By Kevin Woodhouse
www.thesuburban.com
Almost 250 business people attended last week’s economic summit in Vaudreuil-Soulanes known as S’Affirmer, a one day event sponsored by the area CLD to discuss the future of the ever growing municipality.
While some cities and towns have to cut back in order to sustain spending, Vaudreuil-Soulanges is one of the strongest growing municipalities in the province that shows no signs of stopping. But plans need to be set because room for further development will need some forward thinking.
“The most important aspect of the summit was for all the various businesses and social agencies involved to get together to talk about different issues to determine where we want to go,” said Vaudreuil Mayor Guy Pilon.
Pilon, who is also president of the Administration Council for the CLD, told The Suburban “that are big challenges ahead will be securing a hospital for the population, bring more jobs to the region and develop into our current green zone because we are almost out of room for any more development.”
The mayor did note that while agreements will be made with area farmers near the city’s designated green zone could proceed as the city has the ability to develop another green zone that would be zoned appropriately.
The result would be “in ten years, we would still have the same amount of square feet of protected green space.”
Another long term project for the municipality will be the eventual development along Harwood Boulevard spanning from Highway 20 & 30 junction to Pincourt to fulfill the need for the ever growing community.
Other topics covered at the day long event were promoting tourism to the area, supporting the local farmers and growers as well as infrastructure needs and bringing more industry to the entire region that includes St. Lazare, Hudson and Vaudreuil sur le Lac.
“As a region, we want to preserve all land uses,” noted Julien Turcotte, general manager of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges CLD. “Agriculture and economic development, woodlands and streams as well as commercial and urban development can coexist.”
