Champlain Township councillors have changed their minds. After voting down the creation of a heritage inventory of properties in the municipality at its June meeting, council revisited the idea at its August 24 regular meeting and approved the idea. About two dozen letters from citizens in favour of the idea were included in the municipal agenda package.

West Hawkesbury Councillor Sarah Bigelow opened the discussion by saying that she had been talking to a lot of people about the idea since the June meeting at which the idea was rejected.

“We all have things that we like,” she said, “After that meeting, I kicked myself and thought: how can we get that back?” Bigelow said.

Bigelow said she wanted to bring the idea of a heritage inventory back to the table.

Vankleek Hill Councillor Paul Emile Duval agreed with Bigelow.

“I was wondering why we turned it down. I think we should have passed that,” Duval said.

“Sometimes we overthink things,” said Champlain Township Mayor Normand Riopel.

Champlain Township Clerk Alison Collard mentioned that there had been two parts to the original proposal. While council received and filed the report which recommended the heritage inventor, the second resolution was for council to approve the formation of a heritage advisory committee, which would include the mayor and two members of council.

West Hawkesbury Councillor Gerard Miner said that he read every letter and that there had been more letters in The Review which had not been sent to council. While some of the letters mentioned heritage protection, Miner was clear about the difference between a heritage inventory, or list, and heritage designation.

“I would not necessarily be in favour of heritage registration without the approval of homeowners,” Miner added.

“I think we fell asleep at the switch at that specific meeting,” Miner said, joking that senior planner Jennifer Laforest had too many reports for council at the meeting.

L’Orignal Councillor André Roy likewise said he had no problem with an inventory, but that he would have a problem if it were to go further than that.

“I understand that people want to keep the cachet,” Roy said, noting that the people who have purchased heritage properties already have an interest in keeping them that way.

“I think there are situations — people remember the convent in Vankleek Hill. Often, we listen to the comments of people and it is easy to say the municipality should protect it (heritage) but we do have a few buildings in Vankleek Hill,” Miner added, mentioning the Higginson Tower and the Vankleek Hill Museum. The Champlain Library is a third heritage-style building owned by the township.

Riopel asked Duval if there was a list of heritage properties in Vankleek Hill done previously, adding that he knew there was one for L’Orignal.

Laforest said that the two heritage groups (in L’Orignal and Vankleek Hill) have already done a lot of work.

Riopel concluded by thanking the public for the 24 letters sent to Champlain Township, adding that it is very important to hear from citizens.

Councillors Sarah Bigelow, Paul Burroughs and Paul Emile Duval will sit on the heritage advisory committee.

Read the story about council’s rejection of the heritage inventory at its June 2023 meeting here.