chair of the Recreation and Culture Committee. Ms. Léger:

• Success of Culture Days and the Film Club.
• However, too many residents are still unaware of these services. We need to tell our neighbors about them, let them know about the newsletter, etc. This is an important issue.
• No Halloween festivities due to the premises being occupied for election activities.
• Christmas market on November 29.
• Christmas tree takedown on December 6.

9.3. Signature authorization – Circonflexe Memorandum of Understanding – MRC des Pays-d’en-Haut mobile center: Provide (loan) sports equipment (snowshoes, etc.) to various municipalities, for example during sporting events. This allows people to try out a sport without having to buy their own equipment.

Acknowledgements. Before the question period, the mayor thanked everyone involved for the four wonderful years during which she was able to participate in the municipality's future. She believes that the council and administration can be very proud of the results of this term of office. She then addressed a kind word to each of the councillors, without forgetting the legacy of Ms. Desjardins.

Question period
Ms. Denyse Pinsonneault:

• Congratulations to this council for its tremendous work and achievements. Special thanks to Ms. Dostie for supporting Ms. Desjardins, who is losing her independence. Special congratulations to Ms. Horan, who has taken her role so seriously, particularly the protection of Lake Saint-François-Xavier, mostly as a volunteer.
• Thank you for rectifying the situation at City Hall.
• Reminder of the conference on the Filles du Roy, organized by Ms. Diana Jegou, on Saturday, October 4, at 1 p.m., at the Montfort Pavilion.

Subject to change; by Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

Hello,

It is with great pride and enthusiasm that I announce my candidacy for District 5 Councillor in the upcoming municipal elections on November 2nd.

In Montfort for 22 years, I am dedicated to serving our community. I have had the privilege of acting as secretary-treasurer of the Lake Association and of creating the Lake Health Committee, which I still chair today. Thanks to the support of committed volunteers and the municipality’s environmental director, we have been able to carry out many meaningful projects. I also volunteer with the Garde-Manger des Pays-d’en-Haut food bank and the Montreal Tennis Open.

Becoming councillor would allow me to go even further and to strongly represent the priorities that matter most to us, such as:
1. The Chemin de Fer and Newaygo Bridge
2. The protection of our lake
3. The renovation of the Montfort Pavilion
4. The maintenance of our roads

A little about me:
Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) I spent more than 20 years at the National Bank, where I led teams of over 400 people and managed several large-scale projects. These experiences taught me how to lead, organize, and above all, collaborate effectively.

I am bilingual (French/English), recognized for my leadership, organizational skills, and team spirit. Today, I want to put this experience and energy to work for Montfort.

I am confident that my listening skills, commitment, and ability to bring people together will make me a strong and approachable representative for our community.

On November 2nd, every vote will count. I hope I can count on yours!

Céline Bouchard

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

Ordre du jour        Video version

*Based primarily on our notes. Readers should refer to the video recording and minutes for greater accuracy and detail.
Councillors Colleen Horan, Lyne Chapados, and Catherine Léger, as well as Councillor Régent Gosselin, are present. Mayor Karine Dostie presided over the meeting, assisted by Ron Kelley, the Chief Administrative Officer, and Pierre-Luc Nadeau, the Assistant Director. Councillor Eric Johnston was absent.
The Zoom counter counted 23 participants (including members of the forum council), while a small number of people attended in the Laurel Community Center Hall. The meeting lasted nearly two hours, with the chair allowing two speakers in the room to give lengthy comments.

2. Statements by elected officials
Under the new format, this item focused on six current issues:
• September 11 public consultation: Repair projects for Chemin du Lac-Farmer and Chemin des Montfortains. This involves paving, for which the municipality is requesting a grant.
• Chemin-de-fer: upcoming work by the MRC, with support provided by the municipality's Public Works Department.
• Technical support for lake associations: the summer was a great success.
• Testimonials received - Fire Department:
o Bravo for the proactive services provided, said Ms. Dostie.
o Visiting cottages and providing advice to their owners is one of the preventive measures taken. It is possible to call on their services for such visits and advice.
• Snow removal on private roads: positive impact of the amendment to Bylaw 2022-485. The mayor pointed out that private road owners benefited from the municipality taking over the awarding of contracts, when requested by a majority, and the application of the new formula, i.e., the choice of one-, three-, or five-year contracts.
• Repair of a section of Route Principale: Contrary to the announcement of a complete closure and a detour via Route 364, the MTDD finally opted to close only one lane at a time.

4. Administration and correspondence
4.1. Acceptance of reports on salaries, purchases, disbursements, and capital purchases for the month of August. Total disbursements of $703,000.
4.2. Filing of comparative statements. As required by the Department of Municipal Affairs. Ms. Dostie indicated that everything was in line with the budget adopted at the end of August.
4.3. Donation to the Laurentian and Pays-d'en-Haut Medical Foundation. The mayor emphasized the importance of this foundation, particularly through the acquisition of medical equipment and the fact that Wentworth-Nord benefits from its services. Wentworth-Nord will donate $1000 over three years.
4.4. Consultation on the Government of Canada's Canada Homes 2025 initiative. This involves supporting, by resolution, the implementation of this program announced by Ottawa to help municipalities provide affordable housing.
4.5. Request for status quo – Attendance at Rivière-du-Nord School Board schools for elementary and secondary school students in the St-Michel sector. This is to oppose the plan to send students from this sector to Saint-Sauveur or Sainte-Adèle, in the MRC des Pays-d'en-Haut territory, rather than to the closer schools of the Rivière-du-Nord School Board, as is currently the case. A redrawing of the territorial boundaries used for this service would be preferable.

5. Public Safety
5.1. Report from the Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Ms. Chapados:
• 13 calls, half of which were for responders.
• Constables also very busy.
• Lots of prevention.

6. Public Works Municipal Asset Management
6.1. Report from the Chair of the Public Works Committee. Councillor Gosselin: We are right on schedule.
6.2. Request to the Ministry des Transports et de la Mobilité durable to revise its proposal for prioritizing Principale Road in Wentworth-Nord. Among the considerations, Mr. Gosselin reads that the Ministry des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (MTMD), which manages Principale Road between City Hall and Chemin des Montfortains, has no repair projects planned in its three-year planning schedule, hence this request.
6.3. (6.4 and 6.5) Notice of motion and tabling of draft bylaws decreeing the terms and conditions for the maintenance of private roads by the Municipality of Wentworth-Nord in the Montfort sector (Laurel and Saint-Michel) for the winter period. Residents of Chemin-de-fer Street, from the gate to 1042, have chosen the 5-year contract; those from 330 to 753 and those between the gates on the east section have chosen a 3-year period. (To be negotiated by the municipality). …
6.6 and 6.7 Local Road Assistance Program – Recovery Component – Safety – Chemin des Montfortains and Chemin du Lac-Farmer. Following consultations, the municipality is moving forward with grant applications, etc.

7. Environment
7.1. Report from the Chair of the Environmental Advisory Committee. Ms. Horan announced a change in the date of the next lake associations meeting, which will now be held on November 29.
7.2. Conservation of land including the Orphelins trail network in collaboration with Éco-corridors Laurentiens (in favor of wildlife). The organization prepared the report, as agreed, and the project, through which Wentworth-Nord commits to a “real and perpetual conservation easement” for the designated lands.
7.3. Ms. Horan thanked the Assistant Director of Planning and Environmental Services, Mr. Sébastien Poncelet, for his support in planting about 100 trees and shrubs next to the town hall, with the help of about 20 volunteers.

8. Urban planning and economic development
8.1. (Here, Ms. Dostie takes over from Mr. Johnston, who is absent; she will quickly run through the items on this agenda item.)
8.3. (8.4 and 8.5) Adoption of bylaws amending zoning bylaws to authorize complementary use to residential use “tourist accommodation of the primary residence type” ... (See notices of motion tabled at the August meeting)
Eight PIIAs are accepted. At 8.7: Reconstruction of the main building at 595 Newaygo Road, the CCU recommends the use of green rather than red materials for the roof. During question period, one speaker will return at length to the recommendation adopted by the council.

9. Recreation, culture, and community life

9.1. Report from the chair of the Outdoor Activities, Trails, and Community Life Committee. Ms. Chapados congratulated the team for a job well done. She mentioned that there will be a meeting of the Trails Committee.
9.2. Report from the chair of the Recreation and Culture Committee. Ms. Léger:
• Congratulates the team on the success of Ciel d’août, which monopolized the municipal recreation, culture, community life, and communications department, led by Jamie Lee Paquette, and numerous collaborators.
• Announces the Éclats d’automne exhibition at the Montfort Art Gallery, with an opening reception on September 21 at 1 p.m.
• Highlights the return of Culture Days at the end of September.
• Craft workshop for children on September 27, from 3 to 5 p.m., at Laurel. (Culture Days)
• “Deux femmes en or” at the Film Club on Saturday, September 27, at 7:30 p.m.
• Announcement of the Christmas Market on November 29.
• Announcement of (Christmas tree taking down day?) on December 6.
• Possibly, announcement of Halloween celebrations. (?)

Question period
Mr. Pierre Aubé (in writing). Are there plans to install electric charging stations? K. D.: Yes, we are at that stage. It is under discussion.

Mr. ? (in writing). What were the results of the analysis following the collapse of a culvert and a section of road at Grand Lac Noir, which trapped 50 residents and was reported in the media? K. D.: The investigation is being conducted by Quebec City.

Ms. Denyse Pinsonneault (Zoom). Don't forget the presentation on the Filles du Roy on October 4 at 1 p.m. in the Montfort Pavilion.

Mr. X (room). How does snow removal work on private roads? K. D.: Upon request by 50% of the owners... R. G. That doesn't cover special events: ice storms, etc.
Peo (Zoom). Thank you for your great work on these snow removal contracts. We didn't reach 50%.

Mr. Y (audience). My taxes are now $6,000; that doesn't make sense. Who could buy my property with such high taxes? K. D. (Unfortunately for you, that's the rate imposed on everyone in Wentworth-Nord. We have a huge territory and few taxpayers. And the bill includes disproportionate amounts charged by the MRC (garbage collection, administration, etc.) and the Sureté du Québec.) We are doing everything we can to ease the burden on property owners, such as our initiative to offer private road owners less expensive 3- and 5-year snow removal contracts.
R.G. Properties still sell as soon as the sign is put up in your area. Ms. Dostie will allow for a lengthy exchange of comments and explanations here, covering the various aspects of this issue.

Péo: What about the discussions on the municipality taking over private maintenance? K.D. It will be up to the next council to follow up on these discussions.

M Z (audience). Why force people to have a green roof rather than a red one? (See 8.7): Lyne Chapados: It is to comply with heritage conservation measures, as requested by the residents of Monfort. K.D. We have no choice but to apply the criteria in our regulations, but they could eventually be amended to better reflect reality.

Subject to change; by Carl Chapdelaine

• Information - Rue du Domaine at Grand Lac Noir. The mayor explained that on the night of April 28, a broken dam (CBC reported a landslide) washed away a culvert and part of the road, trapping about 50 residents and causing a motorist to fall into the ravine that was created. Emergency and road services responded, as well as a Zodiac (requested from Saint-Sauveur) in case residents needed to be rescued. Thanks to Public Works, the road was restored in five or six hours. Our public safety services were ready to respond to such an event. It is up to Environment Quebec to determine the exact cause of this breach.     Survey : « Prepared And Ready? »
• Information - Chemin-de-fer maintenance. Mrs. Dostie reminds us that this maintenance is the responsibility of the MRC. In mid-July, the MRC carried out work on a section of the road. This fall, it plans to replace culverts and then re-profile ditches before resurfacing other areas. As in July, the municipality will collaborate with the MRC on this work, the schedule for which should be announced in September.
• Information - Addition of preventive road signs. The municipality has been approached by citizens who have noticed excessive speeds on Route principale. Some sections of this road are municipal, such as in front of City Hall, and speed limits can be enforced there; others are under the jurisdiction of the MTMD, such as in front of the Laurel COOP, and municipal intervention is more complicated in these cases. Three radar signs have been installed in the area, a yellow flashing sign in front of the Bon Départ base, and six “Attention à nos enfants” signs. These are not foolproof solutions, but they are a step in the right direction.

In this month's newsletter, a new style entitled “A look at the council, with Mayor Karine Dostie”, the mayor explained that it was one of the measures "to better inform you and encourage our exchanges:
- News as soon as council meetings open...
- A video capsule broadcast after each council meeting. You'll be able to view a short summary of key decisions. (Here's the very first video: here)
- A newsletter that brings us together. In this newsletter, the council will discuss issues of importance to our municipality.
- A café-rencontre, without protocol".

The first café-rencontre was to take place on Wednesday, August 13, at 1 p.m., just before the presentation of the municipality's 2024 financial statements.

Whether it was a failure to consult the newsletter, to note the date of the event in one's agenda, the poor timing of the exchange, the thunderstorm that had broken out a few hours earlier, a lack of interest or availability, there were only half a dozen participants at this first café-rencontre. Representing Council were the Mayor, Councillors Colleen Horan and Lyne Chapados, and Councillor Régent Gosselin. It was also the indoor hearing that would follow the presentation of the Financial Statements and the generator purchase resolutions, in a special meeting.

During the storm, we had already mentally cancelled our return trip to Laurel; but, as the skies soon cleared, our participation in this happy initiative was put back on our agenda for the day.

At the outset, and perhaps as expected in the absence of an agenda, the participants discussed their own topics in pairs. Pressed to share our idea with council members and others for their input, we got the mayor to allow the group to participate in all discussions instead.
Already forgetting that Ms. Dostie had already launched a more extensive program of information and exchange, as described above, our idea was precisely about communication between municipal authorities and citizens. In short, we felt that our elected officials and administrators were only communicating with a small percentage of residents on the territory - probably always the same ones.

Our intervention was focused on regulatory tools and environmental protection, such as the protection of our starry sky. At the same time as the municipality was developing and adopting measures to protect the darkness of the night sky, some residents were furnishing their surroundings with lights that would come on as soon as darkness appeared. Embarrassing for the people around, more respectful of this element of nature, to call to order a friendly neighbor, unaware of the harm caused as well as the new regulations, and proud of his initiative.

Since the tax bill certainly reaches all residents, why not use the mail to send out the (new) newsletter concocted by the municipality? The idea was well received and commented on, but the mayor wisely pointed out that we need to combine various means to achieve better communication. One participant was less enthusiastic, believing that it's not easy to change people's behavior, whether it's for environmental protection or anything else.

A member of a lake association emphasized their role in communication, municipal regulations and so on.

The Café-rencontre had so monopolized all its participants that the start of the special meeting was already behind schedule. But, in our opinion, a better time should have been chosen for the meeting, and it should have been more openly announced.

By Carl Chapdelaine

Video version        Minutes

1. Adoption de l’ordre du jour.
2. Dépôt et acceptation des états financiers de l’année 2024 et du rapport du vérificateur externe – (Financial statements for 2024 and external auditor's report.)
3. Autorisation pour l’achat d’une génératrice pour l’hôtel de ville.
4. Autorisation pour l’achat d’une génératrice pour le centre communautaire de Laurel.
5. Autorisation pour l’achat d’une génératrice pour l’église Saint-Michel.
6. Modification d'un contrat de travail.
7. Entente intermunicipale - Sécurité civile.
8. Période de questions.
9. Levée de la séance.

Councillors Eric Johnston, Régent Gosselin, Colleen Horan and Lyne Chapados are present. Mayor Karine Dostie will chair the meeting, assisted by General Manager Ron Kelley. Also present at the podium are Martin Larose, Accounting Manager, and Pierre-Luc Nadeau, the new Assistant Director to the Director General. Half a dozen citizens came to the Laurel Cultural Center, while an unknown number participated via videoconference.

Subject (agenda):
- Financial statements for 2024 and external auditor's report.
- Purchase of a generator for the Town Hall, the Laurel Community Centre and Saint-Michel Church.
- Modification of an employment contract.
- Entente intermunicipale - Sécurité civile

By videoconference, Mr. Michel St-Arnaud, from the Saint-Jérôme office of Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, presented tables summarizing the municipality's financial statements. Everything looks good. [Unfortunately, these tables are only visible via videoconference. Mr. Kelly assures us that they will be available on the municipality's website; in fact, the entire 80-page document (?).

“Excellent financial management over the past three years. ... (We have restored the municipality's financial health),” concluded Mr. St-Arnaud. In terms of financial assets, there is a net debt of ($14,543,306). However, this presentation, chosen by Quebec, does not reflect the real value of the assets, or in other words, the balance sheet, since the non-financial assets (buildings, machinery, etc.) are worth $24,428,730. “It's like giving the amount of a mortgage without giving the value of the house.” The mayor will ask Mr. St-Arnaud if the amount of the surplus is appropriate for a municipality like Wentworth-Nord. The auditor agrees and explains that it is necessary to maintain a good reserve in case of unforeseen events.

• Modification of an employment contract. Due to her move, Ms. Véronique Cronier, Assistant Director General and Assistant Clerk-Treasurer, is leaving us. This is a heavy loss for the municipality. However, the council adopts a resolution to offer her an employment contract, which will allow the municipality to maintain professional contact with this person who has become indispensable.

The Intermunicipal Agreement - Civil Security (p. 7) is a commitment to participate in a project that would benefit, under Component 4 - Coopération et gouvernance municipale of the Fonds régions et ruralité (FRR), from a grant for the consolidation of services by several municipalities. This involves the possible hiring by the MRC of a civil security officer who could be called upon by the participating municipalities without each having to devote a full-time or contract officer to the task, and with remuneration proportional to the use of his or her services.

Question period

In the room, the undersigned: You mention purchasing a generator for City Hall, one for the Laurel Community Center, and one for the Saint-Michel Pavilion; what about the Monfort Pavilion?

Mayor's response, with explanations from Mr. R. Kelly: The director general explains the situation at City Hall and the community center. We are also told that the project to purchase and install these three generators has been sufficiently developed to meet the requirements for a 100% subsidy for each one and allow the municipality to move forward. The one planned for St-Michel is also included in the Three-Year Capital Expenditure Program (PTI: 2025-6-7).
In the case of the Montfort pavilion, it is not yet possible to determine how and where a generator can be installed. The artesian well and other elements planned for this pavilion, including the generator, will have to be arranged. However, when the time comes, the most efficient generator can be chosen, according to the director general. (We took the liberty of commenting on the unpredictability of the installation date for such a generator.)

Woman in the room:
• Is a generator essential? Mr. Kelly explains that, in the event of a power outage, it may be needed to heat the building, etc.
• Regarding item 7, “Inter-municipal agreement - Civil security” on hiring a civil security officer; why? KD: To advise the MRC and our municipal teams on best practices, changes, etc. RK and KD elaborate on the answer. This collaboration reduces the cost of this service for each municipality, not to mention the subsidy that encourages such pooling of resources.

Ms. Gignac on Zoom
• 100% subsidy for generators? Answer: Yes.
• Regarding the employment contract (p. 6) with Ms. Cronier?
• Regarding Saint-Michel Church. Where will the money come from? KD: No subsidy has been secured yet.

Without prejudice and pending release of the session recording; by Carl Chapdelaine

Ordre du jour        Video version

Councillors Colleen Horan and Catherine Léger, as well as Councillor Régent Gosselin are present. The new mayor, Mrs. Karine Dostie, presides over the meeting, assisted by Mr. Ron Kelley, the general manager. A quorum is present.

(Throughout the session, the Chairwoman conducted the presentation of the agenda items so quickly that we had to listen to the recording to grasp the details of their content. During question period, however, she allowed Mr. Jacques Leblanc, a very committed spokesman for the residents of Chemin-de-fer Street, in their opposition to the actions, or inactions, of the MRC and MTMD, on the status and condition of this shared laneway, to expand at length on his presentation. It was clearly under the influence of emotion that he said he had come to solicit the municipality's help, to no avail. Consequently, this period will take up half the time of the session, which will last just over an hour and a half).

Excluding council members, there are only about 15 participants on the Zoom application. The number of people in the room at the Laurel Community Centre is unknown, as only the gallery will be visible in the application; but Mr. Leblanc had made the trip.

2. Statement by elected representatives
(Here, Ms. Dostie announces a change to the content of this agenda item. From now on, when a subject is deemed to be of particular interest, it can be dealt with here immediately, rather than being relegated to the item to which it normally belongs: Administration, Public Safety, etc.).

- Final tribute to Mrs. Danielle Desjardins, Mayor of Wentworth-Nord, who passed away on June 9 and whose funeral took place on June 26. Mrs. Dostie, on behalf of the members of the Council and Administration, extends her sincere condolences to the family.

- Announcement of the farewell ceremony for the late Mr. Felix Hausermann, husband of our Councillor Colleen Horan, and a much-appreciated Montfort citizen. It will be Sunday, July 20, at the Royal Canadian Legion in Morin-Heights, from 1 to 5 p.m. Condolences are extended to Mrs. Horan, her family and friends. Mrs. Dostie thanked the councillor for her attendance and for giving quorum to the present meeting.

- Announcement concerning work on Chemin-de-fer Street. Following an agreement with the MRC, the entire (deteriorated) surface of the western section of this street is receiving a facelift, while the eastern section, from the Principale to the barrier, is being resurfaced with gravel and resurfaced up to the Newaygo bridge.

