Dear residents,
To those whom I have not yet had the chance to meet in recent weeks, I would like to wish you a happy 2026, filled with good health and surrounded by the people you love. For us, the year is off to a great start with some excellent news: written confirmation of the provincial government’s grant for the Chemin du Vieux-Moulin shoreline stabilization project. With the federal grant we received two years ago, this project will be 95% subsidized. It was a race against the clock, as the work along the shoreline must be completed before March 1. We adopted all the contracts at the meeting, and everything will now move very quickly on this file. The residents affected have already been notified, and every effort will be made in this area to complete this important work quickly and minimize inconvenience to the neighborhood as much as possible.
The beginning of the year was also marked by a boil water advisory. During the power outage that affected three of the island's four cities on January 6, the Régie de l'eau's generator did not function as expected, and a drop in pressure below the 20 psi threshold was observed throughout the NDIP supply network, creating a risk of contamination in the pipes. Given this situation, the City must follow safety protocols as a preventive measure. A precautionary boil water advisory was therefore issued and quickly disseminated by ComAlerte and on the City's website, Facebook page, and electronic signs. Unfortunately, given the scope of the analysis across the entire territory, the laboratory results were not received within the usual 48 to 72 hours. More than five days passed before we were finally able to lift the advisory. We took note of what went well and what could have gone better while waiting for the results, always with the goal of improving our processes. However, one thing is certain: your health will always be our priority. In a similar situation, we will never hesitate to issue a preventive boil water advisory because there will never be any risk to take, even if the risk is low.
On the positive side of this adventure, ComAlerte, our emergency call system, worked very well, and many of you expressed your satisfaction with this fast and efficient means of communication. As is often the case, we saw a wave of new registrations. Nearly 500 new people will now be quickly notified by phone, email, or text message in the event of an emergency. If you are not registered, I strongly encourage you to do so online. If you have any difficulties, please contact the Guichet unique, and we will help you complete the process. And if you have neighbors who are not registered, please help us by inviting them to do so. If they are not familiar with this service, they will certainly be grateful that you informed them about it. Let's hope we don't have to use ComAlerte too often, but as they say, better safe than sorry!
Another challenge at the start of this year is undoubtedly the change in the frequency of recyclable material collection. As you know, the Quebec government has mandated Éco Entreprises Québec to standardize the selective collection system across the province. The decision to switch to biweekly collection was not made by the City or the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, but by Éco Entreprises Québec, the government's agent. In Vaudreuil-Soulanges, we were able to negotiate with the government to delay the implementation of the new collection schedule by one year. Elsewhere in Quebec, this change was imposed as of January 2025 (there are a few exceptions, such as on the island of Montreal). We are now in the same boat as other regions, and like you, we are feeling the effects of this decision. As elected officials, we have made representations to express our position on the negative impact and the challenge that recycling now represents for our families. If you meet the criteria established by the MRC to obtain a second bin, apply online. Otherwise, we will all have to adapt to this new reality, as there is no indication that Éco Entreprises Québec will reverse its decision.
Winter is well underway, the skating rinks are open, and we are getting ready for Plaisirs d'hiver at Des Éperviers Park on Saturday, February 7. In the meantime, don't miss Vendredis Patin et musique at the frozen pond in Des Éperviers Park: video game theme on January 30 and Valentine's Day on February 13.