Residents of the eastern part of the federal riding of Prescott-Russell-Cumberland have a way to reach the office of their Member of Parliament (MP) in person.
On Wednesday, October 15, MP Giovanna Mingarelli officially opened her new Hawkesbury Constituency Office, located at 179 Main Street.
The new office offers a welcoming and convenient space for residents to access federal services, share their concerns, and collaborate on local solutions.
There is a distinctly non-partisan appearance to the signage and décor of the office. Mingarelli is a member of the Liberal caucus led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, but she wanted to emphasize that her constituency office is a place for every citizen. The dominant colours are green, just like the interior of the House of Commons, and white, which combined are the colours of the Franco-Ontarian flag.
“I am the Member of Parliament to everyone in this riding,” Mingarelli said to those who attended the official opening.
The neutral choice of colour is a continuation of a tradition established by former MP Francis Drouin. In fact, the Hawkesbury location was also the home of the constituency office of Drouin’s predecessor, longtime MP Don Boudria.
“The green represents all constituents, regardless of political stripe,” said Mingarelli. “And the green and white pay tribute to our proud Franco-Ontarian heritage.”
Citizens go to their MP’s constituency office with a variety of concerns related to federal government responsibilities and services. The reasons are not necessarily related to the big political issues that are in the national news each day.
Mingarelli said 70 per cent of the calls at the Hawkesbury Constituency Office are related to immigration. The nature of those inquiries often involves issues surrounding becoming eligible to work in Canada or maintaining the eligibility to work.
The Hawkesbury Constituency Office is open Mondays and Tuesdays from 8:30 am to 12 pm and 1 pm until 4:30 pm, and Thursdays from 8:30 am to 12 pm and 1 pm until 4:30 pm. Friday hours are from 8:30 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 3 pm. The telephone number for the Hawkesbury office is 613-632-4680.
Giovanna Mingarelli also has a Constituency Office for residents of the western part of Prescott-Russell-Cumberland at 201-2911 Laurier Street in Rockland. It is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays by appointment. The telephone number is 613-446-2969. The office of MP Giovanna Mingarelli may also be contacted by email at [email protected], or through the official website, https://giovannamingarelli.libparl.ca.
