A major tour of regional development organizations made a stop in Campbell’s Bay

A major tour of regional development organizations made a stop in Campbell’s Bay

Loisir sport Outaouais, in collaboration with the Outaouais Regional Council for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Culture Outaouais, the Outaouais-Laurentides Regional Development Cooperative, MOBI-O, and the Western Quebec Intercooperative Housing Federation, organized a tour of the rural RCMs in the Outaouais region. The municipalities of Campbell’s Bay, Montebello, Gracefield, and Cantley hosted the event, welcoming numerous elected officials and municipal administrative staff. More than 80 municipal elected officials attended. Normand Veillette of Loisirs sport Outaouais tells us more:

“More than 20 elected officials were present with a total of 35 people attending the event. Every elected official could choose and speak about issues related to different sectors, like the environment, culture, leisure and social economics. They discussed the different issues to work on key projects”.

The first hour of these meetings was devoted to presenting the services offered by regional development organizations. Each organization was allotted about ten minutes.
The second hour involved forming sector-specific breakout groups to identify the issues and challenges facing the community. Meaningful exchanges took place, and bonds of trust were forged throughout these productive discussions. The development of our communities must be based on an understanding of the tools and challenges specific to each region. Municipalities must make it a habit to consult regional development organizations when they need information or wish to undertake a major project. For their part, regional development organizations must be on the ground to better understand local issues and adapt their service offerings to the specific needs of rural communities.