Dear Editor,

The recent letters in THE EQUITY from former mayors of the Municipality of Pontiac (Campbell, McCann and Larose) commenting (positively and negatively) on the current mayor and council reflect some deep divisions in the municipality.

I have only lived here for 13 years and cannot claim to understand the history or the basis for these divisions but I do know they are causing serious problems. There seems to be a real lack of trust among different groups in our community and, as can be seen in these letters, some heartfelt animosity amongst community leaders.

The residents of the MoP need to get past these historical divisions and find a way to work together to build a better community. For that to happen we need to have a common understanding of the MoP — its economy, its assets, its demographics and we need engaged residents willing to work with elected officials on a plan for our future.

We live in a beautiful part of the world and have many assets: the river, the farms, the park and our people. We also have significant challenges: our geographic spread with no central village, lack of local employment, the separation from our partner communities in the MRC, our large and costly road network, the recent reduction in tax revenue and the punishing increase in business taxes, and our lack of a common vision for what the MoP can be. We would be foolish not to recognize how these challenges are being magnified by current administrative challenges and a relatively inexperienced council. But the more important issue is how do we overcome these challenges?

In my view, progress will only come with significant and positive resident engagement in the MoP’s decision-making processes and that engagement will only be effective if we can let go of the past and focus on the future.

Kevin Brady

Luskville, Que.