Neighboring Municipalities Set Example as they Share Resources

Maintaining friendships has been tough during this pandemic, but the municipalities of La Nation (LN) and Clarence-Rockland (CR), have been setting the example.

TVC22 Journalist Bruce de la Cruz speaks with the Mayor of La Nation, Francois St-Amour, to give an update on the Joint Water System Project that the neighboring municipalities have been working together on for the past several years.

Mayor Francois begins by giving an update on the current status of the project, saying that the design process is 60% completed, and that they are now pre qualifying contractors for the job.

Speaking on inter-municipal projects, Mayor Francois describes working with CR as a great experience, and that communication between the municipalities has been key in planning and completing the project.

The employees of LN and CR meet together at least once a week through zoom calls, phone calls, and any other means. Some engineers from both regions are in daily contact with each other. The project has been able to stay on time, albeit with minor problems that slowed down the design team by a couple of weeks.  In terms of staying on budget, Mayor Francois says that it is too early to tell, and that unforeseen expenses have yet to come along. Mayor Francois says that the area in LN that is benefitting is the Village of Limoges. 

Currently, they are relying on wells, which are not the best source of water, as in the past they have been contaminated by surface water. Three hundred houses in the region will be able to receive more water.

The benefits of working together on this project are mostly cost related. The more people that are contributing to the project, the cheaper the operating costs will be for everyone. In addition LN will be paying CR for use of their infrastructure, generating income. 

As for working through the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Francois explains that it has been pretty easy so far.  This is in large part due to technologies such as Zoom meetings, making communication and flexibility easier for both parties.

It is also mentioned that construction will not be halted since the project is considered essential.

More detail is given into why the project is needed for LN, as getting water from the Ottawa river through CR’s infrastructure uses less chemicals to treat it, compared to well water.

Mayor Francois says that the project should be operational by the end of 2021. Most expenses in the project have been paid by LN. 

Mayor Francois says that he hopes that this project will set a precedent for other municipalities to work together on future projects. Some of the reasons that municipalities might not want to work together is rivalry and not wanting to share resources, and a lack of how inter municipal projects work.  This problem could be solved by the provincial and federal government stepping in to guide municipal governments to work together.

Mayor Francois concludes that we are all in this together, so we should grow together.