The gala to denounce unsanitary conditions in Hochelaga (Photo: Stéphane Plante)
On October 5, a humorous gala was held organized by the Ligue 33 organization which denounced the lack of action by municipal authorities regarding the uncleanliness and unsanitary conditions prevalent in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. About ten citizens stopped to attend this awards ceremony in Lalancette Park located in the neighborhood. The event, deployed in a fun format, however sought to settle scores with the administration of the mayor of the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (MHM) borough, Pierre Lessard-Blais, particularly on the issue of spacing out the collection of garbage.
The mayor of MHM, Pierre Lessard-Blais (Emmanuel Delacour/EMM)
Mr. Lessard-Blais was also sharply attacked by speakers at the microphone as well as during the “nominations” for the prizes awarded by the gala organizers. Among the categories defined, we include, among others, “the messiest administrative decision”, “the best ally of unsanitary conditions” or even “the most intelligent quote on the subject of uncleanliness”.
Communication problem?
The gala notably pointed out “ the neglect of the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district and the introduction of ill-considered measures, such as the removal of public trash cans and the spacing of garbage collection, which have worsened the state of the entire district ”, stated the press release for the event.
André-Philippe Doré, one of the instigators of the gala also responsible for the political activities of Ligue 33, mentioned that the idea for this humorous meeting came from “ a little out of exasperation. To raise the ridiculousness of the situation. »
Mr. Doré recalls that his organization tried to have “ very formal, polite, diplomatic dialogues » about unsanitary conditions in district council meetings. “ It didn’t work. We would have liked to talk about it. But the mayor did not want“, he laments.
According to the latter, the population is still poorly informed about the spacing of waste collection planned for next November. “ In Hochelaga, people are not aware that it is coming. We are looking for a way to raise awareness », Explains the person responsible for political activities.
Mr. Doré believes that MHM representatives did not put much effort into consulting people in the sector. “ This is what we find undemocratic: not considering citizens as having rights outside of elections », he adds.
However, Pierre Lessard-Blais indicated by email to EST MÉDIA Montréal that he had set up “ an information, awareness and education team (distribution of a collection calendar, dialogue with building managers and merchant associations) in order to meet the population and offer support in this change of habits. »
Moreover, on the question of the changes to be adopted, the mayor of the district affirms that his administration does not intend to back down. “ With the current climate crisis and overflowing landfills, we no longer have the luxury of turning a blind eye to our waste management “, he explained.
Mr. Lessard-Blais also recalled the urgency of taking action regarding compost: “ Despite its availability for more than 10 years, only a third of Montrealers use compost. However, 85% of the contents of our bins are actually recycling and compost, not waste. All this material can be recycled via one of the other collections offered to the population. »
No affiliation
Could Ligue 33’s critical view of the ruling party turn into political ambition for the next election year? “ The league would not have the strength to be a party. We are a volunteer group », says André-Philippe Doré.
Even if his virulent attacks against Valérie Plante’s party nevertheless attracted some sympathy from Ensemble Montréal, Ligue 33 refuses any affiliation. “ The opposition spoke to us. We won’t hide it. People think we are with the opposition. This is not true. We obviously talk to them, but we also talk to the town hall “, he specifies.
André-Philippe Doré adds that their “ problem with both major parties in elections is that neither is against spacing. Ensemble Montréal is not against spacing. They want it temporarily suspended over the summer. »
Tactics for the coming months
In the coming times, Ligue 33 intends to make itself heard but does not plan to increase the number of splashes. “ We still go to each district council but we don’t always do “stunts” with banners. We don’t want to be just a gang of provocateurs », reassures its co-founder. The group will instead opt for the publication of a magazine “ to explain a little more our vision on the question of democracy and the question of emptying. One edition only. We are not going to become publishers. »
The borough also intends to use written communication to support its actions, according to Mr. Lessard-Blais. “ In mid-October, we will release a progress report with the data collected over the past year. » The mayor of MHM adds that his teams “ continue to evaluate what additional support measures can be put in place in order to succeed in this shift ».
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