This past Tuesday, the mayor delivered a State of the Town address, which the municipality streamed on its YouTube channel. You can view the mayor’s complete speech below.
He emphasized, “I am confident we will overcome the challenges ahead and create an even stronger, healthier Mattawa.” Specifically, he mentioned the town will continue to explore more housing opportunities, keep residents connected to the services they need, and work to strengthen the local economy.
Bélanger noted, “I am proud of what we have accomplished, and I am excited about the future. But we have much more to achieve, and I know that we are on the right path to growth and success for our community.”
Some challenges the mayor emphasized were rising OPP service costs and increasing Cassellholme fees. On the latter, the mayor wants the province to step in to find a way Mattawa can remove itself from Cassellholme, and stop contributing to funding the senior’s home.
Bélanger did not mince words: “We need the Ministry to deal with the Cassellholme debacle for the last time. I am sure that other concerned municipalities are looking forward to the Ministry taking a deep dive and to resolving this issue.”
As for the OPP costs, Mattawa has already signed a resolution asking the province to fully fund OPP services in smaller, rural municipalities. Bélanger and council will continue to advocate for that relief.
See: Mattawa continues to call on province to fund OPP
On a more positive note, the mayor detailed that the town’s staff vacancies are being filled. Paul Laperriere was hired as the new Chief Administrative Officer and Treasurer, Dexture Sarrazin became the Director of Community Services, and Melody Byers is the new Executive Assistant.
The town also appointed a full-time Fire Chief last summer, and Shawn Hongell took the position. On that note, Mattawa also spent just over $123,000 on some much-needed equipment for the fire fighters, most of which went to new self-contained breathing apparatuses.
Some works in progress include design and engineering work regarding Main Street, and the completion of the Dorion Hill Reconstruction. The town is also negotiating with potential investors for Rosemount Valley Suites, the mayor noted, and continue to work toward finding a location for the John Dixon Public Library.
Overall, Bélanger anticipates a good year ahead for Mattawa. The mayor emphasized that “Working Together will remain our guiding principle as we continue to explore housing opportunities, connect residents with the services they need to thrive, and champion our local economy.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.