François Carrier
François Carrier
CAMPBELL’S BAY AND BRYSON – Members of Pontiac’s Community Service groups and the Pontiac Farmers Union (UPA) each held a meeting with the five candidates vying for the new position of elected Warden in MRC Pontiac. The goal was to introduce their organizations and sensitize the candidates to their issues. In both cases, many speakers wanted to explain the challenges they face each day.
On October 23, members of the Table de développement social du Pontiac presented twenty different organizations, including Bouffe Pontiac, Les Maisons des jeunes de Pontiac, l’EntourElle and the Maison de la famille. Members spoke to the candidates about issues ranging from financial and funding difficulties, challenges resulting from the loss of population in the Pontiac, or complicated governmental demands. The Director General of Les Jardins éducatifs, Martin Riopel underlined the difficulties he, and others, have to overcome: “They want me to prepare a budget with money that I think I will receive, but each year I have to ignore that amount. I have to submit a request for funding that I am not sure of receiving. It makes it very difficult to plan our programs.”
A few days later at the UPA meeting in Bryson, farmers also explained
their realities and asked the candidates questions. Afterwards, president of Pontiac’s UPA, Mr. Phillippe Lamontagne, stated: “We are satisfied by their answers, but will wait to see if there is concrete action in the future.”
The final message from both groups was similar: “Thank you for listening. Now, we hope the person elected will remember us and keep our needs in mind for the next four years,” concluded Ellen Boucher from Bouffe Pontiac.
(Trans: CH / LL)
