Report on project in front of St. Joachim Church made public

Those interested can from now on become aware of some ideas given by the population at large, regarding the City of Chateauguay project of producing a new development in front of the St. Joachim Church. Translation Dan Rosenburg The report from the Conscience Urbaine company which consulted the citizens on the subject last fall, is available on the City of Chateauguay website. The landscaped layout with some trees and shrubs, benches, drinking fountains, and toilets, notably come from the suggestions of the participants. The solidification of the riverbanks and the parking lot also constitute some concerns. An ice-cream stand, play area, Christmas and artisans’ market also figure in the proposals. The spot will have to please senior citizens, youths and bring together a cultural diversity. More generally, the people have said they wish for “a place where we can create some links,” according to Conscience Urbaine representatives Fanie St-Michel and Amelie Nadeau, “There is a will to make a place for getting together. The word fraternity comes out the most,”: they indicated at the presentation of the report to elected officials and to various intervenors, including Parish Priest Clement Laffitte, at the beginning of March. The report must inspire layout specialists who will be in charge of proposing a plan. When the time comes, the concept will be presented to the general public. Always in the plans The COVID-19 did not drive Mayor Pierre-Paul Routhier to renounce his plans as some people wanted him to do. A woman citizen benefited from the question period via internet of the May Chateauguay public council meeting to protest. With the pandemic which is limiting the assembling of people, the project is no longer pertinent and the City would have to abandon the $2,5 million loan bylaw to complete it, she maintained. The Mayor confirmed that the process was continuing and that the real cost could be less than the loan. “The amount of money that was mentioned there was not at all the amount of money that will be spent,” he said. “We are still thinking about the concept that we’ll be using. The people at the council will have to decide on the concept. It could be a concept that will cost $500,000 or $600,000. The problem that we have here is that we have to make sure that the place in front of the church will be one of the best-looking places in Chateauguay. The church is a beautiful monument that we have here. And it’s not necessarily a gathering place. We want to make sure that this will be a nice place for the people to see. People will be able to come to Chateauguay; we will be proud of that. I am not saying that it will be done within a year or two. We are still in the process of thinking of what we will do over there.”