“Since last fall, we have been talking among citizens and we formed a collective when we saw that everyone found that this project did not make common sense. And we went to meet the majority of people in the sector,” said one of the instigators of the petition, Jean-François Rousseau, from the outset during the second question period.
The protest document was signed online and on paper. The digital version made it possible to collect more than 115 comments, mentioned the representative of citizens against the project.
The spokesperson for the protest group, Jean-François Rousseau. (Screenshot City of Bromont)
The door-to-door canvassing was very revealing of the widespread discontent within the community, he continued. “People who already knew [du projet de 111 logements] were worried, sometimes even angry. Those who didn’t know were stunned. The observation is that it was very easy to get the petition signed. We estimate that we had less than five refusals,” argued Mr. Rousseau.
“It speaks”
“There are approximately 750 voters in the Adamsville area. And I arrive this evening with 631 signatures,” underlined the spokesperson for the protest group. “It speaks”, immediately launched the mayor of Bromont, Louis Villeneuve.
The mayor of Bromont, Louis Villeneuve. (City of Bromont)
“I see the number of people from Adamsville here tonight and clearly there is a problem,” the mayor said.
Furthermore, as the petition was not sent to the clerk’s office before the council meeting, the document will be officially filed during the subsequent meeting, after the clerk has analyzed its content, to then transmit it to the elected officials, specified the deputy clerk, Me Marie-Pier Therrien.
“The project has not been submitted,” said the mayor. I don’t even know where [le promoteur] is with all that. I think we need to talk to each other on this matter. We will take the time to read all the comments. […] And we will organize a meeting with all the people in the neighborhood. “As there is nothing on the table, I have no idea when it will happen.”
District 6 councilor in Bromont Jocelyne Corbeil. (City of Bromont)
The district representative on the municipal council, Jocelyne Corbeil, said she was “very happy” with the citizen mobilization in this issue. “When there are concerns,” she said, “we are here to listen to you.”
Mr. Rousseau concluded his speech by emphasizing the uniqueness of his neighborhood. “The Adamsville sector is not the most picturesque in the city of Bromont. But it is a sector with a human dimension, where there is a village spirit, a spirit of mutual aid. […] We welcome new residents with pleasure. […] In today’s world, this is something rare. We must preserve this unique character, because it is a fragile balance. The shock of an unsuitable project could irreparably disfigure our living environment.”
