Interesting questions, positive suggestions

Even if 2009 is an election year for the City of Montreal, attendees avoided making negative comments regarding politics. On the contrary, they did not hesitate to highlight the good deeds of their representatives, without necessarily depriving themselves of asking and receiving clarifications on issues of concern.

The landscaping of the rotary interchange located in the island’s entrance was discussed within the context of security and not within the context of aesthetics. The fears of Borough representatives were taken into account by the project’s designers. APRIDS president Juliette Barcelo raised this question during its initial intervention and it appeared that those involved drew inspiration from her not to indulge in negativism.

Several topics were discussed and were appropriately handled in accordance with this type of meeting. Some of the topics covered: the entries to and exits from the island , residential project on chemin du Golf, recreational facilities for the youth, public lighting, activities for toddlers, parks, control of dogs, and private streets.

Some people came back on those issues that were frequently discussed in council meetings: the new arrangements for garbage collection, the future bridge, the light train, and tennis courts were the issues that generated questions or comments. In each of these cases, the officials or department directors clarified points or welcomed suggestions and comments.

The meeting also allowed Borough representatives to explain some issues of concern to L'Île-des-Sœurs residents; one such particular issue was the number of residential towers and their impact on quality of life. This was reported by Le Magazine in a separate article.

To sum up, it can be said that L'Île-des-Sœurs residents managed to take full advantage of the town hall meeting concept. They were able to deliver their messages and to obtain more specific answers to their questions. The only weakness of this concept was perhaps the major participation of island residents in these meetings. The numerous questions and themes discussed did not allow the extra time desired to tackle each of these subjects at length. A real problem no doubt...