By Kevin Woodhouse
www.thesuburban.com
After consulting with the public last June and November, the city of Pointe Claire released its diagnosis for the future of the village last week.
The summary report, completed by the firm Covercite, was given last week in another public forum where the village’s future was presented. With the document and the consultations completed for now, the city can proceed with the implementation of a Special Planning Program (SPP) to outline the next steps required.
“Using the diagnosis, we can prepare the SPP by going out to tenders,” Pointe Claire Mayor Morris Trudeau told The Suburban. “This process should be completed by early 2015 and we can seek government grants to help with the revitalization project.”
The diagnosis document noted some improvements that need to be made for the village that include the installation of missing bicycle path links, refurbishing and installing sidewalks as well as improving the “poor buffer between commercial and residential spaces.”
Other areas of concern were riding the village of graffiti and ensuring all customers to the village, particularly those who frequent restaurants, pubs and bars, behave as good citizens.
On a positive note, the village boasts about 700 full-time jobs and by identifying key businesses that could service the community at large to ameliorate the area as a destination for consumers, young and old. Being able to preserve the heritage structures while offering full service to visitors could allow the village to prosper in the years to come.
During his many door-to-door visits in the last municipal election campaign, Trudeau found that residents throughout the city support the village’s future. “I never heard anything negative about the village from people since many of our residents take part in the St. Jean Baptiste and Canada Day festivities that take place every summer.”
With the advent of big box store style shopping at malls and shopping via the Internet, the mayor of Pointe Claire believes that the village has a future as a tourist destination and commercial viability. “In the past there were once three hardware stores in the village and now there are none but people are attracted to villages, look at places like St. Sauveur or Knowlton who have thrived with a dynamic village concept.
“Pointe Claire Village attracts many people in the summer months who like to take advantage of our waterfront village municipality,” said Trudeau.
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