- Overview of the implementation of the Lake Saint-François-Xavier Protection Plan. After consultation with the Comité consultatif en environnement (CCE), the Lake Association and the Environmental Fund, among others, 31 actions were identified as part of this plan, 20 of which are to be implemented by 2025. Visitor traffic is at the forefront. There will be a postmortem to see what the present council recommends to its successor.

Ms. Dostie invites citizens to leave comments on the appropriateness and appreciation of this change in the agenda. (For the undersigned, it's a winner!)

4. Administration and correspondence

4.2. Notice of motion and filing of draft by-law 2020-155-2 amending by-law 2020-155 concerning nuisances, peace and order in the Municipality of Wentworth-Nord. This is to comply with MRC regulations.
4.3 Sponsorship request – CAMMAC. Council grants $250 in financial support to this music initiation organization, in exchange for participation tickets.
4.4 Support for the MRC des Pays-d'en-Haut in its request to the government for the (re)construction(?) of a police station at the end of the current lease for the present station.

5. Public safety

5.1. Report from the Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Ms. Chapados being absent, there is no report at this time.
5.2 Hiring of firefighter first responders. Ms. Dostie recalls that, in May, the Council was moving forward with the establishment of an in-house on-call service, meaning that, instead of having only on-call firefighters, there would be permanent firefighters at all three fire stations. On the recommendation of Public Security Director Martyne Charrette, 5 firefighters were hired for this purpose.
5.3. Hiring of P1 firefighters. This involves the hiring of two first responders, to complete the fire safety coverage.

6. Public works and municipal asset management

6.1.
- Mr. Gosselin points out that the municipality has been spared, since the beginning of July, but a little less so in June, from the damage caused by storms in surrounding municipalities and the need to call for emergency measures.
- Our departments, in collaboration with those of the MRC, worked ahead of schedule on the repair of Chemin-de-fer street.
- As for the Montfortains and Lac-Farmer roads, we're still preparing estimates for calls for tender and grant applications.
- We have begun regular road and ditch maintenance. Our increasingly multifunctional equipment enables us to entrust all the work to our department.
6.2. Authorization to submit an application for financial assistance under the Programme d'aide financière du Fonds de la sécurité routière (PAFFSR). For projects totalling $24,880, the municipality will receive a grant of $19,904.
6.3. Hiring of a student for the public works and recreation departments.
6.4. Notice of motion and filing of draft by-law 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 Wentworth-Nord for the summer and winter periods. Ms. Dostie explains that this concerns:

• Service improvements.
• Lower rates for winter maintenance of private roads, by signing contracts for more than one year.
• Adjustments based on climate change forecasts.

Mr. Ron Kelly adds: (not audible).
Mme Dostie points out that the council is still considering whether to take over maintenance of private roads.

7. Environment

7.1. Mrs. Horan:
- Points out that we are moving ahead with the Lake Saint-François-Xavier Protection Plan.
- Indicates that we will be compiling statistics on the use of the washing station for the annual report to the Assistant Director of the Urban Planning and Environment Department, Mr. Sébastien Poncelet.
- Expresses satisfaction with the rehabilitation of Chemin-de-fer Street, and with the positive comments received from residents.
7.2. Land conservation including the orphan trail network in collaboration with Éco-Corridors Laurentiens. Ms. Horan explains that the municipality is making an offer of service, for a maximum amount of $10,093, to this organization already well involved in trail files.

8. Urban planning and economic development

In the absence of Councillor Eric Johnston, Mme Dostie will briefly run through the items on this agenda item. Mr. Gosselin will speak from time to time. All projects will have been recommended for adoption by the Planning Advisory Committee and will be adopted.

9. Recreation, culture and community life

9.1. In the absence of Mme Chapados, Chair of the Outdoors, Trails and Community Life Committee, there is no report this month.
9.2 Report from the Chair of the Recreation and Culture Committee. Ms. Léger:
- Regarding the August Sky Festival, from July 26 to August 2, Ms. Léger explains that activities are free, are offered in all three villages and are aimed at all age groups. It is organized by the Table de concertation des Arts et de la Culture de Wentworth-Nord and the municipality, with the participation of other organizations. These include:

• a harp concert by Lizotte Academia and guests on August 26 in Laurel;
• a lecture on “The 4 seasons of a watershed”, a festive vernissage and a screening of the film “La terre vue du cœur”, with a voluntary contribution to benefit the Ciné-club, on August 1, all at the Montfort pavilion.
• an artisan's market in the courtyard behind the town hall on August 2.

9.3. Activity request from the Association du lac Laurel. To allow the Association to hold its annual event on the lake's beach, a municipal property. Council issues the authorization, copied from last year's, with statutory conditions: non-liability of the municipality, etc.e Planning Advisory Committee, and will be adopted.

10. Special projects

M. Gosselin announces that the floor under the courtyard at the Town Hall has been resurfaced. However, given that the deterioration of the foundation was more advanced than expected, the repair work had to go deeper, resulting in an overrun in the budget.

Question period

Carl Chapdelaine (on zoom): (Cf. Our question on banning non-residents from parking at Montfort pavilion) Mrs. Dostie's reply: The measure was taken as part of the Lake Saint-François-Xavier Protection Plan, with its emphasis on traffic, and following discussions with the Lake Association and the Environmental Fund, among others. For example, some Wentworth-Nord residents were unable to park and wash and launch their boats. Visitors will have to use the other parking lot. However, permission to park will be granted for special events involving non-residents. As part of this plan, certain measures are being tested and will have to be evaluated.

Mr. Jacques Leblanc (Montfort). Taking the floor at length, he indicates that the group of residents of Chemin-de-fer, which he represents here, has so far not wanted to involve the municipality too much in its demands to the MRC and the MTMD. He thanks those who have helped defend the rights on this road, spending over $1 million, as well as the road workers and Mr. Kelly.
He recalls the short history of the dispute between them, which began with the prohibition on using the Newaygo bridge (following a notice of obsolescence from government authorities; then that of allowing trucks to use the eastern part of Chemin-de-fer street; etc.).
He asserts that the MRC has played Russian roulette with the citizens; accusing Mr. Genest, the prefect; speaking of the advanced age of these residents; etc.
He solicits the municipality's support and invites it to take over the practical management of this section. Mme Dostie insists that the municipality cannot manage the use or maintenance of a structure that does not belong to it, without the authorization of the MRC or the MTMD. Mr. Leblanc criticizes this position, saying that the municipality has always done this, but that it no longer does anything for residents who just want normal access to their homes.
As for deferring to the administration for ..., as suggested by the mayor, Mr. Leblanc retorts that it's up to the council to make the decisions. He said he was deeply surprised and disappointed by the municipality's inaction.
Mr. Kelly will also take part in the exchanges (inaudible).

Without prejudice; by Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

On Friday, June 27, the first day of the viewing of the remains of the deceased, several close friends and colleagues, including municipal councillor Réjean Gosselin and his wife, Spiro Trent and Stéphane Corbeil, from the administration, came to offer their condolences to Mrs. Desjardins' children, Claudine and Guillaume, and other members of her family, reported Denyse Pinsonneault. The coffin was closed, while among the bouquets of flowers, three large arrangements of bright peonies recalled Danielle's passion for ornamental plants.

The next morning, when the exhibition would close at noon, the room at Maison funéraire Trudel in Saint-Sauveur would be filled with all those who had to pay their final respects to their loved one, their friend, their colleague on the municipal council or the MRC. Chairs would have to be added to accommodate them all. Mrs. Colleen Horan, herself at the bedside of her beloved Felix, her husband at death's door, would not fail to come and greet the mayor who had seen to it that she learned her duties as town councillor.

A sequence of photos and videos recalled key moments in the life of the deceased. The host then turned the floor over to family members and guests. Despite the emotion, Claudine soberly eulogized her mother. Mrs. Karine Dostie, who had accepted the position of mayor of Wentworth-Nord at short notice, presented tributes from the members of the council and administration, underlining Mrs. Desjardins' invaluable contribution to the municipality's destiny. Members of the MRC council were also on hand to share their regrets at her departure.

Tim Watchorn, the new Member of Parliament and former colleague of Mrs. Desjardins as Mayor of Morin-Heights, was also present, as was Philippe Leclerc, the former Director General of the MRC, whom Mrs. Desjardins had defended during internal turbulence. In the crowd, there must have been a number of regional personalities who had rubbed shoulders with the deceased.

It was during her lifetime that Mme Desjardins, already very weak, had chosen to order the receptions that usually follow funeral ceremonies, at the hospital and then at her home. The viewing ended with the coffin being carried to the hearse. The remains would be taken to the Côte-des-Neiges cemetery in Montreal.

By Carl Chapdelaine

Our first meeting with the late Danielle Desjardins, had taken place on August 26, 2017, in Laurel. She was the organizer (Comité d'embellissement de W-N) of Wentworth-Nord's 2017 Fleurons competition. At the time, the municipality was seeking a third fleuron. Using a Power Point presentation, she outlined the elements of the competition, talked about the work of the Wentworth-Nord Garden Brigade and thanked participants and sponsors, including Mrs. Line Chapados. Ms. Desjardins had been involved in several local activities, including the Coopérative des 4 Pôles, and working with seniors.

We went to the Laurel Community Centre with a few other Montfort residents. After her presentation, Ms. Desjardins approached our little delegation and joined in our discussions. Was it about the eternal question of the good and bad sides of tourism and daytrips to Lake St. François-Xavier, and the shared way of the Aerobic Corridor? Whatever the subject, the presenter's position that day was bound to coincide with ours, and this was to initiate a certain complicity in the political path she was soon to embark upon.

Mrs. Desjardins’ speeches at the municipal council meetings chaired by Mayor Ghali portrayed a woman of principle, knowledgeable about the issues at hand or the related regulations, determined and fearless in the face of a mayor jealous of his prerogatives. These two stars, and two opposing visions of the way forward, would eventually clash in the 2021 elections, which elevated her to the highest office. We supported her campaign, promoting her intelligence, skills, passionate dedication and leadership qualities to Newaygo voters who knew nothing about her yet. We feared that some were also more inclined to believe that a man's stature and skills determined the qualities of a mayoral candidate.

Our subsequent meetings would mostly consist of telephone exchanges, sometimes ending in disagreement. We also had to try, in our articles, to present as objectively as possible the decisions or actions taken by the council, under its guidance, but with which we didn't always agree. Weren't we jealous not to be part of this circle of decision-makers, in charge of the direction of the whole community, and who often met in her home to deliberate? We'd have to ask her colleagues who she was in this respect, and how they perceived her. If the mayor had at least listened to our points of view, we would have been able to contribute in some small way to the destiny of this community.

Our exchanges with Ms. Desjardins, still in the grip of her heavy responsibilities, inevitably included a few passages on current municipal affairs. They gave us plenty of insight into the situation in Wentworth-Nord and the challenges facing our elected representatives. First, there are two levels of power in a municipality: that of the elected officials and that of the administration, as in all levels of government. Once in place, the latter enjoyed a high degree of independence, which the state wanted to prevent any politicization of its operations. Our perception of each one of them could only be laudatory; hadn't they all chosen to serve us and to see to the development and well-being of the municipality? The mayor had good reason to bring us back to reality, which was not always so idyllic.

We knew her as a woman of power and cannot comment on her other qualities. She wanted to put an end to the palaver that was hampering decision-making and action on long-standing conflicts: the future and management of Montfort Pavilion; squabbles over multiple issues concerning the shared, and now broken in two, Aerobic Corridor laneway; control of day-tourism on Lake St. François-Xavier, with the liquidation of rental equipment offered and the washing of boats; the use of buoys for navigation control, despite opposition from the lake association executive of that period; etc.

She brought order to City Hall and instilled a studied approach to the issues at hand. Mayor Ghali had converted the town hall into the Maison des citoyens; the mayor thought that, under her mandate, the municipality's name should be renamed and, why not, Frenchized. A new Referendum, while we're at it, that would risk dividing two communities, we thought... But she wouldn't live to see all her battles won or her projects realized. The mark of her passing will, however, have set the course for those who will follow in her footsteps.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

By Carl Chapdelaine

Ordre du jour    Version vidéo

Councillors Lyne Chapados, Karine Dostie and Régent Gosselin are present, while Danielle Desjardins, Mayor, Colleen Horan and Eric Johnston are absent. With the assistance of Mrs. Catherine Léger, who participates by videoconference, a quorum is present. In the mayor's absence, Mr. Gosselin, as acting mayor, will chair the meeting, assisted by Mr. Ron Kelley, the general manager. The meeting will last over two hours.

Excluding council members, there are two dozen participants on the Zoom application. The number of people in the room at the Laurel Community Centre is unknown, as only the gallery will be visible in the application. The question period will show that Diana Zakaib and her husband, Yves Jegou, are there.
Via Zoom, we'll be able to clearly hear the councillors speak, which will not be the case, as usual, for the General Manager and the speakers at the microphone. We would have liked Mr. Gosselin, or Ms. Dostie, to repeat or summarize the hard-to-hear comments more often, as we have been allowed to see recently. This time, we couldn't find the chat function to alert the Council to such problems. From memory, it seems to have been deactivated as distracting.

Before moving on to the first item on the agenda, Mr. Gosselin lets Mrs. Dostie announce that Mrs. Desjardins' daughter, Claudine, is here to speak to us. With great emotion, Claudine Desjardins confides that our gravely ill mayor is living out her last moments at home. She says her mother would have loved to be with us. "She fought until the end to make Wentworth-Nord a haven of peace ... where life is good. ... She dares to believe that she will have moved the municipality forward. “I know she will be remembered for her ..., her tenacity, her knowledge of the issues, her interest in social justice...” The room applauded, and Mr. Gosselin thanked Claudine for her praise of her mother.

2. Statements by elected representatives
2.1. Mayor's letter of resignation. Whereas Mrs. Desjardins submitted her letter of resignation on June 7, effective the same day, the Council and administration are asked to take note of this letter, in accordance with the Municipalities Act. “The Council wishes to thank Mrs. Desjardins for her years of service and for her commitment to our community.”
2.2. Election of a new mayor for the duration of the present mandate; item to be presented by Mr. Kelly.
After catching the first snippet of the General Manager's remarks, we hear Ms. Myriam Rioux's comment, on Zoom, to the effect that “we can't hear.” **
Mr. Kelly resumes, changing microphones. He indicates that he is going to present a form to the councillors so that they (decide whether or not to go ahead with a by-election, and announce their candidacy...). Then, after verification, he will give them a ballot paper. Ms. Léger, for her part, will have to proceed by e-mail, with virtual forms, explains Ms. Dostie.
The three councillors on the rostrum will place their forms and ballots in a large envelope presented to them by the director.
(Council members will choose one of them to ensure the end of the present mandate, rather than going to a by-election).
We understand that only Mme Dostie will have presented her candidacy. After the vote, Mr. Kelly declares that the Council has elected her to hold office until the next general election on November 2, 2025. All applaud. The General Manager then has the new Mayor of Wentworth-Nord sign and read the statutory declaration.
Mr. Gosselin summarizes the procedure followed, pointing out that only those elected are entitled to vote.
At this point, Ms. Dostie thanks her colleagues for their confidence, as well as Ms. Desjardins, whom she praises, while admitting to occasional differences of opinion in the past.
Comment: Ms. Dostie, who is already running for mayor in the next general election, has so a great advantage over her competitors in her election campaign. With the agreement of the councillors, she will be able to give a glimpse of the directions she prefers and allow voters to appreciate the way she will assume this role. Although deprived of two of its members, the council was perfectly entitled to opt for this solution. In this way, it could be seen as favouring her eventual retention as mayor, at the time of the general election.
2.3 Election of a deputy mayor. Council proposes to retain Mr. Gosselin in this position. Mr. Gosselin calls for a vote, and receives the unanimous consent of the council for his election.

4. Administration and correspondence
4.1. Acceptance of reports on salaries, purchases, disbursements and capital asset purchases for May 2025. Total disbursements of $449,999. No snow removal charges for this month.
4.2. Municipal Elections 2025 - Remuneration rates for election workers. Mr. Gosselin, who reminds us that the determination of these rates is the responsibility of the municipality, as we understand it, lists the salary rates for each category of personnel planned for these elections. Mme Dostie points out that the rates will be the same as for the 2021 elections.
4.3. Request for financial assistance from Galerie d'art du pavillon Montfort. Council grants $375 to the gallery for its “Osez le jaune soleil” exhibition. Mme Léger, during the presentation of item 9.2, will have corrected the resolution awarding the grant to the Journée de la culture.
4.5. Amendment to the Policy on the use of municipal premises and infrastructures. Funeral or commemorative ceremonies for citizens are added to the list of exclusions granted to local volunteer organizations, among others.
4.6. Granting of a mandate to the Chambre de commerce et de développement durable Wentworth-Nord (CCD2WN). It is proposed to accept the Chamber's offer “for the implementation of an affordable housing project.” A sum of $24k will be granted, we understand, in tranches associated with the various stages of the project. One of these stages will be the creation of a non-profit organization (OSBL). Ms. Dostie gives details of the breakdown of the sum.

5. Public safety
5.1. Report from the Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Ms. Chapados:
- Gives the list of calls, alarms and others.
- Points out that the recruitment of firefighters, as part of the municipality's commitment to raise fire protection to the status of Internal Guard, has prompted several applications. Mr. Kelly echoes some of the councillor's comments and adds, among other things, that the Director (of Public Safety, Martyne Charrette,) has more than 60 resumes to analyze, (from candidates sometimes already involved in the municipality's protection services; an important but encouraging task). Ms. Dostie explains that Ms. Charrette will have to synchronize the periods of availability (of accessory personnel with full-time firefighters) to ensure this internal on-call service throughout the day.
- The constable service is up and running again; and already, according to the carwash report sheets, in high demand, says Ms. Dostie.

6. Public works and municipal asset management
6.1. Councillors have received a schedule of planned road maintenance: dust removal (in progress), grader, ditch maintenance, pothole filling, etc. The emphasis will be on this maintenance, which will be carried out in the coming months. Emphasis will be placed on this maintenance this year, as there are no major projects on the agenda.
We would also like to be able to submit to the government, in September or October, studies for the rehabilitation of chemin du Lac-Farmer and chemin des Montfortains, with the hope of obtaining subsidies.
6.2. Request to the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable concerning the Newaygo bridge and Rue du Chemin-de-Fer. This item has been withdrawn, explains Mr. Gosselin, as Ms. Dostie has made a representation to the MRC. Here, he hands over to the new mayor, who explains that the resolution is not ready to be presented for adoption.

7. Environment
7.3. Mr. Sébastien Poncelet, Environmental Coordinator, has been promoted to the position of Assistant Director of the Urban Planning and Environment Department. Mr. Gosselin will point out that everyone has witnessed his dedication and professionalism.

8. Urban planning and economic development
(Ms. Dostie takes over from Mr. Gosselin; she will quickly go through the items on this agenda item).
8.3. Notice of motion and tabling of first draft by-law ... to incorporate provisions concerning the emptying of water from a swimming pool or spa and to add... This involves adding suggested methods for such emptying.
8.4. Adoption of the resolution presented in 8.3.
8.5. Notice of motion and tabling of draft by-law ... respecting the control of outdoor lighting (light pollution) in order to prohibit outdoor lighting for playgrounds for residential purposes and to provide for hours of operation for outdoor lighting.
8.6. Adoption of the resolution presented in 8.5.
8.7. PIIA 2025-0073 - Lighting for a multisport field at 1519 chemin de l'Alizé. The CCU recommends rejection of this request if the lighting is not modified.
The other PIIAs, all recommended for adoption by the CCU, will be accepted. Including 8.18, recommended by a majority vote: - Modification of the color of the exterior siding (on the existing Villas du lac St-Fr.-Xavier building) at 340, rue Bachman. The new color will match that of the new building.
Contributions for park purposes and offers to purchase municipal land for the last items will be converted into cash for the municipal coffers.

9. Recreation, culture and community life
9.1. Report from the Chair of the Comité plein air, sentier et vie communautaire. Ms. Chapados has no report to present.
9.2 Report from the Chair of the Recreation and Culture Committee. Ms. Léger;
- « Osez le jaune soleil » at Galerie Montfort, June 21 to July 6, with vernissage at 2 p.m. on the 21st.
- June 23: Fête nationale festivities; starting at 4 p.m., behind Town Hall.
- June 29, Galerie Montfort: Creation... July 6: Galerie Montfort goes to Laurel in the afternoon to celebrate the library's 15th anniversary: “Create a work...”.
- Exhibition at David Levine gallery, chemin de la Maison-rouge, on the exploration of materials, continuing on June 21 and 22.
- August Sky Festival, July 26 to August 2.
- Mr. Kelly adds planned events: ... parade. ... pickleball...
9.3. Laurel Trail. This involves the development and perpetuation of this trail. Among other things, it is stated that the municipality has obtained authorization from the Ministry for a 7-km stretch of its land. The trail could eventually connect to the Aerobic Corridor. Signage has been subsidized by the Fonds... A subsidy in the order of $98k has been obtained, conditional on completion of the work by June 2027 at the latest. Certain expenses incurred by the municipality to complete this project will have to be included in the next budget. It is therefore proposed and resolved to ask the administration for an action plan for the August meeting.

11. Topics of public interest
Mrs Chapados :
- Notes the death of Mr. Gosselin's mother, who was very active in community organizations in the municipality. Mr. Gosselin thanks her.
- Notes the death of Mr. Hamelin, who was Fire Chief for 20 years, and Director of Public Works for the municipality...
- Proposes that Council request a letter of support from other municipalities, to demand that the government repair a section of Route Principale (between Chemin des Montfortains and ... Mr. Kelly talks about the steps taken with the Ministry (incomprehensible to the undersigned).

Question period

- M. Charlebois, in the audience, (with lengthy exchanges):
o The speed bump? ???? Reply from R. K.: There are siting criteria to be respected. There is a lot of speeding.
o "Are you going to remove the ice rink? Reply from R. G.: We'll submit this to the Recreation Committee. We are currently proactive in the area of recreation.

- Mrs. Myriam Rioux, on Zoom:
o Lots of bumps on the road...
o What's the status of the project to purchase a generator for Saint-Michel Church? Ron Kelly's answer: ... It will have to be done at the same time as ... It's in progress. M. R.: We've been waiting for 4 years...
o The floor (of the church) should be “bocked” before the end of June, as promised. We've cleared it to be ready.
o The culvert ... needs repair. R. G.: It's on the agenda.
o Congratulations on your election, Mrs. Dostie; we've always worked well together. K. D: Yes, we have; your cooperation is invaluable.
o Mrs. Rioux will return later to offer her condolences to Mr. Gosselin.

- Mrs. Diana Zakaib Jegou:
o On boat washing at Montfort Pavilion. There are two (price) options, one for residents, the other for visitors. "Take away the (free) one for citizens, which few residents use, because you're losing hundreds of dollars a week (because you don't get the $20 per visitor). Many simply opt for the residents' option. The latter could then claim the $20 back from the Town Hall.
o (To Mr. Kelly) The culvert on Mount(???), at the Chemin-de-fer intersection, has a piece of metal sticking out. It's dangerous. Mme Dostie told you about it. Mr. Kelly asks about the location. There is no agreement on the location of this culvert...
o About the deplorable state of Chemin-de-fer street, west of the Newaygo bridge. We are asking the municipality for help with this situation; many residents have sent you such a request. We never receive even an acknowledgement of receipt of our requests in this regard. For Montfort, we're not going to bother. “I know it falls under the MRC's jurisdiction; but, the municipality can pass the grader.” "It's very dangerous. R. G.: To pass the grader, you'd have to have materials to pick up. Mme Dostie speaks up to say that discussions are underway with the MRC to find a solution soon. DZJ: “An ambulance takes an extra 5 minutes to come to the house.” (The Jegou's know a thing or two about that.)
Mr. Kelly launches into explanations of his exchanges with the MRC's general manager about this serious problem. He seems to have requested that the MRC put in the gravel, so that the municipality could use the grader; even if it meant the municipality picking up the bill. An agreement is close to being reached. (Comments difficult for the undersigned to understand.) Mme Dostie reminds us that authorization from the MRC is required for the municipality to proceed on this road. Once the problem has been resolved for this year, we'll try to renew such an agreement for future years. M. Gosselin indicates that the road will be claimed as necessary for the passage of cyclists and pedestrians, without mentioning vehicles.
Ms. Zakaib asks Mr. Kelly why we never get an answer. The General Manager replies that it's always the same question. Most recently, the MRC didn't want to know," he says. Last year, there was an agreement between Wentworth-Nord and the MRC to change one or more culverts. The municipality hired an engineer, prepared its team and set aside two weeks in its agenda. When the time came, the MRC had not fulfilled its part of the agreement - delivering the culverts, etc. - and the project had to be postponed.
- The owner of the lot on one of the above points complains about the exorbitant increase in taxes, now representing 5% of ... Mr. Kelly undertakes a lengthy explanation (incomprehensible to the undersigned).

*Report based on our notes, and with the help of the recording. Readers are referred to the recording for details.
**Participation by videoconference and the broadcasting of recordings of council meetings have marked a major step forward in municipal politics in Wentworth-Nord. They benefit permanent residents and, even more so, seasonal vacationers, both of whom no longer necessarily need to go to the community center to attend. Mayor Desjardins had pointed out that a great many citizens use one or other means to follow the presentations, either live or recorded. By reducing the number of trips to Laurel and back, the environment also benefits from this initiative.
In the face of such an audience, and given the importance of this participation, would it be ingratitude to ask members of the Council and administration to pay attention to the unsuspected background noise generated by, among other things, the crumpling of sheets of notes or agendas in their hands? In winter, when a coughing fit on the part of one or other of them completely drowns out what is being said, would the manager have the reflex to switch off his microphone?
Hadn't it already been announced that questions asked during the allotted time would be limited to five minutes? As it is often impossible to follow these exchanges between citizens and people in the gallery, it becomes painful, even dissuasive, for listeners to see them drag on and prolong the session.

Without prejudice; by Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

On Saturday, May 31, at the Coopérative de santé de Wentworth-Nord fund-raising dinner, Ms. Dostie, Councillor for District 1 (Saint-Michel) and acting mayor, followed up on rumours by announcing her candidacy for mayor in the November general election.

Her goal, she wrote, is to better serve the citizens of today, while thinking of future generations; to bring the municipality to take its full place in the bodies to which we contribute. She highlighted the experience she had acquired on council and promised to act with rigor and determination to move issues forward.

She said she was convinced that we could “have different opinions and grow from them”. She also promised to plan exchanges in the three villages, based on the concerns of the population.

Ordre du jour        Video version

Councillors Catherine Léger, Colleen Horan, Lyne Chapados, Karine Dostie, Eric Johnston and Régent Gosselin are present. In the absence of Mrs. Danielle Desjardins, mayor, Mr. Gosselin, as deputy mayor, will chair the meeting, assisted by Mr. Ron Kelley, general manager.
There will be nearly three dozen participants on the Zoom application. An unknown number are also present at the Laurel Community Centre. The session will last over two hours. Ms. Desjardins is among the participants via videoconference.

1. Adoption of the agenda
Items 4.3 and 4.4 are added. Item 4.3 relates to the redevelopment of the Montfort Pavilion.
Item 4.4 concerns the hiring of a student for Public Works and Recreation. Mr. Ron Kelly provides a few details. (Inaudible for the undersigned).

2. Statement by elected officials
2.1. Failure of the mayor to attend. Mr. Gosselin reads paragraph 1 of section 317 of the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities, which specifies that: “The mandate of a council member who has failed to attend council meetings for 90 consecutive days ends at the close of the first meeting following the expiry of that period, unless the member attends.”
He continues with paragraph 3, on which the councillors will make their decision today, following the recognition of the medical problems, requiring hospitalization, of which Mrs. Desjardins informed them, and as proof of their moral support. The article reads: “The council may also, no later than at the first meeting following the 90-day period referred to in the first paragraph, decree that a member's failure to attend due to a serious reason beyond his or her control and causing no prejudice to the citizens of the municipality or, as the case may be, of the electoral district or ward, shall not entail the termination of the member's mandate.” Mr. Gosselin explains that the counter is reset to zero, giving an additional 90 days to the failure to attend.
Note: We thought that council members' participation by videoconference had been accepted as equivalent to that in person. Ms. Desjardins will take advantage of the first part of the question period, reserved for these members, to express her views.

4. Administration and correspondence
4.1. Acceptance of reports on salaries, purchases, disbursements and capital purchases for May 2025. Total disbursements of $944,933, including $255,000 for snow removal and $155,000 for periodic payments to the MRC.
4.2. Gasoline tax and Quebec contribution program (TECQ) for the years 2024 to 2028. Here, the Council undertakes to comply with the clauses of the agreement (liability, insurance, documentation, reports, etc.) with the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
4.3. The item concerns an offer of service for the elaboration of the preliminary stage and the generation of a 3D perspective for the future state of the Pavilion. After querying four architectural firms, only Clinique d’architecture des Laurentides submitted a bid, which was accepted at $19,900, plus taxes.
4.4 Hiring of a student for Public Works and Recreation.

5. Public safety
5.1. Report from the Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Ms. Chapados reports that, among other things, the department had to deal with (a subsidence of a section of road in the Montfort sector?), which caused many homes to be cut off. Several municipal departments were involved, including roads, first responders, etc.
5.2. Application for financial assistance under the Ministère de la Sécurité publique's program for training volunteer and part-time firefighters. The municipality, which must submit its request via the MRC, is applying to the program for the training of two firefighters.
5.3 Internal guard, fire department and first responders. (We deduce from Mr. Gosselin's comments that Wentworth-Nord is currently without an in-house guard service, and that the council wishes to implement this service: “When firefighters are on call at the fire station, the SSI director should prepare a grid of tasks that firefighters and officers can perform while waiting for a response. Tasks should be broken down by shift and for each day of the week.” Services de sécurité incendie, Guide relatif aux opérations)  Among the expectations, the deputy mayor points out that the municipal territory covers more than 160 km2, includes three villages linked by Route Principale and each with its own fire station.

6. Public works management of municipal assets
6.1. M. Gosselin reports that two major road breakdowns (due to storm water pressure) monopolized services. In the case referred to in Ms. Chapados' report in 5.1, where sixty residences were landlocked, all the municipal staff concerned, including the General Manager and himself, responded to the emergency, at 4 a.m. for the latter. The Director of Public Works, and possibly the Urban Planning and Environment Departments, were also involved. (A temporary road was laid.) The Ministry of the Environment is currently analyzing the situation.
Regular maintenance is also continuing, while remedial work is required.
6.2. Adoption of by-law 2025-619 decreeing the terms and conditions for the assumption of responsibility for the partial maintenance of private roads in the Domaine du Lac Saint-Victor by the municipality of Wentworth-Nord for the 2025 summer season. Whereas, among other things, by-law 2022-485, a decreeing the terms and conditions for the assumption of responsibility for the maintenance of private roads, the municipality will proceed. Gilbert P. Miller et fils ltee will be awarded $19,028, plus taxes, for this work, while Multi Routes Inc. will receive $1,977.
6.3 Ditto for part of chemin du Lac-Gustave, with Garage R/T Smith? + ? receiving $19,300, plus taxes.
6.4 Ditto for chemin du Lac-Rond, with $6,042, plus taxes, to Gilbert P. Miller et fils ltee.
6.5. Follow-up on snow removal on private roads. Discussions have taken place with citizens, but the municipality has not yet made a decision on this matter: status quo (or takeover); this will be decided before the next budget is presented.

7. Environment
7.1. Report from the Chair of the Environment Committee, Ms. Horan, who will be translating her remarks into English, as she points out that many English speakers are unaware of what is happening in Wentworth-Nord:
- Thank you to the lake associations who participated in the May 10 meeting with the municipality.
- Thank you to the Fonds environnemental and the Association du lac Saint-François-Xavier, as well as to the CCE, for their participation in the development of criteria to protect access to our lakes; the said lake having been prioritized due to the marked influx of visitors.
- Come along to Journée DécouVerte this Saturday, May 24. There'll be plant giveaways, booths, artisans, water testing and...ice cream! Ms. Horan will be bringing water analysis bottles to the Montfort pavilion around noon on Friday. There will probably be an equivalent for Saint-Michel residents.
7.2. The municipality will commit to the perpetual conservation of land, including some on the Sentier des Orphelins, with the collaboration of Éco-corridors laurentiens. This organization is already active at Lac St-Victor and owns land there.
7.4. Modification of Appendix B of the Policy concerning committees for the Environmental Advisory Committee. They will be able to include one more elected member. Councillor Dostie will join Ms. Horan on the CCE.
7.5. Submission of the Preliminary Protection Plan for Lake St-François-Xavier. Ms. Horan and Ms. Dostie explain that the municipality must not only adopt this plan, with its recommendations, but also the proposed actions. Ms. Dostie reminds us that we had to limit ourselves here to assessing the lake's protection measures in the face of the traffic expected in 2025. This was in response to Mr. Johnston, who stressed the importance of also assessing the impact of the lake's tributary streams on water quality.

8. Urban planning and economic development
8.1. Report from the Chairman of the Urban Planning Committee. Mr. Johnston speaks of a special meeting to ensure that all current files move forward.
8.2. List of permits from April 1 to April 30, 2025. 4 permits, from January 1 to April 30.
8.3. Hiring of an urban planning and environmental inspection officer for the 2025 summer season. For 18 weeks. Ms. ? will be a “designated official”, enabling her to act on behalf of the municipality.
8.4. and 8.5 PIIA on the extension of the main building, the spa and the galleries, at 340, rue Bachman (project modification). This is the Villas Wow du lac Saint-François-Xavier project.
There were lengthy exchanges, all about whether or not to accept the replacement of the existing building's wooden railing with a modern glass railing, in contravention of a section of the special by-law concerning the built heritage of the village of Montfort. But the new building is not subject to the same regulations, we understand, and could have its balustrades in glass.
While the CCU recommends acceptance, Ms. Dostie and Mr. Johnston will immediately vote against. Ms. Chapados balances between the two options. Ms. Dostie points out that there will be further modifications, while the pros and cons of the current requests will be further analyzed. The promoter will thus have a new opportunity to present its motion if the present one is rejected. Both will be dismissed.
8.6. PIIA: Construction of a main building on lot 5 938 338, rue Grilli.
The CCU recommends granting the permit; this option was unanimously retained by the Council, and will be the case for all the following, from 8.7 to 8.16.
In 8.11, as the PIIA's concern to protect the lake-side exterior from light coming from the interior of the new buildings recurs frequently, Mr. Johnston will explain that the fashion for the extent of fenestration justified the addition of this criterion.

9. Leisure, culture and community life
9.1. Report from the Chair of the Outdoors, Trails and Community Life Committee. Ms. Chapados has nothing special to report; other than the Festival ... billets... secteur de Laurel... (inaudible).
9.2 Report from the Chair of the Recreation and Culture Committee. Mme Léger :
- The last Ciné-club presentation for this season will take place this Saturday, May 24, at 7:30 pm. On the program: “Vil et misérable”. Director Jean-François Leblanc will be in attendance.
- The Festival Ciel d'août will take place from July 28 to August 2. It has received a $2,000 grant from the MRC's Fonds culture et patrimoine 2025. Ms. Léger congratulates the Table des arts et de la culture de Wentworth-Nord for its fine work. On-line programming coming soon.
- Fête nationale
9.3. Granting of a mandate - MADA and Family Policy. At a cost of $20,000, the municipality agrees to entrust (Mélita Vincent?) with the more comprehensive development of this policy, in conjunction with the policy to be followed within the framework of the Municipalité amie des aînés. Ms. Chapados points out that we have already received a grant of $10,500 to be applied to this expense. It has taken three years of effort to achieve this good result.

Question period

Mrs. Desjardins
- I'm currently hospitalized at Ste-Agathe, and I'd like to thank its staff; its chef.
- Thank you to the members of the Council for their confidence in me and for extending my mandate. An extraordinary team, the majority of whom I hope will stand for re-election!
- About MADA. We mustn't forget the elderly and lonely, often abandoned by their families.
- Thank you to Mmes Dostie and Horan, who helped me carry out my duties at a difficult time for me. Thanks to ??? and Martyne Charrette for helping me out around the house. They do a professional job.
- Several residents tell me that the sound is not at its best during council meetings. When will the council get around to it? Mr. Johnston is working on an answer and a promise.
(Incidentally, the undersigned has noted that, in this instance, the camera includes all councillors. Mrs. Horan's and Johnston's words, once out of focus, have also become audible. The coughing and crumpling of paper are perhaps too present at the microphones. However, one doesn't often have an eye on the room).

M. David Clark: Regarding protecting Montfort's built heritage, to which the PIIAs in 8.4 and 8.5 refer, he has spoken to several residents, and they agree with this initiative. Mr. Clark also asked E. Johnston to summarize in English, if possible, the exchanges that had taken place on this subject; to which the councillor replied.
Real estate developer in the room (Domaine de la Musarde?). You, the council members, manage roads, building permits, culture, etc.; but how do you see the municipality's revenues increasing, its economy? You make decisions without consulting us (the contractors). The infrastructure needed for development isn't there. You should find incentives to attract investors. You want to take parcels of our land, without knowing what you're going to do with them.
Mr. Johnston disagrees with this citizen but doesn't elaborate.

Ms. Diana Zakaib Jegou:
- Could you put pressure on the MRC to finally address the state of Chemin-de-fer Street? Ms. Zakaib did mention the presence of the prefect on Zoom.
- I haven't received a reply regarding the reservation of the Pavillon de Montfort for the Café. Rep, from Ms. Chapados: Yes, the reservation is agreed; there was certainly a gap in the transmission of the administration's response, which was taken a long time ago.

*Report based on our notes, to be completed with the help of the recording. The reader is referred to the latter for any details.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

All reservations reserved; by Carl Chapdelaine

Ordre du jour       Video version         Minutes

Councillors Catherine Léger, Colleen Horan, Lyne Chapados, Karine Dostie, Eric Johnston and Régent Gosselin are present. In the absence of Mrs. Danielle Desjardins, mayor, Mr. Gosselin, as deputy mayor, will chair the meeting, assisted by Mr. Ron Kelley, general manager.

There are two dozen participants on the Zoom application. An unknown number are also present at the Laurel Community Centre, including Mr. Pierre Aubé, ex-director of the municipality's Public Works Department; he will, once again, have a list of questions for Council. The meeting will last two hours.

1. Adoption of the agenda
Item 7.3 is added. It concerns a plan to protect Lake Saint-François-Xavier from the threat of invasive plants.
Withdrawal of items 8.4 and 8.5, concerning the extension of the main building, 340 rue Bachman, with spas and gallery. They have already been dealt with at the March meeting, and a public information session will be held by the owner on April 30.

4. Administration and correspondence
4.1. Acceptance of reports on salaries, purchases, disbursements and capital purchases for March 2025. Total disbursements of $823 ?59, compared with $6?? ??? in 2024; snow removal, among other things, pushed up the bill.
4.2. The municipality authorizes itself to bid on the sale of properties for non-payment of taxes, organized by the MRC and to be held on June 18.

5. Public safety
5.1. Report from the Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Ms. Chapados reports that the department has responded to two road accidents, two chimney fires, and so on. Ms. Dostie indicates that we need to step up prevention of chimney fires.

6. Public works management of municipal assets
6.1. M. Gosselin indicates that we must wait for the snow to melt before proceeding with spring road clearing.
Ms. Horan mentions that Mr. Kelly has written to Quebec regarding the condition of certain sections of Route Principale. Ms. Dostie adds that we prefer to focus our attention on a specific situation, although there are several other interventions to be requested from MTMD. Mr. Gosselin announces that a meeting has been scheduled with the ministry (?)
6.2. Recall of seasonal employees.
6.3. Draft by-law decreeing the terms and conditions for the partial maintenance of private roads on the Lac-Saint-Victor domain by the municipality of Wentworth-Nord, for the 2025 summer season. Mr. Gosselin makes it clear that the cost of this maintenance will be charged to the tax bills of the owners concerned. At this point, Mr. Gosselin indicates that there is a waiver of reading, but he describes its content, to make it clear that these waivers are not intended to hide information from citizens. He will, however, apply this reading dispensation to the following points (chemin du Lac-Gustave and Lac-Rond), since the recitals are similar.
6.5. Authorization to purchase a trailer-mounted signalling barrier. Two trailers (?): $31,043 and $21 ???? $.
6.6. Authorization to purchase a sweeper: One bid, from J. René Lafond Inc. in the amount of $30,671, taxes included, accepted.
6.7 Awarding of contract for the marking and lining of municipal roads and public places for the year 2025. Four bids, lowest bid at $20,981 accepted.
6.9. Authorization to purchase a mulching machine. One bid, from J. René Lafond Inc.
6.10. Authorization to purchase a truck. One bid, from Ontario.

7. Environment
7.1. Report from the Chair of the Environment Committee.
- Ms. Horan announces that :

• an information meeting on the Villas du lac St-François-Xavier development project will be held at the Laurel Community Centre on Wednesday evening, April 30, at 6:30 pm. Participation will also be available by videoconference. The new owner will present his project and answer your questions. (Cf. Presentation Chalets Wow Villas)
  - Meeting of lake associations with the municipality, May 10 (?).
  7.2. Adoption of the Wentworth-Nord Environmental Policy. Following the information and consultation meeting on January 18, the policy was decreed.
  7.3. Lake Saint-François-Xavier protection plan. This new project is part of a series of measures to combat the threat of invasive plants. A preliminary plan will be drawn up, under the chairmanship of Councillors Horan and Dostie. Ms. Horan explains that there aren't enough resources to ensure that users, such as visitors from Ontario who don't always understand the instructions for washing boats and the like, don't violate the regulations. More staff would be needed. Mr. Johnston seconded and echoed, while Ms. Chapados and Ms. Dostie pointed out that this lake needed special attention, but that the plan would serve as a pilot project that could be applied to other threatened lakes.

Ordre du jour         Vidéo version

All members of Council are present: Colleen Horan, Lyne Chapados, Karine Dostie and Catherine Léger, Régent Gosselin and Eric Johnston, as well as Danielle Desjardins, Mayor, who will chair the meeting, assisted by Ron Kelley, General Manager. Ms. Desjardins will however entrust the “animation” of the session to “Karine”, deputy mayor, who, she says, “will realize that she is in training for more important dossiers, and whom everyone congratulated on the poise with which she presided over the February session”. There appear to be few attendees in the room, while the videoconference counter will show around twenty participants. The session lasts over two hours.

1. Adoption of the agenda
Mr. Johnston requests postponement of items 8.9 and 8.10, two PIIAs on the extension of the main building, 340 rue Bachman (project modification). A majority of Council members object. These items will be the subject of lengthy discussion among council members.

4. Administration and correspondence
4.1. Acceptance of reports on salaries, purchases, disbursements and capital asset purchases for February 2025. Without giving the amount, Mrs. Dostie indicates that expenses are equivalent to what they were in February 2024 ($1,075,463.07), relating mainly to snow removal and contribution to MRC.
4.2 Three-year roll 2026-2027-2028 - Optional balancing. Mrs. Dostie indicates that this will enable a fairer distribution of taxation among taxpayers. She explains that, as the difference between the previous and current rolls was too great, the MRC allows the municipality to request a more equitable rebalancing. The firm Évimbec will be mandated to do this for the 2026-27-28 roll. The cost to the municipality will be $214,000.
4.3. Recognition of an organization, the W-N Chamber of Commerce and Sustainable Development. Ms. Desjardins asks, on behalf of two citizens, if this request is prior or subsequent to the $5,000 grant it obtained from the municipality. Councillor Chapados explains that there is no connection between these two measures. Mr. Kelly adds further details to this answer (inaudible to the undersigned).
4.4. Support requested from the Town of Brownsburg-Chatham concerning the closure of the Henri-Raby bridge. This closure will adversely affect school transportation in the Saint-Michel sector. Ms. Desjardins, recalling that Mr. Genest, Prefect, attends all W-N Council meetings, points out that this is a case similar to that of the Newaygo bridge, and involves the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (MTMD).
Support for the town of Blainville, in its opposition to the American firm Stablex's project, (which Quebec wants to authorize by expropriating municipal land. For Mayor Liza Poulin, the project would “fragment the large Blainville peat bog, areas she wants to protect in perpetuity”). Radio-Canada  The support sends a message to the government to respect the principle of municipal autonomy to which it has committed itself.

5. Public safety
5.1. Report from the Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Ms. Chapados reports that the department responded to 5 calls in January, compared with 18 for that month, in 2024. “Wait until you see the figures for February,” adds Ms. Dostie.

6. Public works and municipal asset management
6.1. M. Gosselin points out that the rapid thaw has, fortunately, had only limited consequences on our roads. Regular roadwork is scheduled to start in mid-April.
6.2. Awarding of a contract for the spreading of dust suppressant on certain municipal roads for the year 2025. Two bids were submitted. The lowest, by Multi Routes Inc. at $99,000, was selected. Multi-routes, like Bourget, the other bidder, offers the same good services,” points out Mr. Gosselin.
6.3. Authorization to purchase 7 roll-on/roll-off containers for the Ecocentre. The sole bid, from the Laurin firm, in the amount of $84,104, was accepted. Here, Ms. Desjardins points out that the containers (she's referring to the semi-washed ones) cost over $10,000. She points out that construction materials have (again) torn one of these containers, which must be taken to the ecocenter. The ecocenter “costs us an arm and a leg”. You have to use the various bins and containers properly. “It's money out of your pocket.

7. Environment
7.1 Report from the Chair of the Environment Committee.
- Ms. Horan recalls the MRC's adoption of a resolution committing it to building a pedestrian, bicycle (and skier) footbridge over the Newaygo bridge structure; a project accepted by MTDD.
Ms. Desjardins pointed out that she had voted against the project because it would still not allow vehicles to pass over the bridge, and would set a precedent that could make the proposed situation permanent. In spite of this, she believes she has the support of all the mayors for the eventual reconstruction of a vehicular bridge.
- She emphasizes once again the deplorable state of Route Principale in Montfort, and the need to put pressure on MTMD to do something about it.
- To support lake monitoring and protection, the Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs covers 75% of RSVL costs. It currently costs $135 per station (to lake associations) to carry out laboratory analyses, instead of $540. An agreement has already been reached between the municipality and the government,” says Ms. Horan. Consequently, the municipality will not be contributing (50%?) to the costs this year.
- Journée DécouVerte will take place on May 24, and you have until March 21 (or 24?) to complete your plant order.
- The statistics on carwash use are out. (Inaudible)
- Observations of environmental problems. If you witness any problems, send an e-mail to the administration, with a copy to myself (Colleen Horan).
7.2 Adoption of by-law 2025-624 concerning the use of Ecocentre services. Changes to its use will enable the municipality to reduce the increase in costs. ... $30 for individuals, and $150 for contractors in the event of overruns... (inaudible).

8. Planning and economic development
8.1 Report from the Chairman of the Urban Planning Committee, M. Johnston. Very little activity in January and February.
8.2 List of permits issued from February 1 to 28, 2025.
8.3 Adoption of by-law ... to replace residential zone H-04 with a commercial zone and to permit the use of “tourist residence”. Mr. Johnston is very comfortable with this.
8.4 Adoption of Bylaw No. 2017-497-4 amending ... certain provisions relating to lots, cession for public access to a lake or watercourse and ... a derogatory roadway protected by acquired rights. Mr. Johnston lists the expected events, including the mandatory consultation on March 11 in Laurel. Ms. Dostie was there, and reports that people only asked for a few clarifications.
8.6 Mandate to an appraisal firm to (establish the) contribution for parks, playgrounds and natural areas. Three firms are recommended, with the approval of the Director of Planning and Environment, to evaluate the value of the 10% required by the municipality for this contribution, in the case of (large lots?).
8.9 and 8.10 Two PIIA - Extension of main building + Spas and gallery, 340 rue Bachman (project modification). Expectations include an information session.
Mr. Johnston would have preferred these points to have been deferred, because we're talking about a huge project in the Montfort sector, on Lake Saint-François-Xavier. He argues that the PIIA includes a component specifying that a project concerning a heritage building in the village of Montfort must respect specific architectural criteria. But there is no definition of built heritage in the PIIA. He would like to be able to consult local residents to get their opinion on this.
What about, for example, the planned modification of the gallery railings? Ms. Dostie doesn't see this as a major issue and a reason to delay (the issuance of the permit). Ms. Chapados is concerned about adding scales that are not in the regulations. M. Gosselin points out that so many changes have been made to this built heritage that it can no longer be defined.
The mayor is also in favor of deferring the point, unlike Mmes Dostie and Chapados, among others. The essence of the project is not in doubt, however, and the postponement to the April meeting should not affect its realization, according to E. Johnston. Ms. Desjardins agrees, adding that Council is not obliged to follow the CCU's recommendations, and that bylaws may need to be amended. She congratulates Mr. Johnston on all the work he has put into analyzing this project.
Ms Léger finds it hard to imagine that the consultation could define the procedure to be followed in this case. Mrs. Horan intervenes (not audible).
The discussion continued and, in the end, it was agreed to postpone both items to the April meeting, to allow the clarification sought by Mr. Johnston.
8.12 (Possible) assignment for public access to a lake (Kelly) or watercourse. Among other things :
- that the municipality may require up to 10% (or 3%, if 7% has already been taken???) of the land involved in the cadastral operation for public access to a watercourse;
- that Kelly Lake is of good size and could potentially be of recreational interest.
The municipality would require the owner to commit to offering land or a servitude to the municipality for this purpose. Ms. Dostie adds that the matter has been discussed with owners who have not yet submitted their projects. They are invited to define the portion of land that would suit both parties.
As there are a number of points for discussion, and as Ms. Desjardins also informs us that part of the land is for sale, the Council decides to postpone consideration of this item. A citizen in the audience wished to speak, but was invited to wait until question period.
8.13 Cession for public access to a lake (de la Musarde) or watercourse.
Expectations similar to previous case. But Mme Dostie points out that there is already public access to this lake. Moreover, the municipality's intentions have raised reservations to be considered, on the part of residents.
For Ms. Desjardins, the same answer should be given as in the previous case, in the interests of equality. Ms. Horan agrees. But the permit is granted anyway, by a majority of council members.
Discussion here will be lengthy.

9. Recreation, culture and community life
9.1 Report from the Chair of the Comité plein air, sentier et vie communautaire. Mrs Chapados reminds us that:
- There is a community supper on the first Wednesday of the month, in Saint-Michel, and a community dinner in Laurel, on the third Wednesday of the month.
- We finally received the MADA (Municipalité amie des aînés) grant to develop our policy (on the family). We are currently looking for a project manager to help us develop this policy.
9.2 Report from the President of the Recreation and Culture Committee. Mme Léger:
- Applauds the success of the Torchlight Walk and thanks the Coordinator of Recreation, Culture, Community Life and Communications, Ms. Jamie Lee Paquette.
- Success of ... in Saint-Michel, and of the Ciné-club show.
- We're moving the April Ciné-club date to Saturday, 26, because of the Easter weekend on the 19th.
- The consultation on the future of Saint-Michel church, held on March 16, enabled us to hear citizens' requests for more frequent leisure activities. We are therefore seeking to develop these leisure activities, as well as cultural events throughout the municipal territory; and we invite the population to share their projects with us.

11. Topics of public interest
11.1 Ms. Desjardins returns to the consultation on the future of Saint-Michel church, promising to produce a public report. Mme Dostie also promises this. She reports that there were 75 people in the room, with “people from all over”. We want the project to happen, but we'll need financial backing. We're thinking of a hall that could seat 150 people for community meals, conferences...
If the public agrees, the mayor proposes that Council add a five-minute segment to each meeting, to provide information on subjects of public interest.

Question period
A gentleman in the room introduced himself as one of the owners of the Kelly Lake property mentioned in item 8.12. There are four families. They built a 2 km road to get to the lake. Would the municipality build another road, using its 3% transfer right; or would it use our road? The municipality had previously agreed to take its right in cash, in the amount of $86,000. And you're postponing your decision again. He finds this unfair and “feels treated like a Romanian tonight”... The Council does not react.
The meeting is adjourned for lack of further questions.

*Report based on our notes, and partly completed with the help of the recording. Readers are referred to the recording for details.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

By Carl Chapdelaine

Ordre du jour      Version vidéo

Councillors Colleen Horan, Lyne Chapados, Karine Dostie, and councillors Eric Johnston and Régent Gosselin are present. The mayor and councillor Catherine Léger are absent. In the absence of Ms. Danielle Desjardins, Ms. Dostie, as acting mayor, along with Mr. Gosselin, will preside over the meeting, assisted by Mr. Ron Kelley, the general manager.

The president explains that Ms. Léger is currently attending the premiere of "Deux femmes en or" at the TNM. However, no explanation is given for the mayor's absence.
There will be two dozen participants via videoconference. The number of people possibly present at the Laurel Community Center is unknown. The session will last one hour and twenty minutes.

1. Adoption of the agenda:
Item 6.2 is removed; items 8.9 and 8.16 are postponed.

4. Administration and correspondence
4.1. Acceptance of salary reports, disbursements, and capital purchases for January 2025: $1.2M in disbursements. The sharp increase is due to a concentration of disbursements falling during this month, rather than being spread over several months.
4.2. Resolution of concordance and short-term regarding a loan by notes amounting to $1,680,300 to be realized on February 26, 2025. This is simply a renewal of loans at new rates.
4.3. Approval of the official list of persons indebted to the municipality with or without modification – Sale of properties for non-payment of municipal taxes; (the sale will take place in May).

5. Public Safety
5.4. Report of the president of the Public Safety Committee. Councillor Chapados:
• Highlights the excellent work of the public safety director, Ms. Martyne Charrette.
• Reminds that, in the February newsletter, the Municipality expresses its deep gratitude to its firefighters and first responders of the Fire Safety Service. There were 17 calls in January, compared to 2 last year.

6. Public Works and Municipal Asset Management
6.1. Report of the president of the Public Works Committee. Councillor Gosselin notes the compliance of contracts by contractors.

7. Environment
7.1. Report of the president of the Environment Committee. Councillor Horan highlights the good work of the Environment Coordinator, Mr. Sébastien Poncelet.
7.3. Commitment to protect and improve the water quality of the Rivière du Nord’s watershed (to which a large part of the municipality's territory belongs). We must protect its water quality for us and future generations.
7.4. Appointment of a new member to the Saint-Michel sector Environmental Advisory Committee (CCE), Mr. ... Kendore(?).
7.5. Lease granting access to Lake Louisa for a property, via municipal land.

8. Urban Planning and Economic Development
8.1. Report of the president of the Urban Planning Committee. Councillor Johnston entrusts Mr. Gosselin, who replaced him during his trip, to make the report.
8.3. Adoption of a draft regulation to replace the H-04 residential zone with a commercial zone and allow the use of "tourist residence."
8.4. Adoption of a regulation to ensure compliance with the provisions relating to steep slope zones of the zoning regulation with the modified development and planning scheme. Mr. Gosselin recalls that there was a consultation on this regulation in early February.
8.5. & 8.6 Notice of motion, filing, and adoption of the regulation ... to modify or add certain provisions relating to lots, the transfer for public access to a lake or watercourse, and the modification of a derogatory traffic lane protected by acquired rights.
8.13. .14, .15: PIIA concerning three spas and galleries at 340, 344, and 346 Bachman Street. Acceptance is recommended, but Mr. Johnston feels uncomfortable with the presence of these spas, already built, which may constitute a noise nuisance. Councillor Horan shares the same opinion. Mr. Gosselin indicates that it is in a commercial zone and therefore permitted. Ms. Dostie adds that, even if a nuisance is noted, especially in a short-term rental environment, the projects meet the PIIA criteria and therefore should be accepted. These criteria should be modified to address the objections.
A vote is requested. Despite the opposition of the two dissenters, the projects are adopted.
8.18. Issuance of subdivision permits for municipal lands in the southwest tip of Lake Saint-François-Xavier (Lac-Thurson Road, Maple Street, and Orphans' Trail). Councillors Gosselin and Johnston explain to Ms. Horan that it is about grouping scattered lots to obtain a set of lands for perpetual conservation.

9. Recreation, Culture, and Community Life
9.1. Report of the president of the Outdoor, Trail, and Community Life Committee. Ms. Chapados reports:
• Under the direction of the Coordinator of Recreation, Culture, Community Life, and Communication, Ms. Jamie Lee Paquette, the Outdoor Committee (and trails?) will proceed with the development of trails in the lake sector (Welfer?), for which a grant of around $90K has been obtained.
• The Health Committee should meet in March to advance the development of a policy in this sector.
• We have finally received a grant fromMADA (Municipalité amie des aînés), for municipalities that act for the well-being of seniors. Consideration for seniors will, consequently, be added to our family policy. We will need to find a coordinator for the project.
9.2 Report of the president of the Recreation and Culture Committee. In the absence of Councillor Léger, Ms. Chapados:
• The Torchlight Walk will take place this Saturday, February 22. Departure at 6:30 PM, behind the Laurel Community Center. It will be followed by a line dance class, led by Mr. Piché, starting at 7:30 PM.
• To celebrate the school break, we invite you to a pizza movie night! Friday, March 7, 5:00 PM, at St. Michael's Church. The film "Mlle Bottine" will be shown. Register (to know the number of pizzas to prepare – $5).
• Ms. Chapados congratulates her colleague, Catherine Léger, for the multiplication of cultural activities.
• Ms. Dostie also announces the screening of the film "1995" at the Cine-club on March 15, at the Laurel Community Center.

11. Public Interest Topics
11.1. Ms. Dostie announces a public consultation on the future uses of St. Michel's Church, Sunday, March 16, at 10 AM, in the Gougeon Hall of the church.

Question Period
Mr. Catalin Popovici (Laurel sector):
• Wants to know the status of his subdivision request, as they have been waiting for nearly four years for ... this lot. Ms. Dostie responds that his request is being processed and should be addressed at the next council meeting. He should contact Mr. Cadieux for more details.
• Also, to detail points 8.5 and 8.6. Ms. Dostie explains that it is an adjustment to provide more flexibility regarding the shape of lots, topography, etc., concerning, among other things, the calculation of area or slope, in relation to the size of the construction (cf. 8.4). Mr. Johnston specifies that a paragraph must be added to the regulation, in compliance with that of Quebec.

Note:
We note that, in our opinion, Ms. Dostie wonderfully presided over this session.

Translated with Copilot 😊

By Carl Chapdelaine

We have just received the registration forms for the municipal elections on November 2, 2025, including that of the MRC des Pays-d'en-Haut. To our knowledge, the electoral list is permanent, so you do not need to fill out these forms if you are already registered.

The mayor of Wentworth-Nord, like the prefect, does not seem to have to run again. We can also expect some turnover at the council level. Will the candidates be independent or grouped together?

"In a municipality of less than 5,000 inhabitants, ... political parties do not exist. However, people wishing to come together around a common action plan within the framework of a municipal election can form a recognized team."¹

Will you wait for each candidate to present their program and promises, or will you first put on the table what you expect from them?

The current context, at the national level, seems more crystallized on a desire for radical change. Opposition to the elites of the political and intellectual establishment and the dictates of the administration, among other things, has allowed the voice of extraordinary personalities who embody this desire to emerge; Trumpism was born.^{2 & 3} We applaud the promises of reducing administrative rules, taxes, the isolationism, etc. In this election year, will this trend gain the municipal sphere?

For those who do not share this unbridled emancipation momentum, what attitude should be adopted? How can we orient the election result in favor of candidates who will not seek to disguise reality; to take some risky shortcut to promise us an idyllic future? But isn't it already too late?

With his accusations of incompetence and personal attacks, his simple formulas that he calls common sense, his promises of detaxation, of protecting the purchasing power of citizens, etc., the populist leader of the opposition in Ottawa had led his party to the top of the polls and provoked the descent into hell of the party in power.⁴ But all it took was for the party to wake up and defend the country, and the arrival of a fearless and blameless warlord to turn the tide. The leader, be he good or evil, has even become more important than the party and the ideas he defends, and people blindly fall in line behind him.

Among the reasons for the brewing revolt, the long-standing negative perception against those who lead in the shadow of politicians, the members of the administration, has taken on disproportionate proportions under the influence of Trumpism; people want to slash the public service.⁵ But heads must roll to provoke some outcry or call for consideration.

We have already highlighted, at the municipal level, the lack of visibility of this administration, and particularly that of the MRC. A newsletter has finally been launched in Wentworth-Nord; a tiny window on our administrative services, those of our brave firefighters and our first responders. However, we expected more.

Mayor Robert Milot had established his coffee meetings in Sainte-Adèle. "He shared the latest news from the city and invited citizens to discuss various topics that concern them."^6a A service director was added as a guest; citizens could learn more and appreciate the work of the administration. Unfortunately, municipal sessions do not allow for this type of exchange. Mayor Michèle Lalonde's Coffee Chat, always accompanied by a councillor, and with a different theme on each occasion, was to continue the tradition.^6b

When he was mayor of Wentworth-Nord, Mr. André Genest gave us, during council meetings, a brief retrospective of his activities over the past month. Today, at the monthly assembly of mayors, there no longer seems to be a real audience justifying such an exercise.

A too-opaque curtain seems, moreover, to hide the work of the administration of the MRC des Pays-d'en-Haut from us. The accusation, quickly denied, of immobility, by its former general manager, who became a journalist, does it not demonstrate this? Will we not have to, tomorrow, seek to lift the veil? To connect administrators and the administered?

There is, however, some positive. Recently, our councillor, Colleen Horan, e-mailed us an interesting retrospective of actions in the district during her term of office. Entitled “The Councillor's Corner”, a reminder of the presentations in the Lake St. François-Xavier Newsletter, her text revisited the well-known issues of the Montfort Pavilion, the Newaygo Bridge, the Aerobic Corridor and its Rue du Chemin-de-Fer, septic installations and invasive species. Added to this were consultations on environmental policy, roadworks, land conservation, with wildlife eco-corridors, and the Coalition Claims. We'll be back for more.

Consultations and modifications to the Urban Plan, which would follow the Moratorium on real estate and road projects, as well as the presentation of multiple project analyses related to the PIIA, at each council meeting, clearly showed us that we were not idle in this area.

The consultation on the Environmental Policy Project also allowed us to discover the immense work that supported the development of such a project, without which we would probably never have weighed its importance. Certainly, with all its commitments, the Urban Planning and Environment Directorate still has a lot on its plate.

Also, the council members, presidents of the municipal advisory committees, report to us well, at each regular meeting, an overview of what happened in their field during the past month. But you still have to attend these exciting council meetings and make the connection with the work required by these operations to give credit to the various administrative services, as well as to our elected officials and volunteers. And that's as long as we agree with the chosen orientations.

Translation by Copilot😊

By Carl Chapdelaine

1. Guide – Élections municipales
2. Origines, caractères et devenir du « trumpisme »
3. The Trump revolution: where it came from and where it’s going 
4. Le « Trump du Canada » ?
5. Pourquoi la haine contre les fonctionnaires est-elle si répandue ? 
6. Sainte-Adèle, au rythme des saisons
a. 1 <---
b. 2 <---

Ordre du jour       Video version

Note: Readers should refer to the recording for details and accuracy.

All members of Council, Colleen Horan, Lyne Chapados, Karine Dostie and Catherine Léger, and Régent Gosselin, except for Councillor Eric Johnston, attended the meeting, presided over by Mayor Danielle Desjardins. Ms. Léger did so via videoconference, a first thanks to a change in the rules governing these meetings. Ron Kelley, General Manager, assisted the Council. A handful of citizens were present at the Laurel Community Centre, while the Zoom counter showed around 30 people. The meeting lasted less than two hours.

The agenda was rather light, with the item on urban planning containing few projects, unlike usual. But the atmosphere in the gallery was quite different, as the conflict between the mayor and some council members turned into a real battle. It seems to us that it was the mayor's exclusion from the meetings of several municipal committees chaired by councillors that led to this confrontation, already well underway at previous sessions. We know that Ms. Desjardins, who was ill at the time, had to take a leave of absence and call on councillor Gosselin as deputy mayor.

Ms. Desjardins will comment negatively on the points relating to the work of these committees and the resolutions presented by their respective chairmen. Taking advantage of her right to chair the meeting, she refused the reply of the main interested party, Councillor Karine Dostie, who managed to add an item to the agenda (11.1) to refute the mayor's arguments.

Few resolutions, such as a mandate granted to the Wentworth-Nord Chamber of Commerce and Sustainable Development, found favor with the mayor, who marked her “dissent” (rather than a negative vote).

It seems to us, therefore, that the Council's actions and the very content of these adopted resolutions may suffer from this conflict. Unless there is a change of course, perhaps achieved through mediation, the entire New Year's program at Municipal Hall could be compromised. At the very least, Councillor Gosselin, with his experience, his moderation, his position in these conflicts and his geniality, seems to us to be the mediator of choice here.

Mr. Pierre Aubé, ex-director of the municipality's Public Works Department, who was present in the room, took advantage of the question period to ask the council to “explain itself” in caucus before the meeting, as the population was entitled to a presentation and work that favoured the good of the municipality.

If nothing is done to bring the council members into agreement, this conflict will only degenerate further. Shouldn't councillors and mayor put off their differences until the next election period, and leave the decision to the citizens? Shouldn't they agree to work together for the better, rather than trying to score points for their own cause? In our opinion, the present council cannot do without the experience and knowledge of the mayor; while the latter must agree that our councillors, like the committees they chair and according to their abilities, work for the advancement of our municipality.

3. Follow-up and adoption of minutes

At this point, the mayor indicates the right of veto she used against the resolution of the December 18 meeting, on the modification of Appendix B of the Policy concerning committees, excluding her, she explained, from her right to sit on all committees. She also vetoed the resolution concerning her statement about the Fire Department, which, according to Councillor Dostie, was untrue, and which she considered reprehensible. Council may return with the aforementioned resolutions at the next meeting, the present one, without the mayor being able to apply a veto this time.

4. Administration and correspondence

1 Acceptance of reports on salaries, purchases, disbursements and capital asset purchases for December 2024.
4.2 Notice of motion and filing of draft by-law 2025-580 decreeing the imposition of taxes, compensation and tariffs for municipal services for fiscal year 2025. Ms. Desjardins says she doesn't have the figures to present, as the council is very late in establishing them. She blames the committee responsible, saying that the situation has returned to what it was before the Council's present mandate.

Councillor Dostie points out that the work is well advanced (and will be presented this month). The Mayor, who points out that she has been excluded from this committee, will prevent Dostie from responding to her comments; consequently, she will have the item added to 11.2 of the Public Interest Subject, in which she will respond to the criticism.

4.3 Authorization to issue a call for tenders for an architectural professional for the Montfort Pavilion. The mandate and cost of this call are not specified. Ms. Desjardins will indicate that the professional will, among other things, have to specify the costs of the restoration projects envisaged, we understand.

4.4 Awarding of a mandate to the Wentworth-Nord Chamber of Commerce and Sustainable Development (CCD2WN). This grant, proposed by the committee concerned, contains several parts, including a needs assessment, or the implementation and management of such housing. The mayor denounced what she described as a vague mandate. She explains that municipal services can take charge of some of the actions requested of the Chamber, and that it is forbidden to delegate a municipal responsibility to the Chamber in this way. She adds that it is not the role of such an organization to manage buildings. She is opposed to this. Councillor Dostie defends the cause and the resolution is adopted, despite the Mayor's dissent.

4.6 Tabling of the list of pecuniary interests of a member of the Municipal Council for the year 2024. The mayor declares that she has no interest in the municipality other than her residence.

4.7 Volet 2 du Programme d’aide financière à la mise aux normes des barrages municipaux (PAFMAN). Financial assistance for work to upgrade the Lac Saint-François-Xavier dam/dam.

4.8 Québec gas tax and contribution program (TECQ) for the years 2019 to 2024.

4.11 Modification to Appendix B of the Policy concerning committees. This is the return of the resolution to which the mayor had applied her right of veto at the previous meeting. . This time, the mayor simply indicates her “dissent”.

5. Public safety

5.1 Report from the Chair of the Public Security Committee. Councillor Chapados has no report to submit this month.

5.2 Mutual assistance agreement for fire, disaster and rescue protection. The mayor reports that small municipalities are struggling to meet the new standards.

6. Public works and municipal asset management

6.1 Report from the Chairman of the Roads Committee. Councillor Gosselin reports that the Director of Public Works, (Mr. James McMahon) has been involved in the preparation of the budget, including the identification of necessary cuts. It's a third of the municipal budget. We are looking into obtaining government subsidies for road repairs, but all the necessary details must be properly included in the applications.

7. Environment

7.1 Report from the Chair of the Environment Committee. Councillor Horan reminds us that :
- Consultation on the municipality's draft environmental policy will take place this Saturday, January 18. It follows a meeting between the municipality and lake associations on November 9.
- A meeting between the municipality and lake associations will be held on ..., at 6 pm. A zoom link will be made available to them. The main topic will be the possibility of regulating the use of motorized boats.

7.2 Programme soutien technique des lacs – CRE Laurentides. The councillor explains that the municipality will take advantage of this program, with a contribution of $20,335, to conduct complementary surveys at the RSVL. The mayor, recalling that students were hired last summer for similar work, asked if this was not redundant. Ms. Horan specifies that it will be different and that it will be aimed at lakes that don't have an association. She adds that some of these lakes now have a lot of problems.

8 Urban planning and economic development

8.1 Urban Planning Committee Chairman's report. Councillor Johnston is absent.

8.2 List of permits from December 1 to 31, 2024.

8.3 to 8.6 Motions, tabling and adoption of draft by-laws concerning the replacement of residential zone H-04 by a commercial zone in order to permit the use “Résidence de tourisme”, as announced at last December's meeting and with the agreement of the owners of said zone.

8.7 Acquisition of lot 5 588 995 of the Quebec cadastre by the Municipality. Councillor Horan explains that this is a small private lot (west of Lac Saint-François-Xavier) enclosed within a group of municipal lots. The whole is zoned green.

9. Recreation, culture and community life

9.1. Report from the Chair of the Comité plein air, sentier et vie communautaire. Mme Chapados reports only that a meeting of the Comité plein air is scheduled.

9.2 Report from the President of the Recreation and Culture Committee. Councillor Léger reports that :
- The Laurel skating rink is in good condition.
- The film “Bergers” will be shown at theCiné-club this Saturday, January 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Laurel Community Centre.

9.3 Appointment of a Director for Recreation, Culture, Community Life and Communication Services. Ms. Jamie Lee Paquette is confirmed in this position.

11. Topics of public interest

11.1. Ms. Dostie reintroduced this item, which would relate to a statement made by the mayor on fire services. However, speaking of a misunderstanding, she had used her right of veto to block the resolution, which she was not allowed to do again this time. Ms. Desjardins now describes the procedure as a waste of ink (without prejudice).

11.2 Mme Dostie returns to point 4.2, denying that the mayor was excluded from the budget committee, and asserting that she had been invited to its meeting. Mrs. Desjardins replies that she was informed, not invited.

Question period

Question received at the Town Hall from a resident. Why hasn't Georges Street (Lake Wentworth) been plowed under municipal contract, unlike neighboring Lebeau Road? Mr. Ron Kelley explains that the portion of chemin Lebeau cleared of snow belongs to the municipality, whereas this is not the case for rue Georges. An exchange ensued with the intervener present, Mr. Kelley, the mayor and councillor Gosselin. While the municipality has always cleared Georges Street of snow, we now find that the current standards for eligibility are not being met, depriving residents of this essential service.

Diana Zakaib Jegou:
- About the Montfort pavilion. We need your support to get people interested in using it.
- The pavilion kitchen hasn't been cleaned in 20 years, and we're ready to take care of it, with your permission.
- Concerning the Galerie d'art Montfort, I have to get the key every time I enter, and take it back to Laurel. Ans: We'll sort it out.
- There's an assistance program for municipal buildings that we could perhaps take advantage of to restore the pavilion.
- Concerning the mandate given to the chamber of commerce...

The resident returns to the issue of snow removal on Georges Street, to ask for the municipality's help for citizens who are in a bad way.

Mr. Pierre Aubé (in the audience),
- What will the cost be for the architect awarded the contract for the Montfort Pavilion? Mayor's reply We don't have the exact figures, but we can take the case of Saint-Michel church as an example. Mr. Aubé: $26,000 was granted for a mandate concerning Saint-Michel church... Karine Dostie replies to Mr. Aubé: ...
- In your meeting of March 20, 2024, there was a resolution on the maintenance of private roads, to fuel a discussion on snow removal. How far have you got? Régent Gosselin answers: We've looked at several alternatives, but we already need to make an inventory of existing roads. It's around 80 km. We're looking at ways to help owners and establish regulations. Mr. Aubé: We don't have to pay for private roads. Karine Dostie: We need figures. Moreover, we currently only have the point of view of the owners of these roads. The mayor indicates that a 17% tax increase would be required to clear the roads. (?)

By Carl Chapdelaine

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

Ordre du jour         Version vidéo

Councillors Colleen Horan, Lyne Chapados, Karine Dostie, Eric Johnston and Régent Gosselin are present. In the absence of Mrs. Danielle Desjardins, mayor, the latter, as acting mayor, will chair the meeting, assisted by Mr. Ron Kelley, general manager. Mrs. Dostie, who is also entitled to chair the meeting, as is Mr. Gosselin, seems too busy with her baby to perform this task.

There are some 30 videoconference participants, including Ms. Desjardins. An unknown number are also present at the Laurel Community Center. The session will last two hours. The mayor will take advantage of the start of the question period, reserved for council members, to go back over a few points raised during the meeting. 

This question period will bring to light conflicts between certain council members or with those in the administration. There are also rumours that, as we approach the next municipal election year, some behind-the-scenes games are being played.

A whereas is withdrawn from item 4.6. Item 8.6 is withdrawn. Items 4.8, 4.9, 4.10 are added.

2. Declaration by elected representatives None

4. Administration and correspondence

4.2 Notice of modification to the rules of procedure for council meetings. (Reading dispensed with) (This involves integrating the articles of Bill 57, passed by the National Assembly on June 6, 2024.) The mayor will explain during question period that, among other things, it allows council members to participate fully in its deliberations by videoconference when they are unable to be on site. (Article 30).
4.3 Notice of modification to the management of the Contractual Policy. (Reading dispensed with)
4.4 Adoption of a special directive concerning the use of a language other than the official language. Whereas the language policy was modified on June 1, 2023, + other whereas, and certain derogations are permitted, while being submitted to the Ministère de la Langue française, the Council adopts the directive.
For example,” replies Mr. Gosselin to a question from Ms. Horan, ”a person who is not fluent in French may, in this case, ask a question for the municipality in English. The municipal representative will translate the question (for the benefit of the room) and answer it in his language, then translate it into French. This will be published on the municipal website. (All reservations reserved.)

4.6 Request for support concerning the Newaygo bridge. 

• Whereas this bridge is under the jurisdiction of the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (MTMD); 
• whereas the Ministère does not foresee any work on this bridge within a reasonable timeframe; whereas the distribution of services is affected; 
• whereas a council resolution, in April 2023, asked the Ministère to bring forward the date of its repair; another called for the installation of a temporary structure; 
• whereas that the MRC adopted a resolution (to this effect) in August 2024, but without having received a response from MTMD; that the Ministry is not respecting the lease with the MRC, which stipulated the presence of a bridge accessible to motorists, cyclists, etc.; 
• whereas that the detour imposed on cyclists is not in keeping with the MRC's commitment to the environment; that the detour imposed on cyclists (via Route Principale) is too steep; 
• whereas that the closure of the bridge affects the Corridor's recreational and tourism vocation. 
• is proposed to ask the MRC to put pressure on the Ministry to install a temporary bridge, and to give it 60 days to respond; that the request be forwarded to Mrs. Agnès Grondin, the MNA, and Mrs. Geneviève Guilbault, Minister of the MTMD, as well as to their assistants, Mr. Stéphane Audet, Director General of the MTMD of Laurentides-Lanaudière. Also forwarded to all mayors of the Pays-d'en-Haut and Laurentides MRCs. Adopted.

5. Public Safety

5.1 Public Safety Committee Chairman's report. Ms. Chapados indicates that lake surveillance by constables will be increased in 2025. ...

6. Public works and municipal asset management

6.1 Regular work

7. Environment

7.1 Report from the Chair of the Environment Committee. Mrs. Horan: Thank you to those who attended the November 9 meeting.
7.2 Wentworth-Nord's commitment and participation in the Municipalité Éco-Connectée program coordinated by Éco-corridors laurentiens.
7.3 Notice of motion and tabling of draft by-law 2024-623 governing a three-year inspection program for full-emptying retention pits. Councillor expresses reservations about this program.

8. Urban planning and economic development

8.1 Report from the Chairman of the Urban Planning Committee, Mr. Johnston.
Presentation of one minor derogation and several PIIAs, with a number of residential construction projects.
9. Recreation, culture and community life
9.1. Report from Mme Chapados, Chair of the Comité plein air, sentier et vie communautaire.
- Bagatelle / Santa Claus, November 23 (to be reserved).
- Exhibit at Montfort Pavilion, December 7, 8, 14 and 15, from 1 to 4 p.m.
- Christmas market at Saint-Michel, November 23, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.Karine Dostie: Counting for the children's Christmas tree on December 8. Register before December 1.
1st Wednesday in December (December 4): Dinner at Pavillon Saint-Michel, with the Filles de la Sagesse group.

Question period

At Mr. R. Gosselin's request, Council members were asked if they had any questions.
The mayor takes the microphone on Zoom. She thanks “Régent” for chairing the meeting and says, “I'm really not in the best shape to be chairing Council.”
She goes on to comment on items:
- 4.2, on a draft by-law amending the internal rules of procedure for City Council meetings. She begins by saying that she doesn't really like the exemption from reading that has been applied, and that she prefers a summary of the situation to inform citizens. This draft by-law will incorporate modifications decreed by Quebec on the holding of these meetings, and will allow, among other things, an absent council member, due to illness or other reasons, to participate fully from a distance.
- 4.3, on a draft by-law modifying the management of the Contractual Policy. Whereas it used to be forbidden to choose a supplier associated with an advisor, this will now be permitted. It used to be very complicated for a very small municipality to exclude people on whom it had to rely on or whom it wanted to invite to participate in municipal management, for example. Such a practice, Ms. Desjardins points out, presupposes adequate supervision.
- 4.6, on the request for support concerning the Newaygo bridge, to demand that the reconstruction date be brought forward and that a temporary bridge be installed. The mayor points out that the current situation affects the well-being of all the municipality's citizens. All councillors need to get behind this, and we need to get the support of the other municipalities on the Aerobic Corridor. We need Madame Grondin, our MNA, to get involved, and Madame Guilbault (Minister of Transport and Deputy Premier) to “wake up”. The situation has become unbearable for a group of citizens; and it's costing a lot in legal fees to all parties involved, including the ordinary citizens concerned.
- 5. concerning public safety. To Councillor Chapados: “We also have such a committee at the MRC. Why doesn't the fire department want to participate in the work of this committee? (Also,) our council has made requests to our public safety department and received nothing but a refusal. “How do you, the chair of this committee, handle the file?” Ms. Chapados says she won't be able to answer his question and tries to explain, while Ms. Desjardins sharply interrupts, taking her refusal as the answer!

Mr. Gosselin responds briefly to the mayor's initial comments, saying that the council would take them into account.

- Regarding the spreading of the gravel indicated for chemin Lundon, is this correct or should it read that it's another type of gravel instead? Mr. Gosselin explains that the gravel chosen is of sufficient quality and already superior to many others. DD: So this road can never be paved? RG: No, and I don't think it's in the municipality's best interest. DD: “It's important for the citizen to understand what it's all about. ... I recognize your great expertise in the field.”

A gentleman (Pierre Auger?) in the room.
- About the gravel on the (side?) of Chemin Sainte-Marie, which is worn out, and the MTMD's slowness. R G: It'll be for 2025, and maybe we'll do what we did for the Newaygo bridge.
- Aggregate = gravel, crushed?
- About signs (difficult to foresee?) on speed limits.
- About roadside advertising and other signs. R. Kelly explains. RG: We'll look into it.

R G: In 2025, we want to focus on missing ditches and road shoulders, but for bigger projects, you need grants and good preparation to apply for them.

Mme Denyse Pinsonneault. Imbroglio concerning the nurse's visits to the Montfort pavilion, as part of Entraide bénévole. Mr. Chartier accompanied her, as he should. I'm doing it in the meantime, with Mr. Ponce taking over by agreement with the municipality. Jémilie Paquette tells me that this service is no longer available in Montfort, although the nurse did come. I'd like the nurse to have the support she needs. RG hands over to RK: We'll sort it out. The mayor intervenes to say that the situation at the Pavillon is distressing, and that services must be offered there as they are in Laurel and Saint-Michel. Régent Gosselin says the director will contact Mr. Ponce next week.

Mr. Yves Charron(?). The neighbor is a car company and it's a nuisance for us. Everything gets picked up there, in terms of used vehicles and parts. My house is for sale, but this is detrimental to the sale. RG: It doesn't comply with regulations.

Mrs. Myriam Rioux. About the light... RK: We've put it in the hands of... MR: Well, we'll have to wait and see... She'd also like to thank the Highway Department for the restoration of Côte Lafleur, on chemin du Lac-Farmer, a masterpiece!

Mrs Désirée Till. About snow removal on chemin du Lac-Noiret. (Cf. 6.2) The (private) section has always been plowed by David Riddell Excavation; what will happen this year? Mr. Ron Kelley: Contact Mrs. Cronier.

Mr. Adrian Hausermann. He asks permission to make five comments.

• He congratulates councillors and administrative staff for their attendance and, in particular, for their involvement in municipal committees.
• He states that, according to his calculations, we would be under the $300,000/year mark by hiring three patrol officers and providing them with a car and equipment; that's half the cost of dealing with the Sûreté du Québec. Let the SQ handle municipalities with high crime rates
• He disagrees that the poor should pay for the snow clearing of the rich.
• He disagrees with the denial of minor exemptions to citizens, while others benefit through connections with a council member. And criteria that apply to other (non-comparable) municipalities should not be applied to situations here.
• Some councillors play tricks on citizens, as did our former mayor. Our mayor has the citizens' interests at heart, not her own, unlike her predecessors.” “And, I will fight F. Ghali's return to Wentworth-Nord City Hall to the bitter end. ...”
• His question to the councillors: Name one value that must come first in their office?

At its March 2024 meeting, the Wentworth-Nord council mandated its administration to provide information to enable it to assess the situation regarding private roads and to determine, prior to the presentation of the 2025 budget, whether the municipality should become financially involved in this maintenance or maintain the status quo. It was a question that had been raised since the last administration and brought back by Councillor Eric Johnston..

On November 9 at 9:00 a.m., the municipality held a meeting with lake associations on the subject. It was held at the Laurel Community Centre. One can imagine that the Director of Urban Planning Services, Mr. Benoit Cadieux, would present the results of the mandate on private roads received and consult participants on possible avenues. This would be followed by the expected meeting on relations with associations and on the environment, chaired by the new Environment Coordinator, Mr. Sébastien Poncelet.

It was not clear whether the public had also been invited to this event; but they would certainly not be given the opportunity to participate by videoconference. It is now customary for such a meeting with lake associations to take place late in the fall, after most cottagers have left. The undersigned, who still expected a Zoom link to be available to participate in this meeting, was not going to set off at seven in the morning and make the Montreal-Laurel round trip to try to access the information and exchanges that would take place there.

The council cannot be blamed for bringing lake associations, in a municipality where they play a key role, to contribute to the determination, dissemination and implementation of its policies. In such a position, however, these associations inherit the obligation to transmit any information or directive, not only to their members, but to the entire community of the lakes concerned. It is a chain of transmission that can, unfortunately, often be dropped out and that cannot replace direct communication between the municipality and citizens.

At the council meeting of October 16, 2024, Mayor Danielle Desjardins stated that there would eventually be a public consultation on the subject of private roads. Régent Gosselin had also announced this at the September 18 meeting. Is this the November 9 consultation, or will we be entitled to a real public consultation? In the meantime, a moratorium was imposed on all requests for contributions related to this subject. (We know when moratoria begin; we don't know, despite promises, when they will end...) 

This thorny issue of private road maintenance, like that of the environment in Wentworth-Nord, concerns all citizens, as we pointed out in our article on the issue of private roads last April. We won't repeat our presentation and analysis of that time, but simply point out that there doesn't seem to be a global solution to this problem. The pros and cons have continued all the way to the courts, with rulings adapted to the circumstances. In fact, there are many aspects to consider, concerning private roads, among others, in terms of acquired rights or precedents not to be created. The cost of municipal participation in their maintenance could also be a deterrent. Obviously, attendance at the November 9 meeting must have given guests a better idea of the problem in Wentworth-Nord.

