It’s been just over a year since the RM of Ritchot’s last municipal election, and on October 24 residents will find themselves back at the polls.
This year’s ballot will include at least one familiar name: Janine Boulanger, who will once again be running for the position of Ward 4 councillor, which includes the community of Grande Pointe.
For Boulanger, a return to her council seat for a four-year term means getting the opportunity to continue learning the process of municipal affairs and help residents of the municipality understand it, too. It would be a waste of taxpayer money, she says, if she didn’t run again.
Her platform for this campaign is the same as it was in the last one: to listen to the residents of the RM and address their concerns to the best of her ability.
“Contrary to popular belief, it’s not all about collecting taxpayers’ money,” says Boulanger. “All of the staff and my fellow councillors are there for our residents and want to do what’s best for all. [One year] has been a short time, that’s for sure. But I do believe that it has been a great learning experience and that I have reached a level of comfort in this position.”
Continuing for another term means seeing a number of started projects reach completion. One of those is the multiuse pathway which is scheduled to begin construction this fall in Grande Pointe.
“With all the new development on the east side of the old 59, new families have moved in with a lot of younger kids,” Boulanger says. “The activity on this road has increased dramatically as they either walk, bike, or rollerblade from their homes to the park.”
Boulanger was a key advocate for this safer pathway, a corridor that will separate pedestrians from vehicular traffic, and will be funded by a recreation reserve and RM grant rather than requiring more resident tax dollars.
While the current council is still getting to know each other’s strengths, Boulanger is proud of the respect that is shared among them. Each member, she says, gets a fair opportunity to voice their opinions. Communication with the public, on the other hand, still requires a little work.
“A few times there have been conditional use hearings where no one shows up to voice their concerns or approvals for the subject at hand,” Boulanger adds. “Most of this has been due to the fact that people didn’t hear about the hearing. It’s a common problem, how to get the word out to people. We are working on a communication strategy that, hopefully, will alleviate this problem so that everyone has a fair chance to be heard.”
Boulanger intends to begin a door to door campaign shortly, visiting as many of the Ward 4 residents as possible. With the recent change in boundaries, she hopes to include those residents that are newly designated to her ward.
