gŏđŏ
editionap.ca
Food bank’s fresh start RICHARD MAHONEY RICHARD.MAHONEY@EAP.ON.CA sion – be a last-resort source of food for the poor.
Vital signs This has already been a wonderful time of year for the many recyclers and the rare creative types out there. In Hawkesbury, a spate of consultation and discussion sessions to finalize plans and policies wrapped up just in time for Halloween. Meanwhile, shrieks of terror and hoots of joy could be heard in Québec, where the November 3 municipal elections terminated a long period of door-to-door solicitation. Now, of course, everyone is planning to put up Yuletide decorations. Municipal strategies, Halloween and Christmas have a lot in common. They all involve the art of recycling, and the blending of new and existing concepts to come up with attention-getting displays. Not surprisingly, few radically novel ideas have emerged during Hawkesbury’s latest series of studies. The town’s new socio-economic strategic plan, the new cultural policy and the new direction for the Place des Pionniers park are essentially variations of basic themes. However, as they say, “There is no need to reinvent the wheel.” This is a good thing, because on Page 24 of the strategic plan, Hawkesbury is described as being low on the imagination scale. “Creativity is a decisive factor in assessing the vitality of a city. It is difficult to measure because it manifests itself in a variety of ways, whether through social, cultural or technological innovation, etc. However, existing stud- ies usually refer to the issuance of patents as an indicator used to compare the creative character of the area,” the report says. If necessity is the mother of invention, one would think Hawkesbury, a traditionally economically depressed town, would be glowing with creative energy. Yet, according to some measurement on patents, there are 27 inventors in Hawkes- bury, compared to 58 in Cornwall and 62 in Hudson. Since Hawkesbury does not seem to attract many inventors, “It is fitting to question the attractiveness, quality and type of living environment the town offers and how it can be adapted to new lifestyles sought by the creative class.” Of course, Hawkesbury has many assets that offset this absence of originality. While the municipality’s vision may be devoid of innovation, the town has been lauded for its resilience, its engaged citizenry and its advantageous location. In government circles, the rationale is that before one can embark on the road to prog- ress, the path must first be outlined during a long study, led by outside consultants who help locals decide where they should go. Since they have paid for it, Hawkesburgers ought to take an interest in the “Horizon 2030” document. But for those who don’t have the time, the town’s economic development strategy is relatively straight forward: Every human and material resource must be optimized, pro- moted and celebrated in order to stem the exodus of young people, to lure newcomers, to create more jobs, to reduce taxes, improve services, and to make the place a better place to live and work, for people of all ages. It would probably be too simple to promise, “We are going to do our best,” but that would be an apt, albeit unclever, slogan for every municipality. In the recent Québec mu- nicipal elections, voters were bombarded with the usual mix of tried and true pledges, tired bromides and the occasional new idea. The voter participation rate ranged from refreshing to abysmal. In Montebello, for ex- ample, 70 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots. That was about 20 points higher than the provincial average. Yet, in many municipalities, entire councils were elected by accla- mation, and in many others, only about 45 per cent of electors went to the polls. Perhaps the lethargy is simply another reminder that more than half of the people are just sick and tired of politics. Or maybe it is time to reinvent the wheel. What do you think?
The new board has eliminated the paid position of manager and is hoping to re- gain the support of the Ontario Food Bank Association. “I can’t believe the generosity of the community,” said Charlebois. “And the people we help are very grateful.” Support comes from many sources. The “love-filled” dishes were prepared by a group of accounting firm employees dur- ing a special cooking bee. An orchard own- er dropped off four large boxes of apples. All summer, farmers and gardeners have donated produce. Individuals, clubs and businesses are all chipping in. “We have people who regularly donate groceries on a weekly basis,” she related. But the need for continued community backing is vital. In October, 370 individuals received 6,126 food items from the Main Street centre. “The demand is higher than last year,” said Charlebois, adding the HCFB hopes to be able to provide 300 Christmas food ham- pers this year. “A godsend” Asked what the food bank needs, Char- lebois quickly replied: “Milk and eggs.” Another item on the shopping list is the endorsement of the provincial food bank association, which removed its support a few years ago when access restrictions had been imposed. “As a form of interim help, we have re- ceived a shipment of crackers and deter- gent through the association. We have not yet been officially recognized by the asso- ciation yet. But that would be a godsend,” said Charlebois. Recognition from the Toronto-based or- ganization would reinforce the food bank’s credibility and make it eligible for more long-term support. As Charlebois continued her inspection of shelves, she pointed to boxes and crates filled with home-made cookies, socks, un- derwear, Halloween costumes and toys. Some toys will be raffled off in fund-raising draws. “All of this has been donated. Because our image is better now, we are receiving help from the citizens and organizations. We have come a long way.”