It would seem unfortunate if the municipal council had not chosen to address the majority of its citizens directly, to inform and consult them on the conclusions of the mandate given to its administration. Meanwhile, these issues, and the decisions that might result from them, concern them first and foremost, and could already be reflected in the budget being prepared for 2025 and all those that follow.

Par Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

For Nov. 9 at 9:00, a public consultation with associations on private roads,

and at 10:30, discussion of summer shoreline inspections, and presentation of water analysis results from 19 lakes between June and September. (With Mr. Sébastien Poncelet, environmental coordinator; at the Laurel Community Centre)

Ordre du jour         Version vidéo     Minutes

Councillors Colleen Horan, Lyne Chapados and Catherine Léger are present, as well as Councilor Réjean Gosselin. Mayor Danielle Desjardins, wearing a mask, will preside over the beginning of the meeting; but she will let Mr. Gosselin continue the presidency, assisted by Mr. Ron Kelley, the Director General. Ms. Karine Dostie and Mr. Eric Johnston are absent.
There will be approximately thirty participants by videoconference, in addition to those present at the Laurel Community Centre. The meeting will last two hours.

2. Statement by elected officials

Ms. Desjardins, who confirms the departure of the Coordinator of Environmental Services, Mr. Benjamin Plourde, thanks him for his good services.
4. Administration and correspondence

4.1 Acceptance of reports on salaries, purchases of disbursements, purchases of capital assets for the month of August. The total was $1.3 million in 2023, and it is $672,000 for 2024.
4.3 Donation to the Fondation médicale des Laurentides. This cooperative organization contributes to the operation of health cooperatives, and therefore to that of Wentworth-Nord. A contribution of 25¢ per citizen is suggested; which, for the 1,672 people in the municipality, gives $418.

5. Public safety (Here, Ms. Desjardins leaves and gives her place to Mr. Gosselin)

5.1 Report from the Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Ms. Chapados indicates that the number of calls is increasing. The discussion is about washing boats, fire safety, for which she congratulates the members; etc.
5.2 Hiring of Mr. Benjamin Deschamps as a firefighter and first responder.

6. Public works and municipal asset management

6.1 Report of the Chair of the Roads Committee. Mr. Gosselin indicated that the work is continuing to restore the roads. Efforts are being increased to develop or restore ditches, in order to avoid the expected spring flooding.

7. Environment

7.1 Report of the Chair of the Environment Committee. Ms. Horan:
• Invites residents to be vigilant (concerning the launching of visiting boats?).
• A word for the coalition on mining claims.
• She invites residents to participate in the consultation on the Montfort Pavilion, the ?.
• …
7.3 Hiring of an environmental coordinator: Mr. Sébastien Poncelet.

8. Urban planning and economic development

8.1 Report of the Chair of the Urban Planning Committee. No report, due to the absence of Mr. Johnston.
Here, Mr. Gosselin will read a long series of adoptions of draft by-laws amending the current by-laws; which is necessary to ensure their compliance with the amended urban plan. The motions and filings of these draft by-laws were presented at the meeting of August 21.
8.11 Compliance of the by-law on minor exemptions, the construction by-law and the by-law relating to the demolition of buildings with the amended urban plan. A public notice will be posted.
8.12 DM – Encroachment of a garage in the front and side margin at 2847, chemin Marr. The council will follow the recommendation of the CCU to reject this application.
8.16 PIIA – Construction of a main building on a lot on chemin de la Rivière-Perdue. Accepted, with the recommendation to apply an appropriate coating on the windows overlooking the lake, to reduce light pollution from the interior.
The other PIIA are also accepted.

9. Recreation, Culture and Community Life

9.1. Report from the Chair of the Outdoor, Trail and Community Life Committee. Ms. Chapados:
• You can reach a health professional by dialing 811; see Info-Santé 811
• Saturday, the 21st, at 4 p.m.: Public meeting for our Laurel convenience store.
• Community dinner in St-Michel, according to the usual schedule. (Subject to change.)
• Community dinner in Laurel, according to the usual schedule. (Subject to change.)

9.2. Report from the Chair of the Recreation and Culture Committee. Ms. Léger:
• Ciné-Club, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. “Nos belles-sœurs”, directed by René Richard Cyr.
• Laurel Community Centre, September 28, starting at 10 a.m. Children's workshop, led by local artist Ms. France Paquette, for the Journées de la Culture 2024.
• Galerie d’art Montfort: Les Essentiels Participate in the creation of works, on September 29, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., as part of the Journées de la Culture 2024.
• A visit to the artist's studio, on September 27, 28 and 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; at 3165, chemin de La Maison Rouge.
• October 12, 2 p.m.: Theatre at the church of St-Michel. Admission $5.
• Presentations at the Ciné-Club on October 19 and November 16: (See Facebook page)

11. Public interest topic
Mr. Gosselin reminds that there will be very soon:
• An information/consultation session on private roads.
• Same on the future of the Montfort pavilion.

Question period
• Question in the room about the danger to children, due to the non-compliance with the speed limit on (La Maison Rouge Road?), particularly by trucks.
Inaudible response from Mr. Ron Kelly. Mr. Gosselin indicates that the municipality is not equipped to install a speed bump there, but that it has awarded the contract to a contractor who should see to it this year.
• Ms. Myriam Rioux:
o No one stops at the corner of Route Principale and Chemin du Lac-Farmer (?).
o The light does not work at the corner of …
o The police do not come, because we are not important enough.

• Ms. Catherine Lacasse, on behalf of the residents of Chemin du Lac-Gustave.
o (We know that the owner of a portion of the road, the Ministry of Transportation and Sustainable Mobility, does not maintain it, and that it is the municipality that does.) When will the municipality own it, and can we have answers from Mr. Kelly? R. Kelly: We provided the documents to the Ministry. The resolution was registered at the council meeting of April 17, 2024. R. Gosselin: We want to acquire the portion in question. We cannot give you an answer before having the answer from the MTMD.
o And for its snow removal? R. G.: We will have a consultation on private roads. C. L.: It is not a private road. It has been a year since we submitted a request to you. You are snow removal on a section of Jackson Road belonging to the Ministry of Natural Resources, but not the section of Lac-Gustave Road. R. G.: We will look into that.
Ms. Lacasse will not spare the council and the administration in her intervention, recalling that we do not get many answers and suggesting that the request to the MTMD, prepared by the resigning coordinator, Mr. Benjamin Plourde, was never sent to her.

• Ms. Farinaz (on Zoom): (Property on ch. du Lac-Thurson) We had made a request to Mr. Cadieux, but we did not receive a response before (everything was frozen?). For us, it is about building private cottages; but nothing is moving, causing us serious harm. We submitted our projects at the same time as that of the Projet du Mont. For them, it is moving forward; for us not!
• Ms. Brigitte Thomas (on Zoom): On the Route Principale, between St-Michel and Laurel, there is an inconsistency in the signage; it indicates higher speeds on curves (?) than on straight lines. R.K and R.G: We are looking at the signage; it will be checked and adjusted.

Report by show of hands and with all reservations; by Carl Chapdelaine

Google Translate

Ordre du jour     Version vidéo     Minutes

Councillors Colleen, Lyne Chapados, Catherine Léger and Karine Dostie, with her baby, are present. In the absence of Ms. Danielle Desjardins, Mayor, Councilor Réjean Gosselin will chair the meeting, assisted by Mr. Ron Kelley, the Director General. Councilor Eric Johnston is also absent.
There are two dozen participants by videoconference, including Ms. Desjardins. An unknown number are also present at the Laurel Community Centre, including former councilor Myriam Rioux, who will speak during question period (Saint-Michel Church and Lac-Farmer Road). The meeting will last two and a quarter hour, due to the reading of the many urban planning resolutions.

2. Statement by elected officials
Ms. Dostie indicates that she has her one-month-old baby by her side.

4. Administration and correspondence
4.1 Acceptance of reports on salaries, purchases of disbursements, purchases of fixed assets for the month of July 2024.
Total disbursements for maintenance, etc.: $712,286 (or $412,286?) in 2023, compared to $424,781 this year. Adding net salaries, reimbursements, fixed assets, etc., we have a grand total of $643,991 in 2023, and $710,307 in 2024. (To be recalculated…)
4.3 Adoption of the Occupational Health and Safety Policy. Here, Mr. Gosselin tells us that a flagman has just been hit by a backhoe on the Saint-Michel side, hence the municipality’s press release indicating the temporary closure of a section of road and a detour.
4.4 Request for financial assistance from the Association pour la protection du lac Wentworth. A donation of $467.35 is granted.
4.6 Authorization to hire an Environmental Coordinator. (This is following the departure of Mr. Benjamin Plourde.)
4.7 Authorization to hire an administrative assistant.
4.9 Financial assistance to the Coop de solidarité santé Wentworth-Nord. In order to support it in its projects, a donation of $20,000 is granted. Either by a payment of $10,000 on January 15, 2025, and a second to come; all conditional on the submission of progress reports on said projects.

5. Public Safety
5.1 Report of the Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Ms. Chapados congratulates the firefighters and Public Works departments who were particularly in demand during the recent flood. This was a strong initiation for the new director of this department, Mr. ?.
6. Public works and municipal asset management
6.1 Report of the President of the Roads Committee. Mr. Gosselin indicates that the Public Works Department had to, among other things, clean several half-full culverts. He emphasizes that it will be necessary to see if all the culverts are suitable for the eventuality of such weather disasters.

7. Environment
7.1 Report of the Chair of the Environment Committee. Ms. Horan:
• Very productive meeting with the Urban Planning Advisory Committee (CCU), the Environmental Advisory Committee (CCE), Mr. Benjamin Plourde, Mr. Cadieux and elected officials. It was about the document (?) that the services (?) worked on for a year and on which there will be a public consultation.
• Concerning mining claims, a memorandum will be published to explain the Coalition's position. The latter, composed of volunteers, will have to call on professional expertise to draft said memorandum. There will therefore be a fundraising campaign with lake protection associations and MRCs. Thus, if the twenty-one lake associations of Wentworth-Nord each gave $100, our total contribution would be $2,100.
There is a documentary highlighting a situation in Abitibi. Watch it on Facebook, at "Malartic".
7.2 Adoption of By-law 2020-155-1 amending By-law 2020-155 concerning nuisances, peace and order of the Municipality of Wentworth-Nord. The councillor indicates here that launching boats is only permitted between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the landing stage (?). She recalls certain prohibitions, including swimming and fishing at the Montfort pavilion.
8. Urban planning and economic development
8.1 Report of the Chair of the Urban Planning Committee. No report, due to the absence of Mr. Johnston.
Here, Mr. Gosselin will read a long series of notices of motion, filing of corresponding draft by-laws, and their adoption, amending the current by-laws; which is necessary to ensure their compliance with the amended urban plan.
On this occasion, Councillor Dostie and Ms. Horan will vote against the adoption of certain urban planning resolutions that they have deemed inappropriate.

9. Recreation, culture and community life
9.1. Report of the Chair of the Outdoor, Trail and Community Life Committee. Ms. Chapados congratulates the Laurel Lake Association for organizing the event that took place at this lake, as well as Sophie Community Resources.
9.2. Report of the Chair of the Recreation and Culture Committee. Ms. Léger: f

• Congratulates the team that worked on the success of Ciel d’août 2024.
• Announces that every Saturday …
• A Ciné-club film every third Saturday of the month, at 7.30pm, beginning September 28.
• Culture Days.

11. Matter of public interest
11.1 Return to resolution 2024-07-3246 of the minutes of July 17, 2024. Councillor Horan will vote against the adoption of this resolution proclaiming the independence of councillors and against the adoption of which the mayor had used her right of veto; a right that can be reversed by a new adoption by the council. It will be adopted by a majority.

Question period
• Written question about the maintenance of Chemin du Lac-Gustave. The owner, the Ministry of Transport, does not maintain it, and it is the municipality that does it.
R. Gosselin: If Wentworth-Nord owned it, it could obtain subsidies; but a transfer of ownership involves legal measures: notary, etc.
• (Ms. Myriam Rioux?) The surfacing of Chemin Farmer needs to be redone. R. Gosselin: We must first think about the deep structure of this road. It’s on the agenda.
Ms. Rioux (in the room): (On the project with the Saint-Michel church) Mr. Ron Kelly: We need to calculate the costs so that the municipality can obtain subsidies. …
Charleen, on Zoom: It would be good to set up four spaces at the Préau de Laurel for pickleball (light tennis); it’s very popular in Morin-Heights. R. Kelly: We’ll look at that for 2025.
Speaker in the room:
• Thank you for the donation to the Coop de santé.
• When… Ans.: That’s for Mr. Cadieux.
Diana Zakaib Jegou:
• We need internet at the Montfort pavilion. R. K. The signal isn’t strong enough right now.
• No news on the future (?) of the Pavilion. Colleen: There will be a consultation in early September (?)
• Heating coming soon to the Pavilion. Colleen: Yes.

With all due respect; by Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

Ordre du jour       Video version        Minutes

Councillors Colleen Horan, Catherine Léger, Réjean Gosselin and Eric Johnston are present. Mrs. Danielle Desjardins, Mayor, will chair the meeting, assisted by Mr. Ron Kelley, General Manager. Lyne Chapados and Karine Dostie are absent, as Ms. Dostie is about to give birth.
Council members will present the agenda items for the sectors whose committees they chair; for example, Mr. Johnston will give a lengthy reading of item 8, Urban Planning and Economic Development. There will be almost thirty participants by videoconference, and an undetermined number in the room at the Laurel Community Centre. The session will last nearly two hours.

1. Adoption of the agenda
Item 7.8 (Grant to the Lac Laurel Association) has been added to the agenda.
Item 11.1: Ms. Léger requests the addition of another item, as a matter of public interest, 11.1 (Clarification of the respective roles of the mayor and councillors). The mayor, indirectly concerned by this draft resolution and who had not been informed of its addition, in extremis, explains that she has no document on this point; whereas information and the pre-session(?) meeting of council members should enable them to prepare for its presentation. A discussion ensued, during which the mayor's different reading of the municipal code was opposed to that of Mr. Johnston and Ms. Léger. Ms. Desjardins complies. (The resolution would specify that the mayor's comments are not binding on other council members).

2. Declaration by elected officials
a. Ms. Desjardins, in what appears to be a reference to the draft resolution on the respective roles of elected officials, apologizes for unfortunate statements she let slip at the June council meeting, which she explains were misinterpreted. (The recording of this meeting was not programmed).
(The undersigned, who was unable to attend, understands that the mayor attended by videoconference. During question period, she would have had great difficulty using the Zoom; this would have led her to say such things.)
b. Mr. Johnston asks (for a review of the policy concerning service providers, including Bell Canada) we believe we understand. The numerous power outages are also mentioned.

4. Administration and correspondence
4.4 Recognition of organizations. Added :
a. Le Garde-manger des Pays-d'en-Haut.
b. Ressources communautaires Sophie.
c. La Table des arts et de la culture de Wentworth-Nord.

4.5 Problems with the Hydro-Québec network. Approach Hydro-Québec.
4.6 Request for review of Municipal Taxation Act for Sûreté du Québec taxes. Ask Quebec to reduce SQ funding imposed on municipalities.
4.7 Request for financial assistance from the Association du lac Laurel. $350 to the Association for its August 17 event at the beach. (All are invited.) 4.8 Authorization to hold the event, on condition that the municipality is not liable to insure it.

6. Public works and municipal asset management
6.1 Report from road committee chairman M. Gosselin. Roadside damage caused by heavy rain (inaudible continuation).
6.2 Authorization to purchase a pick-up truck for the Roads Department. Maximum authorized ($63,000 + $2,300?), for pick-up truck and signage accessories.

7. Environment
7.1 Report from the Chair of the Environment Committee, Mrs. Horan.
- Good idea to complain to Hydro-Québec about the frequency of power outages. They say they weren't aware that Wentworth-Nord was suffering more than its share...
- Likewise, we should all complain to the Ministry of Transport about the poor condition of our roads.
- Meeting with the Qlaim Coalition (Coalition québécoise des lacs incompatibles avec l'activité minière) Few of the coalition's demands were received by Québec. There was a gain in terms of distance from lake shores, private and agricultural lands, and woodlots (see Québec meilleure mine).
7.2 Commitment to protecting and improving water quality in the Rivière du Nord watershed.

8. Urban planning and economic development
8.1 Report from the Chairman of the Urban Planning Committee, Mr. Johnston.
8.10 PIIA 2024-0206 - Construction of a main building on lot 6 530 056, rue du Domaine-du-Mont. (This is contained in the accepted overall project.) Ms. Horan asked if the impact of the digging work (by blasting), and on the water table had been assessed. Mr. Johnston explains that, as far as he knows, there is no such requirement in the regulations. Ms. Desjardins provides information to the effect that a study has shown that this type of work has no impact on the water table in Wentworth-Nord.

9. Recreation, culture and community life
9.1. Report from the Chair of the Comité plein air, sentier et vie communautaire. (Mme Dostie is absent.)
9.2 Report from the Chair of the Recreation and Culture Committee. Ms. Léger reminds everyone that the 2nd edition of the Festival Ciel d'août will be held from July 31 to August 4. (Table de concertation + W-N + MRC)
And, in advance, on July 27, a free show by an international artist from Wentworth-Nord (singer?) Le chant des oiseaux.
Resumes August 3. August 2, Montfort pavilion: Le chant des oiseaux.
August 3: Market (under the courtyard).
9.3. Modification to the Policy on the use of municipal premises and infrastructures. The councillor presents a resolution to the effect that lake associations may use municipal premises (pavilions) free of charge for their AGM. Ms. Desjardins explains that the $45 charged for rental of premises is not an obstacle for an organization; that it costs the municipality much more to provide them; and that this will set a precedent for any association to use. We already offer 100% of the cost of water analyses requested by lake associations. Mr. Johnston and Ms. Léger explain that this is a (symbolic) gesture of recognition to these associations.

11. Subjects of Public Interest
11.1(Clarification of respective roles of mayor and councillors) See 1. Adoption of agenda and 2. Declaration by elected officials. Mayor and councillors interpret the rules concerning the aspects of this distribution. Mr. Gosselin wishes to see this only as a clarification of roles, and not as a judgment on what happened during the question period at the June meeting. Mr. Johnston and Ms. Horan express their disappointment with Ms. Desjardins' comments at this event.

Question period

Mr. David Clark has:

1. A request for the municipality, more than a question. He explains that the first difficulty encountered when tackling a problem is knowing which jurisdiction is responsible for it. He would like the municipality to publish on its website a list of authorities according to their responsibility for the environment: which authority is responsible for what, and who is the contact person? Here, the mayor tells him that the best person to answer this question is Mr. Benjamin Plourde.
2. Regarding the analysis criteria for the PIIA, he never sees any specific requirement concerning the discharge into the environment of materials likely to follow the watershed pathways of watercourses and end up in one or other of Wentworth-Nord's lakes, as we understand it. During his presentation and the interventions of Mr. Johnston, the president of the CCU, we would have heard mention of: ...watershed...; ...critical factor... and ...Hunter Road... Mr. Johnston, on the contrary, asserts that this consideration has received increasing attention in the analyses. He invites Mr. Clark to consult the municipality's website to see all that the PIIA and (the regulations) of the urban planning services have to say on the subject. Mr. Clark has promised to submit all this in writing.

Ordre du jour       Procès-verbal

(The amended 2017 Urban Plan describes in great detail and from many angles the portrait of Wentworth-Nord and the opinions of its residents, confronted with the pressures of development that we hope will be sustainable. You'll find most of the questions, arguments, issues and respective positions of residents, developers and entrepreneurs that have been raised in recent years. The fundamental orientations may not have changed much, so they seem to have been agreed upon by successive administrations. But they have had to adapt to new realities.

These variables are usually put into context, with authors past and present pointing out, for example, the impact of low population density on municipal infrastructures. But in the face of ambivalent issues, such as access to the lake for more citizens vs. protection of the environment and the peace and quiet of lakeside residents, the options suggested or left open will still need to be approved by residents and municipal authorities.

With the many changes, both minor and major, contained in this document, we feel that the council has a formidable tool at its disposal to keep abreast of the issues and proposals towards which it must direct the destiny of Wentworth-Nord. In a free economy, however, its means of action are limited to setting guidelines or imposing prohibitions, by means of regulations. The developers of real estate projects remain the ones who can make this destiny a reality; unless the municipality or other public body is, themselves, part of it.

Will the valuable information and consultation session on the Plan modifications held on May 11, attended by a good delegation from Lac Argenté in the room but only by some twenty participants via videoconference, compared with some fifty for the first, held on December 9, have enabled sufficient exchanges of information and opinions to enable the council to know which way to go?

What's the point of so much information, so much analysis, so many suggestions, if the citizens only had an overview? And last year's outcry against the moratorium and announced restrictions on short-term rentals, whether from developers, investors or affected residents, hardly prevailed this time.

