In her first address to the House of Commons on Nov. 22, Pontiac’s new Member of Parliament, Sophie Chatel, presented an initiative aimed at helping Pontiac join the fight against climate change.

Branded ‘For a green and prosperous Pontiac,’ Chatel’s initiative aims ‘to . . .

mobilize stakeholders and empower communities to better mitigate risk, seize opportunities for growth, effectively tap provincial and federal financing and collaborate across jurisdictions’.

Key challenges outlined in Chatel’s address include:

• The adoption of cleaner technologies in an attempt to decarbonize local businesses.

• The need for short-term affordable housing to attract more entrepreneurs to the area.

• Reconciliation with Indigenous communities and having them participate in regional planning, and helping these communities acclimatize to a post-carbon economy.

• Finding solutions to address the rising costs and supply chain disruption due to COVID-19.

• Food insecurity and rising prices of industrial food production are a warning sign that it is vulnerable to the changing climate.

• Regulatory mandates both federal and provincial potentially increasing the burden of small communities without improving their financial resources.

• The access to financing for homeowners, contractors and municipal government for transitioning to a greener environment.

• The need for rigid conversion programmes to avoid populist backlash in the implementation of environmental policies.

Sustainable agriculture

Sustainable farming is also of utmost importance to Chatel who said, “We need to buy locally and offer more local markets because with the water shortage in California our pantries won’t get filled.”

Chatel believes building a green and prosperous Pontiac will require protecting waterways, working toward restoring our ecological systems, introducing reforestation and carbon capture as well as formulating a disaster response plan to protect Pontiac’s collective patrimony.

Documenting and summarizing the discussions and findings during this initiative in a “green book”, Chatel believes will serve as a guide to local leaders as they advance toward attaining the net zero goals together. A riding-wide strategy can render the challenges ahead more concrete, and empower local communities with the tools they need to transition towards sustainable prosperity.

The initiative aims to develop an integrated and collective action plan that will address the fight against climate change toward the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions (by 2050) Accountability Act aiming to reduce emissions, which was introduced in Parliament on Nov. 19, 2020.

No mention of Chalk River

There was no mention of the proposed nuclear waste site within just 1 km at its nearest point from the Ottawa River nor the proposed SMR (small modular reactor) development facility planned for Chalk River, in Chatel’s initiative, however, but she had this to say: “It is of utmost importance to the millions of people using water from the Ottawa River, we need to protect our river. There are public consultations and I need to get all the information before taking what will be the best plan of action for our communities.”

“The main reason I got involved in politics is to ensure a healthy environment for future generations by incorporating the fight against climate change into all government decisions. Pontiac residents know that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense. We need to work together and join forces to reshape our economy in order to build a green and prosperous Pontiac for our children”, said MP Sophie Chatel in a press release.

Labadie joins team

Chatel has reopened the Pontiac office at 110 Front Street, Campbell’s Bay. The office is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. where former Municipality of Pontiac Mayor Joanne Labadie now works as Chatel’s riding assistant.

Labadie, who has helped Chatel during her election campaign said, “I am thrilled and honoured to be onboard and to help work on this green and prosperous program for our MRC.”

Register or subscribe to read this content

Thanks for stopping by! This article is available to readers who have created a free account or who subscribe to The Equity.

When you register for free with your email, you get access to a limited number of stories at no cost. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to everything we publish—and directly support quality local journalism here in the Pontiac.

Register or Subscribe Today!