By : François Stanton (Translation : Guy Côté)
Having lost his mayoral candidacy in the last elections, Benoit Bourgon is working with a group of residents to set up a citizen forum that would be representative enough to exert influence on the direction of the municipal administration.
An Inclusive and Independent Initiative
The group plans to create a website, issue membership cards, and send out mailings to be as inclusive as possible: “Everyone is welcome,” insists Bourgon. “I absolutely do not want this group to be identified with me personally or perceived as a vengeful reaction, but first and foremost as a democratic initiative aimed at strengthening citizen power here in Brome Lake.” Bourgon is also counting on a much broader base than previous groups, such as Vigilance Lac-Brome or Imaginaction, citing the Avenir Potton collective as an example, “which,” he says, “represented nearly 600 members and won the majority of seats in the last municipal elections.”
Residential Development and Urban Planning
Bourgon stated that he was convinced that
Such a group would be able to prevent elected officials from repeating the same mistakes as in the past, particularly regarding residential development. As we know, a new urban planning document is currently being developed. This means that the coming years will be crucial for all those who want to prevent the Town of Brome Lake from permanently losing its character.
Next steps
Bourgon and his team plan to mobilize the local population by highlighting issues of housing development, zoning, the environment, and land-use planning as a whole. The future group could be formed as early as next May. A name, Alliance Lac-Brome, is currently under consideration.