Donald
Teuma-Castelletti
CAMPBELL’S BAY
Sept. 18, 2017
An information session was hosted at the MRC Pontiac office in Campbell’s Bay on Monday, providing candidates and those still on the fence about running in the municipal elections with answers to all their questions.
Open to anyone interested, over 15 people attended the meeting, which was put on by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy (MAMOT). Most came loaded with tonnes of questions.

“This presentation is about roles and responsibilities of elected officials,” said Carolyn Desrochers of MAMOT, as she started the meeting.
Hosting both newcomers and experienced candidates alike, the wide range of involvement allowed for some questions from the group to be answered and explained by other attendants present. This kind of participation by the group allowed for a focused meeting unique to the area.
The more experienced in politics would also share real-world examples of responsibilities of the councillors, mayors and warden. This helped provide further clarity for the newcomers to the meeting, and kept everyone engaged with the information.
The meeting was led by Desrochers, Catherine Bellemare and Pierre Said of MAMOT, with a prepared slideshow for guidance through the topics. Some of the points discussed included the profile and eligibility of a candidate, conflicts of interest, differences between working and public meetings, and the separation of mayoral from councillor roles.
A major point of interest for those gathered lay in the eligibility of candidates based upon land ownership. This discussion led to many questions, especially because of the border with Ontario and the question of cottage owners in some areas.