Council pushes Calumet revitalization, offers help to residents

In light of declining community activities and ongoing concerns over speeding and vandalism in the village of Calumet, three council members of Grenville-sur-la-Rouge met with a group of residents last month to discuss suggestions and ideas for a revitalization plan.

Councillors Daniel Gauthier and Diane Monette, who together form the Calumet revitalization committee, were joined by Councillor Teresa Ogle-Forman and director-general Bertrand Déry at the Paul-Bougie community centre on June 14.

"Once we held our election campaign [last October], people came to us to say there was no activity in Calumet," said Gauthier, adding the newly-elected council then learned at municipal regional council meetings that the village "has become problematic" for the police, in terms of citizen complaints for speeding and vandalism.

Sergeant Germain Cusson, a community services officer with the Sûreté du Québec, acknowledged the problem but said such issues are unfortunately commonplace across the Argenteuil and surrounding regions.

By having the police and citizens working together, especially in regards to regular community activities and neighbourhood watches, Cusson suggested the village could help stem the problem and slowly reduce the need for police prevention.

Currently, however, the only regular activity in Calumet is a weekly meeting of about 25 to 30 members of the Club d'Age d'Or, which has 97 members in total.

Gauthier said the village needs to offer more to its young people and adults, and that municipality could play an advisory role in generating new activities: "Apart from the club, there's nothing else. We have to take ourselves by the hand [to come up with solutions], and it will take volunteers. The municipality is ready to help; [council members] will be there to help you get grants. We know the money is available, but it's not available to the towns, as it's geared for non-profit and community groups."

The Pacte rural program, offered by the provincial municipal affairs department, is one example where residents could work together to apply for grants - as a community group. The councillor noted the program states 20 per cent of the project must come from the community, but not necessarily from a financial standpoint.

"We'll help you wherever possible; as overseers, to help borrow equipment, or if you simply need more information," he said.

Monette added the Calumet library could potentially become a centre for cultural activities, and youth lectures on the weekends, but the four hours it is currently open per week are simply not enough.

"Again, it will take volunteers," she said. "The library is also falling into disrepair, and we will need residents to help revitalize it."

The library now has 67 members, which is not enough to warrant additional hours, nor can the municipality afford it. It costs about $13,000 to run the library on an annual basis, an amount that covers building costs, oil heating, telephone service, maintenance, and the book exchange program with another library.