HAWKESBURY | “There was a lot of love that went into those meals,” said Jeanne Charlebois, as she took stock of a freezer at the Hawkesbury Central Food Bank Tuesday. A year ago, there was not a lot of love to be felt at the organization, which at the time was embroiled in controversy. There was grumbling about restrictions on client admissibility and requirements for those seeking help to buy memberships. The food bank was claiming poverty, yet its manager was receiving a salary, and it had plenty of money in the bank. The dissension led to a special meeting in April when a new slate of directors was elected, replacing di- rectors who were deemed ineligible to sit on the board. Since then, the food bank, managed and operated by volunteers, has restored its image and regained the confidence of the community, said Charlebois, Hawkesbury’s former mayor who helped lead a move- ment whose objective was to ensure the food bank refocused on its original mis-
André Sabourin and Robert Chartrand of the Hawkesbury Hotte Ford dealership, shown with Hawkesbury Central Food Bank president Jeanne Charlebois, have launched a friendly challenge to other car dealerships to match or better the Ford Food Drive’s contributions to the food bank. Between now and November 30, everyone who brings a non-perish- able food item when bringing a vehicle for service to Hawkesbury Ford has a chance to win a weekly draw on $100 to be spent at the Ford dealership.
36 700 copies
Bertrand Castonguay , President, bertrand@eap.on.ca Roger Duplantie , D.G. / G.M., roger@eap.on.ca François Bélair , Sales & Development, fbelair@eap.on.ca François Legault , Directeur de l’information/News Editor, francois.legault@eap.on.ca Yvan Joly , Sales director (Hawkesbury), yvan@eap.on.ca François Leblanc , Directeur (Lachute), francois.leblanc@eap.on.ca Gilles Normand , Production & Distribution Mgr., gilles.normand@eap.on.ca Julien Boisvenue , Layout & Prepress Mgr., julien.boisvenue@eap.on.ca
Publié le vendredi par/Published on Friday by : La Compagnie d’édition André Paquette Inc. Imprimé par/Printed by: Imprimerie Prescott et Russell, Hawkesbury, ON Bureau Hawkesbury Office: 1100, rue Aberdeen St., Hawkesbury, ON Tel.: 613 632-4155 • Fax.: 613 632-8601 • 1 800 267-0850 Bureau Lachute Office : 52, rue Principale St., Lachute, QC J8H 3A8 Tel.: 450 562-8593 • Fax.: 450 562-1434 • 1 800 561-5738 # convention : 0040012398 Toute reproduction du contenu est interdite à moins d’autorisation écrite au préalable. No content may be reproduced without prior written permission. Avis : En cas d’erreur ou d’omission, la responsabilité du journal ne dépasse, en aucun temps, le montant de l’espace de l’erreur en cause. Attention : In case of error or omission, in no way will the publisher be liable for more than the amount charged for space concerned. Représentation nationale/National representation Sans frais / Toll free : 1-800-361-6890 Nous invitons les lecteurs à nous faire parvenir leurs lettres qui ne doivent pas dépasser 300 mots. Nous nous réservons le droit de les modifier ou de refuser de les publier. L’expéditeur doit inclure son nom, prénom, adresse et numéro de téléphone. Readers are invited to send us their letters that must not exceed 300 words. We reserve the right to modify them or to refuse to publish them. The writer must include their names, address and telephone number.
Hawkesbury Central Food Bank volunteers Stephanie Lauzon, Jeanne Charlebois, Nancy Larocque, Suzanne Nault, Louise Labrèche, Dominique Lauzon and Su- zie Hinson are kept busy helping the more than 300 people who seek help every month. Photos Richard Mahoney
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker