No business development corporation for Pointe-Claire Village
The votes are in and there will be no business development corporation in Pointe-Claire Village.
A register requesting a referendum on the subject was launched by some of the village merchants in August and city council voted to hold a referendum on Oct. 22. The message was clear, with 73 per cent of the votes against the BCD. The breakdown was 44 votes against and 16 votes in favour.
A BCD is an official entity dedicated to the promotion of a commercial sector. There are mandatory membership fees attached.
“Those of us who opposed the BDC are well aware that those who supported it did so because their hearts were and are in the right place and that they share the same goal,” Tim Thomas said.
Thomas owns Antiqués du Village on Cartier Ave. and spearheaded the No campaign. He is also a mayoral candidate in the Nov. 5 municipal election.
“Maybe, with time, we can all work together to make the village a healthier business environment, not through increased expenditure, but rather through volunteered time and energy,” he said. “Membership fees and any kind of forced expenditure have always been the stumbling block to all of us functioning as a cohesive unit.”
The idea of a BCD was floated by Convercité, a non-profit organization specializing in revitalization plans for urban areas, after it was hired by the city to look at ways to inject new life into the PointeClaire Village.
Babar Books owner Maya Byers was on the Yes side. She was taken aback by the divisive nature of the debate over the BDC. “It has been misconstrued that (the BDC) was the initiative of a few mainstreet businesses,” Byers said. “The last thing we need is people not working together. I will continue to volunteer and to promote the village as I have done for 28 years.”
Outgoing Mayor Morris Trudeau said the referendum was held in the interest of “transparency and a respect for democracy” and that the result showed that the merchants were in favour of maintaining the status quo.