The Municipalité Régionale de Comté d’Argenteuil (MRC) council met on March 13. It was a full agenda and several items were approved and discussed.
Electric cars and police cadets
Council wants more electric vehicle charging stations in the region to benefit tourists. It has requested that Hydro-Québec and its Circuit électrique division install charging stations near the park and museum by the hydroelectric station in Carillon, and along Route 327 at Lost River in Harrington.
Council approved proceeding with 2019 maintenance work on the VéloRoute d’Argenteuil cycling route, which includes paving near the municipal campground and marina in Brownsburg-Chatham.
The MRC has received $25,684.97 from the Ministère de la Sécurité publique to train volunteer or part-time firefighters in its municipalities.
Council approved the three local priorities of the MRC public security committee for 2019. They are the development of a crime action plan, youth intervention, and property protection.
The MRC is applying for financial support to cover the costs of having two Sûreté du Québec police cadets serve at the Argenteuil station in Lachute during the summer season. Two are expected to serve in 2019, and two in 2020.
A grant application is being submitted for the installation of emergency detour route signs along various roads throughout Argenteuil.
Community agriculture
Council is requesting that the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries, et de l’Alimentation creates a statute officially recognizing the MRC’s community agriculture project. The property where garden and orchard produce are grown is located on Montée Robert in Brownsburg-Chatham. Acting Prefect Carl Péloquin noted that 20 tonnes of fruit and vegetables from the project were donated to local food banks last year.
The MRC is becoming a member of the Écoute agricole des Laurentides (Listening to Agriculture). It plans to create a mutual aid network to provide mental health support for farmers in the region.
Wentworth development
The MRC council will have two representatives on an ad-hoc committee examining plans by Australian developers for a major recreational resort in Wentworth Township. The council representatives are Prefect Scott Pearce and Lachute Mayor Carl Péloquin. MRC land management counsellor Josée Lapointe is also a member of the committee. Wentworth Mayor Jason Morrison, Director-General Natalie Black, and urbanism and environment director Martine Renaud are the township representatives.
“It’s a very big project,” said Péloquin.
Both he and MRC Director-General Marc Carrière said the plan is of national and international significance.
Wants federal office
Council has renewed its request to the federal government to open an office of the Société d’aide au développement des collectivités (SADC) economic development agency in Argenteuil. Carrière said having a local office would give entrepreneurs in the region better access to services.