We had hoped to include here a summary table of the various options put forward in the modified Plan, with the choices they present to residents, perhaps accompanied by a few comments. But there's too much material to digest here for such an exercise.
Could Microsoft's artificial intelligence assistance tool, Copilot, summarize the modified Plan and give us another version than the one delivered by its authors? We'll present here, in full, what this tool has come up with for us. Clearly, this overview can't give us even a summary of the Plan, but it does give us a certain idea of it, with an ... intelligent orientation! With the same tool, we could probably obtain a more in-depth analysis and the points to remember.

We have no doubt, moreover, that the Urban Planning and Environmental Services, who introduced interactive tools in their December presentation, will take advantage of artificial intelligence in the future. Could the latter itself take everything into consideration and dictate policy to the council? Indeed, by comparing the issues and other variables of the Wentworth-Nord Urban Plan with those of all the other urban plans on the planet that have seen their proposals realized, artificial intelligence will probably already have a better answer for us than similar research could provide for our administration.)

Copilot

Here is a summary of the first part of the document on the modification of the urban plan for the municipality of Wentworth-Nord :
Revision and Objectives: The document presents a revision of the 2017 urban plan, with major modifications in 2024 to respond to the concerns of the population and the municipal council, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sustainable Development: The focus is on environmental protection and sustainable development, recognizing nature as Wentworth-Nord's greatest asset.
Demographic Growth: It addresses population growth and the increase in permanent residents, while highlighting the challenges of dense land use and the lack of local services.
Typological diversity: The plan aims for greater typological diversity and better integration of new construction, while preserving the environment and promoting access to nature.
Reference: wentworth-nord.ca
Use of 2017 Urban Plan
Here is a summary of Part 2 of the document:
Integrated development: The pandemic has sparked interest in the development of integrated projects, but these do not always meet expectations for eco-responsible development.
Land Conservation: A significant portion of Wentworth-Nord's territory is protected from development, including nature reserves and crown lands.
Property Values: Average property values increased significantly between 2011 and 2021, influenced by lakefront home values.
Rental pressure: The increase in short-term rentals in residential areas poses problems for the cohabitation of uses.
These key points reflect the main issues addressed in this section of the document.
Reference: wentworth-nord.ca
The following is a summary of Part 3 of the document:
Park-specific zoning: Creation of a zoning zone for the park with exclusive authorization for extensive recreational activities.
Conservation Easement: Establishment of a perpetual conservation easement on park lands.
Residential use: The population of Montfort wishes to prioritize residential use and limit the recreational and tourist offer to reduce nuisance.
Proposed actions: Concentrate commercial uses in the village zone, limit the number and type of businesses, and control the tourism offer to avoid adding additional infrastructure.
Reference: wentworth-nord.ca
- The following is a summary of Part 4 of the document:
-
- - **Traffic lane layout** : The document describes the **projected traffic routes** and the **trails to be protected**, including the Lac Notre-Dame trails, the Club Viking cross-country ski trails, and others.
-
- - **Lake statistics**: Provides an indicative table with data on the number of waterfront properties, average lot size, and other statistics concerning the main lakes in the municipal territory.
-
- - **Watershed analysis** : The document provides an analysis of properties by watershed, including surface area, number of built and vacant properties, and other relevant measures.
-
- - **Appendices**: The document also includes appendices, such as an updated land use map, which complement the information provided in this section of the document.
-
- This is a concise summary of the key points in Part 4 of the document, opened in the browser.

By Carl Chapdelaine …et Copilot!

With, at item 4.3, but at the beginning of the meeting, tabling and acceptance of the financial statements for the year 2023 and the report of the external auditor, Raymond Chabot.

Ordre du jour        Version vidéo        Minutes

Councillors Colleen Horan, Lyne Chapados, Karine Dostie, Catherine Léger and Réjean Gosselin are present, as is Mayor Danielle Desjardins, who will chair the meeting, assisted by General Manager Ron Kelley. Councillor Eric Johnston is absent. Accounting Manager Martin Larose is also on the rostrum.
There appear to be only a few people in the Laurel Community Hall, while two dozen are participating by videoconference. The session will last 1 h 15.

4. Administration
4.3 Mr. Michel St-Arnaud, from the Saint-Jérôme office of Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, accompanied by his manager, Mr. Danick Richer, will present the financial statements for the year 2023. The mayor began by recalling that the current administration had made up for the backlog of these presentations and deficits of the former.
Revenues: $8.4 million; expenses: $7.7 million, surplus: $432 k?
Operating surplus: $374 k
Balance sheet :
- Cash on hand: $805 k
- Taxes, expected grants, etc. : 3,1 M$
- Total financial assets: $3.9 M$

- Long-term debt: $2.5 M
- Supplies, salaries, etc.: $16.2 M
- Total: $18.8 M
- Net debt: $14.8 M
- Non-financial assets: $23.5 M
- Other assets (supplies, etc.): $269 k
- Total assets: $23.7 M
- Accumulated surplus: $8.9 M

(Note: the following in telegraphic mode, according to our notes and some listening to the recording or other verification).

4.4 Recognition of the Lake St-François-Xavier Association as a municipal organization entitled to special status for use of the Montfort Pavilion. Ditto for the Fonds environnemental du lac St-François-Xavier and the citizens' group that requested such recognition.

5. Public safety
5.1 Councillor K. Dostie.
- Several firefighter and first responder interventions, as usual...
- Hiring of constables planned, including Patrick Wilhelmy.

6. Public works and municipal asset management
Mr. Réjean Gosselin
- Mr. Aubé, Director of Public Works, is leaving his position. Hiring criteria have been established for his future replacement.
- ... street shoulders, etc.
- Mr. Fr. Bertrand will coordinate...
- Dust suppression planned...
6.4to 6.6 (Reading dispensation!)

7. Environment
Chair of the Environment Committee, Councillor Horan reminds everyone that the lake associations' meeting with the municipality will be held this Saturday, May 18, at 9:30 a.m. at the Laurel Community Centre. Everyone is welcome to attend. (The undersigned will not be able to attend, in the hope that a participant will be able to take some notes and photos, for publication here).
Next, Ms. Horan passes an amendment to By-law 2018-530 concerning the EcoLoan Program - Assistance Program for the Replacement of Septic Systems. She also deals with a request from a resident under this program.
Lastly, she announced a $5,000 donation to the Fonds environnemental du lac Saint-François-Xavier to enable it to carry out a project to cover with a geotextile fabric an alley at the bottom of the small "Church" basin, over which boats passing through this basin travel, and to prevent the spread of sewage upstream by the passage of said boats. The aim is to suffocate the invasive pondweed. Broad-leaved pondweed is a native plant, but it can become invasive and a nuisance when it encounters an environment conducive to its development.
8. Urban planning and economic development
In Mr. Johnston's absence, the mayor described the items on the agenda. Four PIIAs were adopted, on the recommendation of the CCU.
8.3 Adoption of by-law no. 2022-608-4 amending interim control by-law no. 2022-608 to add a waiver of prohibitions with respect to certain buildings and categories of residential activities.
Several notices of motion, tabling or adoption of draft by-laws concerning zoning are presented.

9. Recreation, culture and community life
9.1 Ms. Chapados reminds :
- MRC roadside bulky items collection on May 19.
- June 1: Neighbours' Day. You can meet community organizations (Entraide bénévole, etc.) in the Town Hall courtyard.
- Journée DécouVerte Saturday, May 25, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
9.2 Ms. Catherine Léger :
- The Table des arts et de la culture has received a grant from the MRC.
- Ciné-club, May 20, 8 p.m.: "La Fonte des glaces": (At a slightly later hour, due to the lengthening of the day?)
- Half and half at Galerie des arts Montfort.
9.3. Hiring lifeguards for Laurel and Lake St-François-Xavier, if available...
9.4. Setting up a MADA committee. The mayor indicates that Véronique Cronier, the assistant general manager and clerk-treasurer, is in charge of...

Question period
Mr. Mario Baril, Club de chasse et pêche Vaudreuil: You're charging non-residents $100 to wash their boats. This violates our rights; the lakes belong to everyone. I'm a resident of the neighboring municipality. My group has already paid over $2,000 to repair the boat ramp. I'm going to have 20 fishermen (on Lake Louisa); it's going to cost us $2,000! Can't you make it free here?
The mayor: That's the current regulation, but we'll discuss it again at council.

(Will this gentleman come back with a question about boat washes?) The station (in St-Michel) is asphalted, so the water leaks outside... Rep. We'll look into it.

Mrs Linda Proulx (Ass. Lac St-Victor) wants to know what exactly the problem with the Newaygo bridge is. The mayor summarized the situation, which she described as ridiculous, and indicated that the mayors would be lobbying MTMD for a rapid restoration of this crossing.

Without reservation; by Carl Chapdelaine

(Purchase of a truck - Grant to Coop de solidarité santé Wentworth-Nord)

Ordre du jour

All Council members are present, as well as the General Manager. A few people are participating by videoconference. (There is no sound, and the meeting lasts only five minutes).

• Purchase of a truck for the First Responders service. The mayor gives some figures and the name of the dealer for the purchase of a Ford truck and the consequent loan. She reminds us that this purchase was provided for in the Programme triennal d'immobilisations (PTI) ($85,000 in the Public Safety line item).
• Grant of $10,000 to the COOP de solidarité santé Wentworth-Nord (CSSWN).
• Question period

By Carl Chapdelaine

• Restoration of thaw-damaged roads to be completed. The shoulders are still soft, but we've started filling the holes (potholes). We're relying on contractors to complete the work and snow removal, (even though the contract deadline was March 31?).
• Sweeping and collection (of gravel and sand) should start in 2 weeks.
• Work with the grader has begun on the Saint-Michel side. But it's still not perfect.
• 2 accidents requiring ambulance and police, last week, on the Perce-neige (or Canadian Tire) curve ...
• Ask me your questions during the question period, if any.

• Ciné-club this Saturday, with Lucy Grizzli Sophie, a film shot, in part, in the immediate area, Harrington and perhaps Wentworth-Nord. Actor Guillaume Cyr will be zooming in.
  - Sugar shack dinner at Étoile du Nord, also this Saturday. We may wait for those who dine there, before starting the film (at the Town Hall).
  - Mother's Day, Saturday May 11, at the library, with activities scheduled.
  - Many thanks to the Ciné-club and library volunteers.

At the March meeting of the Wentworth-Nord council, the issue of private road maintenance, already put forward by Councillor Eric Johnston under Mayor Ghali's administration, who was in favour of the municipality assuming financial responsibility for it, was included under the Public Works and Municipal Asset Management item on the agenda. The cost of maintaining these roads is currently borne by their owners. Council has therefore mandated its administration to provide it with information to enable it to assess the situation this summer and determine, prior to presentation of the 2025 budget, whether the municipality should become financially involved in this maintenance or maintain the status quo.

The Chairman of the Roads Committee, Councillor Réjean Gosselin, began by giving some figures to illustrate the situation of the owners of these roads, faced with the costs they assume, both for their own roads and for public roads. He indicated that their contribution represented 33% of the municipality's tax bills (?) Some of these owners are asking to benefit from the service offered to those served by public roads, by having the cost covered, in whole or in part, by the municipality.

During the question period and faced with the despair of a resident who claims that the financial burden of such maintenance is disproportionate, Mayor Danielle Desjardins explains that the aim here (for the Council, General Management, Urban Planning and Public Works departments) is to stimulate discussion on the subject. Some municipalities (like Val-des-Monts) contribute to such maintenance, and there are several models for such interventions, she points out. She had already questioned Mayor Ghali on the subject, pointing out that transferring the maintenance of all private roads to the municipality would represent a sum (around 10% of its annual budget) that the latter simply couldn't afford. Former councillor David Zgodzinski also insisted on this last point. Val-des-Monts : à qui revient la responsabilité d’entretenir les chemins privés? + Programme d’aide financière

It's clear, then, that there are pros and cons when it comes to assessing the problem and the measures to be taken. And everyone's interests are affected. Indeed, the status quo will continue to allocate the costs of maintaining private roads to their owners, in addition to contributing to those of public roads; while the assumption of these costs by the municipality will be reflected in everyone's taxation.

But there is a moral question at the heart of this assessment: is the current situation fair? We don't think so. Private roads may date back several generations in Wentworth-Nord, as in other municipalities. At the other extreme, others have been built more recently, or are planned, to serve future housing developments, sometimes estates with dedicated roads. We could sum it up by saying that some are victims of historical circumstances, while others are more or less at the origin of their situation and able to provide for it.

In Montfort, the presence of Chemin-de-fer street represents a special case. As in the case of owners without road access, it seems that the status of their property, as former mayor André Genest occasionally reminded us, is one of access by boat. However, the transformation of the railroad into a carriage road enabled them to access the property by vehicle.

The owners at the time, who were not on the edge of the railroad line, were not so lucky. Today, as for those who bought such properties, they are isolated and always condemned to be served by boat. Almost all of these houses are summer cottages, as they are not accessible in winter or in between seasons, such as during thaw periods. The people who live there are deprived above all of the emergency, medical and fire services that are now defined as essential for everyone. Nor are they able to take advantage of the many services enjoyed by all other citizens: construction using heavy machinery, transportation of large materials, waste collection, home deliveries, etc.; or even Cogeco's new cable Internet services.

Some of these Newaygo homeowners, who inherited their house from their parents and grandparents, have seen it demolished by natural elements, such as falling trees or the weight of snow. Without a road, without the Bachmann barge, and without the possibility of calling on outside contractors or the talents of self-builders, skilled in using their boats to transport the necessary materials, they cannot, today, see to the rebuilding of this house, even on the existing foundations.

At the same time, regulations were already prohibiting them from rebuilding so close to the shore, even though it was the shore that had moved closer as water levels rose. In fact, some of their lots are too small or too steep to consider relocating the house. And regulations still prevent them from doing so, precisely because of the absence of a road... Those who own undeveloped lots there have nothing left to do but pay the taxes.

As any possible access road to this area has been blocked by a green belt of "orphan lots", on the one hand, and prevented from connecting to the Aerobic Corridor shared-use road, on the other, there seems to be no way out. The situation is similar for the residents of Rue du Chemin-de-fer, now landlocked in a residential area with no permanent right of occupation or circulation, and no possibility of adding to the existing housing stock there.

Only an access road could, for example, connect the western part of the landlocked Newaygo sector to the municipal road network, by envisaging a connection to the private Lac-à-la-Croix Road. But not only do current regulations and rights-of-way constraints prevent such construction, but the cost and its distribution among the owners concerned are almost insurmountable obstacles. And this is all the truer given that, if such a road were to be eventually municipalized, along with the Lac-à-la-Croix Road that would ultimately provide access to it, it would have to meet the criteria for standardized road construction set out in municipal bylaws.

In our opinion, the current mandate to evaluate the possibility of the municipality becoming financially involved in the maintenance of private roads, therefore, addresses only part of what should be a mandate on the future of the roads department at the service of all Wentworth-Nord citizens.

As many municipalities are experiencing similar situations, and their responses range between the two extreme approaches envisaged by Wentworth-Nord, we must draw inspiration from the models they may have developed, and which would have proved successful. The courts have also had to settle disputes between private individuals or public bodies over private roads.

DHC Avocats reports that "... since its creation in 1915, the Municipality of Lac-Tremblant-Nord has had the peculiarity that a large proportion of its properties are accessible only by boat from a marina on the shore of Lac-Tremblant." The Court of Appeal's decision overturned the Superior Court's January 17, 2012 judgment, which ordered the creation of servitudes bisecting 34 lots to allow the construction of a 5 km road to provide vehicular access to the respondents' properties. L’enclave et l’ouverture de chemins

The two courts analyzed differently the notion of enclave found in article 997 of the Civil Code of Québec. The Superior Court spoke of a fundamental right: "... in modern times, I find it difficult to argue that the respondent can only access his property on foot and not by car". The judge of the Court of Appeal, for his part, "held that it is the notions of use and exploitation of a property that are fundamental in determining whether the circumstances give rise to an opening-up within the meaning of article 997 C.c.Q.".

The Court of Appeal judge also noted "that since its creation in 1915, the Municipality of Lac-Tremblant-Nord has undergone little development, and that its resort vocation still occupies an important place in its bylaws. The municipal bylaws favor very low-density resort development and promote the preservation of the natural environment by authorizing minimal land clearing. Thus, despite the occasional difficulties encountered by the respondents who are unable to access their property during periods when the lake freezes and thaws, there is no reason to conclude that there is an enclave situation."

The law firm points out that, "on the strength of the Superior Court's declaration of the existence of a fundamental right to access, any developer could now use this precedent to claim the right to build a road to open up his property or properties".

Like the Municipality of Chelsea and others, Wentworth-Nord has adopted a Politique de municipalisation des chemins privés, (Policy for the Municipalization of Private Roads), giving its citizens the opportunity to make such a request. It also determined the terms and conditions under which maintenance of these roads would be carried out during the summer and winter periods. However, the costs of maintaining these roads remain the responsibility of the owners they serve. "The municipalization of private roads offers undeniable advantages to owners, such as reduced annual maintenance costs (e.g. snow removal, grading, dust abatement, etc.), as well as improved safety for residents thanks to better access to residences by emergency services." Municipaliser un chemin

"Whereas the objective of this by-law is to promote equity with respect to the maintenance of private roads on its territory, the City of Saguenay, even if it receives such a request for maintenance, has no responsibility with respect to private roads, but wishes, by the present by-law, to participate in the summer and winter maintenance thereof, but under certain conditions: ... To be accessible to machinery, (etc.)". Règlement décrétant l’entretien de certains chemins de tolérance (private roads)

There do seem to be solutions for cost-sharing by the municipality, as envisaged in Saint-Sauveur: "The Ville de Saint-Sauveur and the Regroupement des voies privées de Saint-Sauveur (RVPSS) are currently in discussions to develop a financial assistance program for owners of private roads. With more than half of the roads in Saint-Sauveur private, the group is requesting that the Town grants subsidies to private road associations, as maintenance costs have risen." Journal Accès

With a mandate extended to the future of the roads department serving all its citizens, shouldn't we expect the municipality to present us with a clear picture of the issues, equity, and legal considerations, as well as the budgetary and other impacts of a change to the current status quo?

By Carl Chapdelaine

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

•  ....
•  Busy month.
•  We're still recruiting.

• We're in the thaw period (with its attendant restrictions on truck traffic).
• As water levels are lower than in previous years, the risk of flooding or overflows seems minimal.

• List of costs.
• Citizens request that their roads be serviced (like residents of public roads). The idea here is for the council (and administration) to discuss the matter," explains the mayor. Then, to decide on a status quo or a modification.

• We attended a Coalition meeting (on claims). A newsletter will be issued, which you can request from me.
• Ask MTQ to take care of our roads in poor condition. Anyone can call 511 and put pressure on the Ministry. The more, the better.
• New by-law ...
• Next municipal meeting with lake associations, May 18.

• Committee evaluates trail development plan. Mr. Johnston indicates that Lac Notre-Dame residents would like to meet with the committee. Councillor Chapados sees no problem.
• Community life.  a. Policy update. The document will be available. b. I'm visiting organizations to get their feedback. They are all invited to a (discussion) meeting on June 1.

• Thank you to Ms. Dostie for voting against the adoption of the by-law imposing a special tax on vacant lots (4.2) Why affect the little ones? D.D. Only lots over 10,000 sq. ft. are affected.
• What did you decide, in point 6.2, on the maintenance of private roads? The less fortunate, like me, have to count up to 25% of their tax bill for snow removal (which they don't benefit from?). D.D.: We'll evaluate the options. We need to look at models from other municipalities.

In Wentworth-Nord, as elsewhere, pandemics, telecommuting, videoconferencing, the absence of a community pavilion in Montfort, and the occasional lack of initiative have certainly affected social life. In such a situation, don't households find themselves more isolated from their neighbors?

The Internet and digital technologies have changed our lives. Social media, e-mail exchanges and virtual participation in meetings are probably creating a new form of socialization, but it's not yet clear whether it's having a positive or negative impact. Facebook and the like are said to develop the social network of their followers.

More Nord-Wentwortois now seem to attend municipal meetings in front of their screens than in person. What if these meetings were held, as they used to be, once in Laurel, once in Montfort or Saint-Michel? But it's hard to imagine a return to the situation that prevailed then. Telecommuting is here to stay, as is the preponderance of virtual communication and participation.

For summer vacationers, there's no doubt that videoconferencing gives them the opportunity to stay in touch with what's going on in their second place of residence, especially at the municipal level. They can also take advantage of the information provided by the website of the local weekly newspaper, or blogger. But this contact can't make up for the scarcity of popular gatherings, community meals and events, and certain nautical activities, which would enable them to develop essential links with their surroundings during the summer months... "Between solitude and social life, a third path has opened up: connected isolation.

Urban vacationers know all about isolation. If there's a chance to get to know your neighbor, that's about as far as it goes. Childhood friends are scattered to the four winds, as are former colleagues from school or work. For them, the community of the lake or the small village undoubtedly allows for a more developed social life; provided they are willing to lend themselves to it. You can imagine the parallel with a campsite or mobile home park, with its common areas and services, as well as, sometimes, an entertainment and leisure service.

But the Internet has also given rise to a certain form of exclusion. Today, online transactions have replaced the post office, in-store shopping and even bank ATMs. Aren't older people who haven't made the switch to computers, who haven't become cell phone enthusiasts, and regardless of their level of education, experiencing a kind of illiteracy? And, if they do venture into this new experience, they need to avoid the scams that abound.

