Municipal Elections 2017: Cookshireeaton
It’s a three way race for mayor in Cookshire-eaton. With outgoing Mayor Noël Landry not seeking reelection, Local voters need to make a choice between current municipal councilors Sylvie Lapointe and Yvon Roy, or resident Marc Turcotte, who is trying again for the position after having lost in 2013.
Although he comes to the table without any political experience, Turcotte pointed to his 20 years as an urban planner in the region as a major asset in a mayor, both because of the value of his expertise and his familiarity with neighbouring municipalities and the MRC. He added that he sees himself as community-oriented and able to work with others collaboratively to get a job done.
Roy argued that, having served on council for eight years after being acclaimed to his position, he knows how
On Saturday Oct. 21 the North Hatley-canton Hatley Fire Department gathered to present some very well deserved awards.
The Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal honours members of a recognized Canadian fire service who have completed 20 years of service, ten years of which have been served in the performance of duties involving potential risks.
Recognized fire services include Canadian fire departments, fire marshals’ offices, fire commissioners’ offices and the Canadian Forces fire services. Exemplary service is characterized by good conduct, industry and efficiency.
Eight firefighters were awarded the Governor General's Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal. Six from among them were awarded the twenty year medal, one thirty year medal, and one forty year medal.
Mayor Michael Page was the master of ceremonies during the presentation held on Saturday at the North Hatley community center and was assisited by North Hatley councillor Marcella Gherish and Hatley Township councillor Pat Clowery. In attendance were over eighty members of the community, friends and family. Congratulations gentlemen!
things work in the municipality and can be trusted to do them well. The candidate said that he is well known in the community as a honest, responsible leader with excellent foresight about the needs of the community.
Lapointe has been a member of Cookshire-eaton’s municipal council for the last four years and said that she’s caught the political bug. More than that, though, she said that she’s a Cookshire resident born-and-raised and has engaged in volunteering in the community for her entire life. Becoming Mayor, she added, would just be the natural continuation of that engagement.
Asked about the main issues facing the municipality, Lapointe said that the number one concern she has heard about going door-to-door has been taxes. While stating that she doesn’t think a tax freeze is feasible, the candidate committed to keeping the tax rate as low as possible. Aside from that issue, she pointed to the need to make sure that the local fire stations are adequate to meet the needs of the fire risk management plan and to the importance of continuing planned housing projects in the Sawyerville and Johnville areas.
Turcotte outlined a four point plan focused on accountability and clear communication. The urban planner said that he wants to see Cookshire-eaton shift to an approach of only spending the money it has on hand through a more strict management of the municipal budget. At the same time he wants to improve communication between the municipality and its residents with more public consultations and better public notification of decisions made, as well as increased accountability for municipal employees. He made particular mention of trying to improve the sense of belonging felt by local English-speaking residents.
Roy expressed an interest in working on all aspects of the community, with a priority placed on public security and the construction of affordable housing in the community. The candidate said that Cookshire-eaton has a number of major projects in process at this point that need to be seen though to the end including fire station and community center work in Johnville and Sawyerville. He also expressed an overall interest in improving pedestrian safety in the municipality, particularly around local schools.
Roy said that he sees good things for the community in continuing to support the brewery project that is already underway, and added that in the future he would like to see the community garden project that has been implemented in Sawyerville expand to other parts of the municipality. He said that there is room for further cultural development in the area, and said that he strongly supports the idea of combining the municipality’s French and English elementary schools into one mixed environment with shared resources.
Lapointe said that she looks forward to working with a team of councilors to build a harmonious and balanced community in Cookshire-eaton.
Turcotte chose to frame his dreams for the future of Cookshire-eaton as “strategic visions.” Chief among these he listed the desire to see the municipality’s tax rate either decrease or stabilize in the first years of his mandate as mayor. He said that Cookshire’s tax rate is significantly higher than those of neighbouring communities and said that he wants to subsidize new commercial and residential development in the community to help lower the impacts of that rate on peoples’ desire to move to town.
As for the rest of the council, Newcomers Louise Gosselin and Marcel Charpentier have been acclaimed in districts one (Roy’s former seat) and four, respectively. In District two, the Johnville area, Mario Gendron is looking to unseat incumbent Yvan Tremblay. Alain Coulombe is running in district three, the western half of Cookshire proper, against Roger Thibault. District five, running north from Sawyerville, seems to be the community’s hot seat, with Michael Coleman and Danielle Tremblay both vying for the councilor seat against Pete Lachance. District six, Lapointe’s former seat on the eastern half of Cookshire, has to choose between Ghyslain Chauveau and Michel Mercier.