La Commission jeunesse rencontre David Suzuki

Julie Murray

La Commission jeunesse de la Ville de Gatineau était invitée par le projet C-Vert à une rencontre privée avec David Suzuki, éco logiste de renommée internationale, le mardi 26 février, au YM-YMHA de Montréal. Pendant une heure, M. Suzuki a échangé avec les jeunes de Gatineau et du groupe C-Vert de Montréal.

Les membres de la Commission jeunesse souhaitent profiter de l’occasion pour mettre M. Suzuki au parfum des actions environnementales entreprises à Gatineau et lui ont posé des questions qui permettront de pousser plus loin les projets et les réflexions en matière d’environnement. Cette rencontre s’est te nue tout juste avant le Forum jeunesse sur l’environnement organisé par le groupe C-Vert auquel près de 200 à 300 jeunes sont attendus. Ce Forum était l’occasion pour la Commission jeunesse et C-Vert de mobiliser les jeunes à s’engager dans des actions environnementales dans leur communauté.

Alain Riel, président de la Commission jeunesse, se réjouit de cette occasion. « La Commission jeunesse de Gatineau était extrêmement privilégiée de rencontrer monsieur David Suzuki. Ils utilisent le pouvoir dont ils disposent pour changer les choses et faire des actions concrètes pour l’environnement au sein de la municipalité », a déclaré M. Riel

North Aylmer in the centre of another storm
Ward changes spark councillors’ legal fight

Julie Murray

City officials released a proposed revision of Gatineau’s electoral wards, February 26, that will see an eighteenth ward added in Gatineau sector and Aylmer’s map changed dramatically. Ward One will be enlarged, Ward Two will be quintuple in size, extending up to Chelsea near Mountain Road and effectively eliminating North Aylmer from Ward Three, represented by Councillor Alain Riel.

One councillor threatens another

After a discussion with Mr Riel, Councillor André Laframboise made a formal complaint with the clerk, sending a copy to all the other councillors, in which he said, “I deplore the fact that Mr Riel had prior knowledge of the electoral map, before it was distributed to councillors.” Following the complaint, Councillor Riel hired an attorney, who sent Laframboise a formal notice asking for a retraction. “As an elected official of a large city, you cannot send letters left and right without responding to the consequences of your actions. There are falsehoods and subtexts in this letter and my reaction is completely normal.”

When he received the letter, Mr Laframboise spoke to city managers and asked, “Do I have the city’s financial support to defend myself, even when the formal notice comes from another city councillor?” The city said that it would financially support his efforts to defend himself, so Mr Laframboise hired a lawyer, who wrote Mr Riel a letter indicating that because there was nothing defamatory, or anything that would damage his reputation in the original letter, there will be no apology or retraction. As for one councillor hiring a lawyer to formally notify another councillor, Mr Laframboise says that city managers “couldn’t believe it.”

North Aylmer cut

In North Aylmer many residents remain angry with Mr Riel for his conduct during the Cook Road composting site battle; if that area is eliminated from Ward Three, Mr Laframboise says, “It could be circumstantial, but it gets rid of problems for him.” Mr Laframboise also says he’s still “not happy” that Mr Riel had prior information. “He had all the information early. The maps came out in the aftrnoon, but in the morning, he was bragging that he didn’t have to worry about North Aylmer anymore.” Mr Riel says Ward 3 has grown much too large to remain a single ward.

Frank Therien, representing Ward One, told The Bulletin he’d be “happy to represent the people of that area” and that it might be good to have three voices on council for the rural zone. “It would give them better representation than having a single voice,” said Therien. “The City Clerk has done a good job with the map revisions, but the people there must have the final word.”

Public consultations will be held on the proposed changes, which are not final, and citizens will have an opportunity to petition for or against the changes. Mr Therien said that with 500 signatures, the citizens can get what they want.