Communications with government agencies (income, health, transport, etc.) are essentially via the Internet. Doesn't familiarization with car driving aids and their increasingly developed applications become a heavy burden for those who haven't learned to surf the web and slide their fingers across a touch screen?

We had already suggested that computer and cell phone training courses be offered to Wentworth-Nord residents who hadn't yet taken the plunge. But this didn't seem to be a priority, or even the responsibility of a municipality with limited resources.

In an individualistic society like ours, what could make a difference? Wentworth-Nord's current plans to develop multi-purpose community pavilions certainly seem to be a beneficial intervention in the social life of its residents. But they need a container - the right building - and a content, and a simple return to the good old days is already proving difficult. The Comité aviseur sur l'avenir du pavillon Montfort (advisory committee on the future of Montfort Pavilion) must plan well. The Comité aviseur sur l'avenir du pavillon Montfort (advisory committee on the future of the Montfort pavilion) must be working on the nature of this building and on the the recipe for success likely to justify its existence?

In Montreal today, a group is considering the construction of cohousing communities, as in Denmark and Quebec City. Individual housing units, purchased or rented, will benefit from common rooms and services. But the owners or tenants of these buildings will first have to demonstrate an aptitude, if not a desire, to accept a lifestyle quite different from the norm. It's tempting to draw a parallel with a private residence for independent seniors. But in these cohabitats, and while adhering to the rules of cohabitation, each person will be more or less master of his or her own home. For most of us, such an undertaking seems unimaginable; but perhaps it's a sign that we need to move towards more community living in our environment, and that Wentworth-Nord needs to think about this.

Those who have worked in voluntary organizations, lake protection associations or otherwise, have sometimes found it difficult to mobilize residents, or even their own members, on issues that affect their interests. On the other hand, such mobilization has occurred on the occasion of significant events, such as the closure of the Aerobic Corridor, the Newaygo Bridge, etc.; and provided that a few leaders have taken the initiative. It therefore seems difficult to assess the willingness of residents to participate in the activities that could be offered to them in these future multi-purpose community centers.

Alongside municipal actions likely to improve social life, as well as the sense of belonging to this municipality, it seems likely that lake protection associations could continue to play, locally, a major role towards such an objective. Can we also hope that a few citizens will propose activities of their own, or get back into the swing of things, to bring people together over a cup of coffee, or even at a potluck like the one that drew a crowd at Pavillon Montfort, without language or partisanship being an obstacle?
Utilisation d’Internet par groupe d’âge, Canada/Québec

By Carl Chapdelaine

Utilisation d’Internet par groupe d’âge, Canada/Québec

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

Utilisation d’Internet par groupe d’âge, Canada/Québec

Ordre du jour        Video version         Minutes

Councillors Colleen Horan, Lyne Chapados, Karine Dostie, Catherine Léger, Réjean Gosselin are present. Danielle Desjardins, Mayor, and Eric Johnston are absent. Mr. Gosselin, as acting mayor*, will chair the meeting, assisted by Mr. Ron Kelley, general manager. There is one man in the room, and two dozen videoconference participants, including the mayor. The meeting will last 1 h 05.

4. Administration and correspondence

4.1 Acceptance of reports on salaries, purchases, disbursements and capital asset purchases for January 2024. For a total of $553,272.
4.4 Notice of motion and tabling of draft by-law 2019-562-2 amending by-law 2019-562 imposing a special tax on vacant lots. (A copy of the notice was given to council members; but the audience will not know the content of the amendment. Will the tax finally be abolished?)
4.7 and 4.8 Notice of motion and tabling of draft by-laws decreeing an expense of $275,000 and a loan of $275,000 for the acquisition of a 10-wheel truck with gravel dump body, and an expense of $250,000 and a loan of $250,000 for the acquisition of a backhoe with accessories for the Road Department.

5. Public Safety

5.1 Public Safety Committee Chairman's report. In Ms. Desjardins' absence, Ms. Chapados thanks the firefighters and first responders ...

6. Public works and municipal asset management

6.1 Report from the Chairman of the Roads Committee. Mr. Gosselin reports that machinery is being inspected, and purchase requirements, etc., are being identified for the coming season. We are also following up on the work of snow removal and other contractors.
6.2 Request to the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable concerning the Newaygo bridge.
- Whereas this bridge is under its jurisdiction;
- no repair work on the bridge is planned within a reasonable timeframe by the Ministère;
- vehicle traffic is no longer possible, making it difficult to provide services such as fire safety, etc;
- that the municipality has received a bid for its temporary repair.
It is resolved to ask the Ministry to consider proceeding with such a repair.
(The municipality anticipates that) the associated costs will be paid according to the responsibility of each of the parties involved.
A copy of this resolution will be sent to each mayor of the MRC, as well as to MNA Agnès Grondin and Minister Geneviève Guilbault.
6.3 Authorization for the purchase of a 2023 Ford F-150 pickup truck for the Service de la voirie. The accepted bid, from Auto J.G. Pinard et fils ltée, is $61,433 + taxes. Also included is signalling equipment, at a cost of $1,800 + tax.

7. Environment

7.1 Report from the Chair of the Environment Committee, Mrs. Horan.
- The committee has been working actively, with Mr. B. Plourde at the helm, on the environmental policy. This will soon be ready for presentation to all.
- Two boat wash stations have arrived and can be installed in the spring.
7.2 Notice of motion and tabling of draft by-law 2023-526-1 amending by-law 2023-526 respecting the protection of and access to bodies of water on the territory of the Municipality of Wentworth-Nord (Reading dispensed with; a copy of the notice was given to the members of Council. This procedure will have been repeated throughout the meeting, offering no details to citizens).
7.3 Appointment of an Assistant Director for the Urban Planning and Environment Department. Mr. Benjamin Plourde, Environmental Coordinator, is promoted to this position, retroactive to January 1.

8. Urban planning and economic development

8.1 Report from the Chairman of the Urban Planning Committee. (Mr. Johnston is absent, but Mr. Gosselin will acknowledge everyone's hard work in this regard).
8.2 List of permits from January 1 to 31, 2024.
8.3 End of probation for Mr. Spiro Trent, who is confirmed in the position of Inspector in the Urban Planning and Environment Department.
8.6 to 8.11 A series of PIIAs are accepted.
In 8.10, it concerns the reconstruction, on the original foundations, of a two-storey waterfront main building at 1025, rue du Chemin-de-Fer. At a previous meeting, the CCU had recommended postponement of the adoption of this request, imposing conditions for its adoption; in particular, greater integration with its surroundings. The applicant has, for the most part, met these requirements, and Council is granting the permit.
8.13 Awarding of a mandate to Prévost Fortin D'Aoust s.e.n.c.r.l. Avocats, in connection with the case of lot 5 708 186 of the Quebec cadastre (No details.)

9. Recreation, culture and community life

9.1. The President of the Outdoors, Trails and Community Life Committee, Ms. Chapados, has no report to submit at this meeting.
9.2 Report from the Chairman of the Recreation and Culture Committee. Ms. C. Léger submits:
- The library, inaugurated in June 2010, is celebrating its fourteenth anniversary. Congratulations to our volunteers...
- The next Ciné-Club, on March 15 and 16, will present " L’océan, vu du cœur ". One of its directors, Marie-Dominique Michaud, from Wentworth-Nord (?), will be present. Full details are on the municipality's website and will appear in its newsletter.

Question period

Ms Linda Proulx wants to know what the legal case is about, in 8.13. Mr. Gosselin declares it confidential.
Ms. Lys-Anne wants details about the Ciné-club film.
A gentleman in the audience also has a positive comment on the film.

Without prejudice; by Carl Chapdelaine

*Councillor Gosselin and Councillor Karine Dostie are acting mayor and mayoress. Each should alternate after six months; but are exchangeable.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version) & Linguee

• The MRC has a 60-year lease with the MTQ to manage the Corridor.
• The MRC is responsible for infrastructure and maintenance, including culverts and a bridge (not to mention La Montfortaine, which has not been maintained for three years).
• The MRC manages the three parking lots on the Corridor (2 in Montfort, at the intersection with rue Principale, 1 in Laurel).
• The MRC manages a fourth parking lot (on Route Principale, at the entrance to Montfort, owned by the Ministère des Ressources naturelles.
• The MRC is responsible for clearing snow from these parking lots.
• In July 2021, the MRC closed the Newaygo bridge, and then the carriageway between it and Route Principale, where it had initially allowed traffic, depriving landlocked residents of vehicular access to their property. Then, in October 2022, it closed the entire section of the Corridor within the municipality for the winter (and stopped snow clearing).
• Wentworth-Nord continues to pay its share of snow removal costs (on the other sections of the Aerobic Corridor).
• Wentworth-Nord no longer has management of the Corridor, granted by the MRC.

(Règlement de contrôle intérimaire)

Urban Planning Director Benoît Cadieux, assisted by Environmental Coordinator Benjamin Plourde, chaired the consultation. An undetermined number of citizens attended in person, while nearly 50 participated by videoconference. Mayor Danielle Desjardins, Councillor Karine Dostie and Councillor Eric Johnston also took part. The session will last around three hours (?).

If they don't get a chance to present their views during the session, participants will be able to send their questions or comments by e-mail. But they will already have had the opportunity to ask questions following the presentation of each of the six issues. In addition, they are invited to use an interactive tool available on the Internet, Menti.com, to answer a few survey questions during the session. The content and follow-up of the presentation will be faithfully accompanied by the Power Point. Here and there, the director will add a few details or clarifications to complement this visual information.

Ms. Desjardins welcomes participants and explains that the Urban Plan is, in a way, the backbone of the municipality's administration. No one is forgotten, whether a permanent resident, cottager, or visitor. After the first few Power Point slides, a series will explain in greater detail what such a plan is. Another slide will give the timetable for the whole operation; with adoption of the modifications scheduled for spring 2024.

Of the six issues, at least one addresses the question of lake access. The director points out that only two such public accesses exist in Wentworth-Nord, one at Lake Laurel (?) and the other at Lake Saint-François-Xavier. There is therefore a serious lack of public access to the municipality's waterways.

A question on the interactive tool probed participants on their ranking of issues by priority. The graph of results (see plate) shows that protection of waterways, with 23%, is followed by conservation and protection of natural environments, with 21%. The other seven choices take only 5 to 11% of 100%, with economic development in the lead.

A second question, related to the first issue of access to housing and an aging population, asked participants to estimate the average age of the municipality's population. Participants made no mistake, choosing the 50-60 age group with 48%, the 60-70 age group with 39%, and the 40-50 age group completing the 100%. The Statistics Canada table confirms this. An older population than that of the MRC, Quebec or Canada. And when asked if these are indeed the only permanent residents, Mr. Cadieux agrees. The participant then asked what the proportion of cottagers was, and if we hadn't forgotten them; they are the lifeblood of the municipality, he added. The answer was that they far outnumber the permanent residents.

The second issue concerns development pressure and interest in integrated projects, particularly in Montfort. A question on the interactive tool asked participants if they were concerned about the pressure of real estate development. Yes, for half; not so much for the others.
Population and construction are on the increase, and we need to promote the optimal use of the land, i.e., the use of existing infrastructure, densification, the creation of second ranks, etc. There is also a need for a better framework for real estate development. We must also provide a better framework for innovative, individual or large-scale projects. However, regulatory changes in this area could lend themselves to an exemption using a new tool, the PPCMOI, which makes it possible to evaluate and accept specific projects. However, some participants questioned this way of bypassing regulations and the Urban Plan.

The third issue concerns the cohabitation of uses and the problems caused by short-term rentals. On this last point, the discussions that have been taking place at council meetings since the introduction of interim control are resuming in earnest, but we can't be any further ahead at this stage. In response to the question "Are you in favor of the establishment of new short-term rental uses in your area?", those not in favor, on the interactive tool, made up 59%, against 39% for those in favor.

The fourth issue concerns the conservation, protection, and enhancement of natural environments. This priority came out on top in the seven-option survey on environmental protection measures, with 22%. The objective of targeting 30% conservation of natural environments, in line with that of the provincial government, provoked several exchanges, with participants asserting that more than 30% of natural environments are already protected in Wentworth-Nord, due to the presence of public land, etc.

The plan for the acquisition of land by the municipality, to protect it or convert it into green zones, by means of the 7% contribution for park purposes when applying for a subdivision or building permit, by the new municipal tool of pre-emption on the sale of land, or otherwise, will also prompt renewed debate on this subject. The Plan must also integrate the MRC's approach to wetland protection.

The fifth issue concerns adaptation to climate change. Here, the heightened fear of forest fires tops the list of participants' concerns. Among the measures considered by the urban planning department in this regard are interventions to limit sedimentation in lakes and streams.

The sixth issue is access to nature. The theme of access to bodies of water prompted participants to reiterate their respective positions on this controversial subject. The mayor intervened, specifying that all access to the lakes must be controlled, and that we couldn't be more accommodating than the surrounding municipalities, whose residents could then benefit from easier access to Wentworth-Nord lakes.

Our comments

This consultation, like the previous ones under this administration, seems to us to be above all a formidable exercise in information. It provides us with details of the points and issues involved in the proposed modifications to the Urban Plan, as identified by the municipality's Urban Planning and Environmental Services, under the supervision of Council.

We can only applaud this essential step in a democratic approach to public decision-making. However, this approach runs the risk of repeating certain shortcomings associated with the democratic process. For example, the perception and will of citizens, if they become a determining factor in the elaboration of modifications to the Urban Plan, could distort the validity and legitimacy of the regulations.
Thus, if it were up to the will of most residents, measures concerning short-term rentals or public access to lakes, for example, could run counter to legitimate rights invoked by promoters and investors under our liberal regime, in the first case, or against Quebec law in the second. And that's without considering the negative economic repercussions for the municipality, and even for its very development, as invoked by developers.

In the case of public access to the lakes, a proportion of lakeside residents are opposed, citing a sort of acquired right to collective ownership of the lake and a role as guardians of its environment. The mayor seems to limit this access to residents of Wentworth-Nord. Amended regulations in line with this opposition, or the simple status quo, unless they are limited to control measures, would run counter to the national law affirming the collective nature of water resources, notably to allow any person to circulate there under certain conditions provided for in article 920 of the Civil Code.

Faced with opposition to certain orientations contained in the various issues presented in the consultation, the Director of Urban Planning, like the Environmental Coordinator, always indicated that the decision had not been made and that consultations were still part of the process retained by Council. Yes, but postponing the decision or subjecting it to more consultations won't resolve the differences. We're not out of the woods yet...

Director and coordinator risk copying the approach of the then Director of Urban Planning, Mr. Emmanuel Farmer, who, in his Urban Plan, bowed to the desire of Montfort residents, and no doubt elected officials, to limit the recreational and tourism offer in the area. The introduction of interim control seems to us to be largely the result of the impasse created by this orientation; will the new regulations be able to resolve it?

We have come to believe that, as is probably the case, amendments to the Urban Plan will have to respect the framework of orientations decreed by the State, occasionally transmitted by the MRC, and which must prevail over the perception of a municipality's residents, as well as their elected representatives.

In fact, by opening the door to certain demands that are contrary to the common good of the State, the municipal council and administration, which must represent both the State and its own residents, would be neglecting one of their duties, that of making citizens aware of societal issues.

Without prejudice; by Carl Chapdelaine

Ordre du jour       Version vidéo

Councillors Lyne Chapados, Karine Dostie, Catherine Léger, Eric Johnston and Réjean Gosselin are present in the Laurel Community Hall, along with Mayor Danielle Desjardins, who will chair the meeting, assisted by General Manager Ron Kelley. Councillor Colleen Horan is absent due to illness, but participates via videoconference. A couple are present in the room, while the Zoom counter shows 15 participants. The session will last fifteen minutes.

2. Authorization for the purchase of two boat washes. Expectations include the current stations not supplying water hot enough and at the recommended pressure. The cost of the transaction with Ozéro solutions will be $141,045.

3. Appointment of members of the Montfort Pavilion Advisory Committee. Numerous candidates were put forward, including the mayor, as chair, and councillors Colleen Horan and Catherine Léger. Added to these were Line Bédard, Jayne Pollock (?), Dean Barriere, Charles Boyer, Pierre Faucher and Yves Jegou.
To Councillor Gosselin's question about voting within the committee... : DD. This is an advisory committee; there will be no vote.

4. Resolution of support for the COOP Santé project presented by the Wentworth-Nord Chamber of Commerce and Sustainable Development.

5. Request for support from the MRC des Pays-d'en-Haut for the aforementioned COOP Santé project, given that it responds to an essential need to the community.

Question period

The gentleman in the room, who says he and his wife (residents of Montreal and Morin-Heights?) are elderly and need care, would like to see a doctor in Wentworth-Nord and asks what the co-op will be like. The mayor explains that it will be very much like the one in Morin-Heights. We don't know when it will open, because we need to attract doctors, among other things. We'll be working with the Saint-Adolphe and Morin-Heights’s co-ops.

The applicant seems to have indicated that a minimum number of residents is required to justify the formation of a health co-op, and asks what the population figure is for Wentworth-Nord. The mayor replies that the minimum is 7,000; but, although the project is for Saint-Michel, which has only a small population, the coop will also serve the more populous villages of the neighboring municipalities of Brownsburg-Chatham and Grenville, as there are no such services closer to Lachute.

Here, the gentleman seems to be giving us his opinion on a project he considers too ambitious, like those of Mayor Ghali who, he says, saw himself in Montreal. He thinks it would be better to improve Route Principale to attract people...

Without prejudice; by Carl Chapdelaine

"Your municipal council, with the assistance of the administration, is currently working on the 2024 budget. Do you have projects you'd like to see implemented? Do you have ideas to share? Send us your suggestions... "¹

The municipal council may have a vision of what tomorrow's Wentworth-Nord should look like: a school in Laurel, a medical clinic in each of its three sectors; the same goes for seniors' residences or early childhood centers; a small shopping center, a road system designed to better link the three villages, a multi-purpose community center (pavilion), etc. All based on current and foreseeable growth in both residents and budget.

In support of its vision, the council can, among other things, rely on its Urban Plan. This plan makes extensive use of available statistics, both from government sources and from the municipality's own departments: demographics, population distribution, property assessment, building permits, and so on. But government data is only published at the level of the entire municipality. For sub-municipal analysis, which is essential when drawing up an urban planning or development plan, there are few relevant statistics. Is one geographic sector developing more or less rapidly than others? Will its future population justify the council's vision? What type of road will be appropriate for its vehicular traffic? How much of the budget should be allocated to it?

We regret the absence of public statistics that would enable us to assess the pace of development of a geographical sector of the municipality, its various infrastructure needs, and so on. In drawing up the Urban Plan, Mr. Emmanuel Farmer probably had to make a laborious compilation. We therefore suggest that the municipality set up a directory of available statistics. This directory, mainly made up of historical statistical data, would include those collected and presented by governments at the municipal level (census subdivision for Statistics Canada).

The municipality would also draw on its various departments to add its own data (building permits, etc.) It should be remembered that vacationing, which accounts for a good half of the housing in Wentworth-Nord, is not included in government statistics and, among other things, in the Economic Vitality Index. It may therefore be risky to use, for example, the Census (permanent) population figure to determine the appropriate level of services. The municipality and MRC, on the other hand, collect unique data on all residents and properties within their territory, whether they comprise permanent or secondary residences.²

Above all, where possible, this data should be broken down by sector, as in the case of the six electoral districts. The latter delimitation is used in Montreal; a municipality that can afford it, of course. We then obtain valuable demographic statistics for the said districts, while comparing them with those of the boroughs and the city as a whole. For example, the Sault-au-Récollet sector, in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough, has a much lower percentage of 15- to 34-year-olds, and vice versa for its retired class, than the city as a whole.³ Such data can guide, for example, the choice of socio-recreational and health facilities in the district. In terms of governance, the 19 arrondissements have elected councils and a degree of budgetary autonomy. But, of course, "this sub-municipal decentralization is often considered excessive by local players".4 And it's hard to imagine that the 6 districts of Wentworth-Nord will ever have any form of autonomy or budget of their own.

It is conceivable that appropriate, recurring questionnaires, such as those used by the Canadian Census, and accompanying tax bills, could also provide valuable data.

To set up such a directory, the municipality could hire a firm; or attach an additional resource, possibly temporary, to its Urban Planning Services. An application to some specific grant program should also be considered. Such an undertaking should not be attempted, however, without close collaboration with the relevant departments of the MRC. The search for a model, which may already exist in Quebec, would facilitate the choice of approach and content for such a framework, while enabling a comparison between municipalities, as the RSVL does for lakes.^{5 and 6}

In a future budget, in a future call for projects, and if the one suggested here ever sees the light of day, perhaps you'll have the opportunity to present and better fit the “projects you'd like to see implemented” into the socio-economic reality of Wentworth-Nord, and its budget!

Sent to Wentworth-Nord Town Hall by Carl Chapdelaine

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

1. Préparation du budget 2024: projets
2. Wentworth-Nord : Trois Réalités
3. Montréal en statistiques
4. Érudit: Gouvernance urbaine et décentralisation inframunicipale dans les grandes villes d’Amérique
5. Profil statistique de Saint-Arsène
6. Cantley : Urbanisme, Environnement et Développement économique

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